“Varese” councils united against PM10 pollution

There is little we can do alone, but together, we can go far and, above all, breathe better. The agreement signed this morning in Varese city hall establishes the official beginning of permanent negotiations to discuss PM₁₀ pollution. The councils taking part in the negotiations will be those of Varese, Induno Olona, Casciago, Lozza, Luvinate, Malnate, Vedano Olona, Cantello and Bodio Lomnago; there will also be the local health authority, the regional environmental protection agency, ARPA, and the association VareseEuropea. The objective is to present a united front against pollution.

The path undertaken, of which the signing this morning is just the official approval, starts out from the need to coordinate all of the measures that councils are forced to take when the limit of PM₁₀ permitted in the air is exceeded, from odd/even number plates, to a complete halt on traffic.

The coordination plan closely resembles the initiative by Lombardy Region, who, since 2006, have held permanent negotiations with the provinces, cities, and towns with over 40,000 inhabitants. In 2007, the councillor for Environmental Protection in Varese city council suggested implementing a similar scheme for Varese and surrounding towns and villages. “The first meeting was in January,” explained councillor Marcello Federiconi, “when we decided to give my department the projects and indications from all organisations, on the topic of atmospheric pollution. Which measures should we all adopt? How should we act in the councils? Not everyone doing his own thing.” And today, by signing, the councils have set themselves the goal of going beyond simply managing the emergency, with synergistic actions that target the problems of environmental pollution, scheduling coordinated inter-council interventions, and seeking to become more attractive to potential backers. “It’s an important step, because the best way to fight pollution is as a team,” the Mayor of Varese, Attilio Fontana, explained.

And now it is a reality. According to what the organisations have indicated, the technical negotiations will proceed with the drafting of an “action plan for air quality”, which will indicate the most appropriate technical/operating solutions, the order of priority for implementing them, and their technical, administrative and financial feasibility. An analysis will also be made to establish whether there are funds available for initiatives that increase the public’s awareness of such topics as air protection, health and sustainable development.