Pollution in Ceresio, Mountain Community says no to the Regio Insubrica

“We’re not going, so that we can be a doormat for the Regio Insubrica.” Maria Sole De Medio, the President of the Mountain Community of Piambello, was straight to the point when she explained the decision not to take part as an organisation in the meeting called by the Regio Insubrica (the cross-border working community) for tomorrow, 13 April, on the purification plant in Cuasso, and the associated problems of pollution in the section of lake in front of the Town Hall of Porto Ceresio.

“We’re not going, for a number of reasons,” De Medio explained. “To start with, there’s the fact that the Regio Insubrica no longer has any meaning for the area, and the Mountain Community of Piambello isn’t part of it anymore. But above all, we’re not the ones that have to explain anything to this third party.”

The explanation in the reply letter sent from the offices of Piambello read, “It seems appropriate, after the statements made by Governor Maroni, while he was visiting Bellinzona in September 2013, that, on this matter, it is Lombardy Region that should respond to the Canton Ticino, after an investigative roundtable to establish a common approach.”

According to De Medio (see photo below), before talking to the Canton Ticino, it would be good to compare ideas in the area, “to establish a common approach to the problem that is the most complex for the whole administration, and for which the Mountain Community has already presented a detailed plan.”

What irritates De Medio is the way in which the meeting was called, the fact that the invitation was also sent to councils that have nothing to do with the question of the purifier (such as Brusimpiano and Lavena Ponte Tresa), and at the same time, Besano, Bisuschio and Viggiù, which are affected were “forgotten”, and finally, the fact that the manager of the purification system in question was called, bypassing the Mountain Community.

“And then, they can’t call us only on matters that they choose, and when they choose,” De Medio added, “because on other matters that are important to our area, such as the cross-border agreement for inert materials, in May of last year, this Mountain Community was never involved, even though it has specific expertise in environmental protection.”

“In short, leaving Varese Province with the job of remembering what’s been done and all of the communications between the Region, Province, Mountain Community and Councils, it’s high time Lombardy Region started promoting every useful initiative at the political level, in the hope that this finally happens in an organised manner. We’ll be there, at the venues officially selected, and we’re also willing to take part with the necessary resources, as far as we can.”