After seven years of suspension, an epidemiological investigation into the PFAS pollution of a Veneto aquifer has finally been approved. The delay in carrying out the investigation was attributed to the Northern League regional councilor for Health, Manuela Lanzarin, who cited cost concerns. The Veneto Region had allocated 10 billion euros to healthcare in the 2024-2026 budget forecast, but it took pressure from environmental associations and opposition forces to push for the initiation of the study.
The watershed moment of this story came during the trial of the Miteni executives, a chemical company declared bankrupt in 2018, for the environmental disaster caused by PFAS pollution. Pietro Comba, a former ISS manager, testified that in 2017 he had collaborated with the Region’s technicians on the creation of the epidemiological study. However, the project stalled, possibly due to political reasons.
The Region responded to the claims by stating that numerous epidemiological investigations had been conducted in collaboration with health authorities and the scientific community. However, specific references to the 2017 study were not mentioned.
Critics, including Cristina Guarda from Europa Verde, questioned why the Region had not implemented at least three monitoring plans despite a council resolution in 2016. Only now, after significant delay, has the study been approved. Councilor Lanzarin confirmed that the activities outlined in the study’s timetable had been carried out by the Veneto Region, including collaborations with the ISS. Further evaluations will be conducted in collaboration with the ISS to extract useful elements for the evaluation of these emerging substances.
Studies have shown that PFAS substances, which are extremely persistent and disrupt the hormonal system, can lead to various pathologies, including thyroid disease, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes-related illnesses. Approximately 350 thousand citizens in the Veneto provinces were affected by the PFAS pollution discovered in 2013.
Environmental movements played a significant role in raising awareness about the pollution. They conducted a sample survey that revealed high PFAS values in the blood of residents in affected municipalities. In 2018, the government declared a state of emergency, establishing a red zone in 30 municipalities and banning the consumption of drinking water in the area.
In addition to the trial against Miteni executives for water poisoning, environmental disaster, unauthorized waste management, and environmental pollution, a parallel investigation is focusing on the death of three workers and the pathologies experienced by 18 other colleagues exposed to the chemicals produced in the Trissino plant. Miteni’s leaders face charges of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated negligent injury.
Despite the dismissal of the appeal presented by the CGIL, the investigation into the company’s practices and their impact on workers and the environment continues in the trial phase.
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