Veneto Region Denies Allegations of Blocking Epidemiological Study on Pfas Pollution
After more than a month of silence, the Veneto region has finally responded to the allegations made in a deposition before the Assize Court of Vicenza. The court is currently hearing a case involving the managers of Miteni of Trissino, who are accused of causing an environmental disaster through pollution from Pfas (perfluoroalkyl substances) in the region’s water table. The former head of the Department of Epidemiology of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Peter Comba, had testified that an epidemiological study on the population’s correlation with cancer risks was supposed to be conducted in 2017, but was blocked for unspecified political reasons.
This revelation prompted the group Mamme No Pfas and Doctors for the Environment (Isde) to hold a press conference in which they criticized the region’s failure to initiate the investigation. They also announced that the Vicenza Island section has started its own research on the connection between Pfas pollution and infertility in males residing in the highly polluted “red zone.”
In response, the Veneto region issued a statement from the Food Safety and Veterinary Prevention Directorate, emphasizing the numerous epidemiological investigations that have been carried out in collaboration with health authorities and the scientific community. The region denied claims of blocking the epidemiological study and accused newspapers of spreading false information. They stressed their commitment to future projects and their willingness to implement any further epidemiological insights recommended by the ISS or the Ministry of Health.
However, the civil parties involved in the Vicenza trial were not convinced by the region’s response. Lawyer Matthew Ceruti pointed out that the fundamental question posed by Professor Comba regarding the omission of the approved cohort study remained unanswered. He argued that while the region cited various scientific studies, they did not constitute the comprehensive epidemiological study on Pfas-related pathology that should have been conducted following an environmental disaster.
Cristina Guarda, a regional councilor from Green Europe, echoed this sentiment and demanded transparency from the region. She questioned why the study never began and who was responsible for this decision. Guarda emphasized the importance of publicizing the test results from inhabitants of the highly polluted “red and orange zones.”
Furthermore, it was revealed that a resolution passed by the Veneto regional council in May 2016, which mandated an observational epidemiological study on the population exposed to Pfas contamination, was never implemented. The resolution had authorized the Higher Institute of Health to conduct the study, with the collaboration of the regional epidemiological service and the cancer register. The reasons behind the resolution’s non-implementation remain unclear.
As the controversy surrounding Pfas pollution and the alleged obstruction of the epidemiological study continues, concerned parties are calling for transparency and accountability from the Veneto region. The public awaits answers to the unresolved questions and hopes for a comprehensive and objective investigation into the environmental disaster.