di Vincenzo Cirigliano
Era il 6 Marzo 2018 e questo era quanto io scrivevo sulle pagine del Blog Onda d'Urto 5 Stelle, sottolineando un'azione di portata considerevole alla quale mi sento di poter dire di aver dato un apporto sostanzioso, che si è concretizzata in una iniziativa che ancora oggi assume contorni rilevanti, rimanendo unica nel suo genere, anticipatrice degli ultimi eventi che stanno caratterizzando la questione "Estrazioni Petrolifere" in Basilicata ed in Val d'Agri in particolare, iniziativa portata avanti e concretizzata dal gran lavoro dell'Eurodeputato M5S lucano Piernicola Pedicini e dal suo Staff. Di seguito il testo
"Inserirsi in una situazione determinata nel corso di diversi anni da gruppi dirigenziali politici sprovveduti e con una visione sociale e territoriale estremamente limitata.
Questo è stato ciò che purtroppo ha dovuto fare il Movimentismo a 5 stelle in Basilicata in questi anni, cercando di limitare i danni di politiche scellerate promosse per anni, che si sono abbattute sul territorio e sui cittadini, compromettendo l'equilibrio ambientale e la stessa salubrità di un territorio che, per le sue caratteristiche, doveva vivere esclusivamente di turismo ricettivo.
Il M5S ha dovuto muoversi su un terreno impervio, cercando contemporaneamente di salvaguardare i posti di lavoro che gravitano attorno alle attività di estrazione e di ricerca e nel contempo ponendo al centro dell'attenzione il problema ambientale e la salute dei cittadini.
Si può cercare di camminare in equilibrio su una lama di un coltello, cercando di salvaguardare equilibri consolidati negli anni tra esigenze occupazionali e salvaguardia della salute e del territorio, ma non si può passare su scelte di fondo completamente errate che ahimè negli anni hanno sortito le loro nefaste conseguenze. E' proprio su questo terreno e con queste prerogative che si è mosso il M5S allorquando ha chiesto, con un ricorso alla Corte Penale Internazionale dell'AJA, che venisse aperta un'indagine sulle attività inquinanti di estrazione del petrolio che stanno devastando la qualità dell’aria e dell’acqua della Val d'Agri. Secondo il principio che un'attività produttiva può protrarsi su un territorio fin tanto che questa non vada a ledere la salubrità dei posti o addirittura la salute dei cittadini che lo abitano. In tal caso corre l'obbligo evidenziare e denunciare il problema, cercando di riportare tali attività nei limiti delle norme e ove necessario chiedendo l'addebito dei danni determinati da chi non ha fatto niente per evitarli. Un Gran lavoro in questa iniziativa è stato svolto dall'attivismo territoriale della Val d'Agri, che si è sempre mosso nella consapevolezza di dover prioritariamente salvaguardare il tessuto lavorativo dell'indotto e delle famiglie che ne traggono sostentamento, senza mai perdere di vista il diritto ad una sana esistenza in capo ai cittadini ed ai lavoratori, compresi quelli dell'indotto, che vivono ed operano su questo territorio"
Così Piernicola Pedicini Eurodeputato M5S qualche mese fa ha descritto questa iniziativa:
" Ho presentato ricorso alla Corte Penale Internazionale per chiedere che venga aperta un'indagine sulle attività inquinanti di estrazione del #petrolio che stanno devastando la qualità dell’aria e dell’acqua della Val d'Agri, e di conseguenza la salute dei lucani. Le multinazionali petrolifere come Eni e Total sono evidentemente colpevoli di REATI CONTRO L'AMBIENTE E L'UMANITÀ e, insieme a governo nazionale e amministrazioni locali, è arrivato il momento che ne diano conto. Questo ricorso è un ennesimo tentativo per bloccare lo scempio in atto in Basilicata. Stiamo facendo il possibile! Non ci fermeremo! "
Sotto potete leggere il testo del Documento di Denuncia:
Office of the Prosecutor
International Criminal Court
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
Brussels, 21 September 2017
1. CLAIMANT:
Piernicola Pedicini, born in Benevento (Italy) on 22/5/1969, Member of the European
2. CLAIM:
This Article 15 Claim notifies to the Office of the Prosecutor (“OTP”) of the international Criminal Court (“ICC”) of the crime of reckless exploitation of natural resources in the “Val d’Agri” located in the Basilicata Region due to oil and gas extraction activities carried out on an area geographically and morphologically ill-suited for such purposes. Such continued practices led to the irreversible spoil of both the natural equilibrium and public health of inhabitants. The claimant is therefore asking the Prosecutor to open an investigation in Italy, namely in the Val d’Agri area located in the Basilicata region. The aim of the investigation should be to establish whether hazardous activities, such as the oil and gas extractions carried out by oil multinationals such as ENI and Total (both with the participation of Shell Italia as a minority shareholder), may fall within the scope of a crime against the environment and humanity.
3. ADMISSIBILITY
3.1 According to article 17 of the Statute, admissibility of a case is subject to an assessment of both complementarity (subparagraphs (a)-(c)) and gravity (subparagraph (d)).
3.2 The claimant maintains that the following elements support the admissibility of the case:2
a) The existing proceedings refer to a fraction of the crimes that were perpetrated as a testament to the unwillingness or inability to investigate or prosecute genuinely (complementarity);
b) The gravity of the crimes notified is severe since it entails the endangerment of human lives and the inhabitability of a considerable piece of land;
c) An entire community is seeking justice for the irreversible pollution of their land, air and water that has, among other things, put in jeopardy the health of many people living in the surrounding areas.;
d) Regardless of the countless pressing of charges and petition addressed to the competent state authorities, the government and its local affiliates have and are still neglecting to act in favour of its citizens;
Moreover, the ICC prosecutor in Cambodia has recently extended the scope of its competences to include land grabbing and all other environmental crimes into the category of crimes that cause great harm to humanity.
3.3 This ground-breaking switch in the work of the Court has led the Claimant to call for a supranational intervention in favour of all these communities of people to whom justice is denied within the borders of their country.
4. EVIDENCES IN SUPPORT OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CHARGES:
4.1 Area not fit for purpose.
1. The soil was unfit for extraction and the proximity of the extraction sites to inhabited towns has been endangering the lives of people by means of toxic pollution of grounds and waters to the extent of aggravating the risk of cancer and chronic illnesses. The insanitary condition of the soil (to the detriment of people’s health and agricultural activities) have also led many people to leave the surrounding area.
2. The pollution of grounds, water and air are leading to the emergence of chronic and illnesses amongst the inhabitants as well as to the decay of National Parks.
3. The Statistical Unit of the Higher Health Institute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) has carried study of inquiry using available data on mortality, hospitalisation and birth assistance certificates in the surrounding area, covering 20 municipalities between the 3 Val d’Agri and the Valle del Sauro. The period under scrutiny was 2003-2010 using the protocol drawn by the Sentieri Study1 (Ann.5). The aim was to analyse how environmental pollution affects the hospitalisation for certain diseases, therefore it excluded all violent causes. The considered diseases ranged from those of infectious nature, to cancers, affecting the nervous, respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems.
The study has detected excessive mortality with regards to diseases within the scope of the research: The geographical nature of the study does not allow direct causal links between the exposure to environmental polluting substances and the health of the population, however it suggests that persistent exposure as a contributory cause.
4. Further risk of pollution of both soil and water is due to the seismic nature of the region that may be subject to earthquakes causing damage to the oil vessels and leading further leaks. According to an eminent professor Ortolani2 (annex 3) the earthquake danger stemmed not from the drilling itself but from the disposal of contaminant water (up to 60% of the raw product), residue of the desulphurisation process. The law allows for the company to drill a very deep well in which to pump such liquid at high pressure.
This injection leads to seismic effects, since the injected liquid needs to find its place and will rise the underground pressure within a 5 miles radius3.
4.2 HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN VIGGIANO AND GRUMENTO.
1. Prof Fabrizio Bianchi of the INSTITUTE OF CLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY (IFC) -
Pisa National Research Council) has recently announced (September 2017) the results of a Health impact assessment on 2 Municipalities in Val D’Agri: on Viggiano and Grumento where the ENI owned Oil Center (COVA) is situated (see par. 4.4 and Annex 7).1 http://www.epiprev.it/materiali/2014/EP2/S1/EPv38i2S1_SENTIERIind.pdf
2 https://it.linkedin.com/in/franco-ortolani-4a147632
3 http://www.identitainsorgenti.com/da-nelpaese-it-lintervista-a-ortolani-nessuna-
relazionetra-
trivelle-e-terremoti-la-shell-in-val-dagri-va-fermata-per-motivi-ambientali/4
2.The study was led by Prof. Bianchi with the contribution of 30 researchers and technicians working for the CNR, the University of BARI and the epidemiologic Center of the Lazio region.
3.It states that “in the municipalities of the Val d'Agri there is an incidence of mortality and hospitalization greater than in other areas of the region ... "
and further:
4."Causes of death and hospitalization that are significantly associated with the estimated exposure to pollution of COVA are related to illnesses cardiovascular and respiratory diseases ... "
and again:
5.".. too many episodes of hospitalization for respiratory diseases, particularly for chronic, were observed among both men and women. "
6.The epidemiological data the study refers to are self-explanatory: numbers show an excess of risks, including excessive hospitalisation for respiratory diseases, especially for chronic, observed among both men and women.
7.It is of paramount importance to pay attention to the specific data concerning women.
8.According to the health impact assessment, the data on mortality and illness of women resident in the two municipalities, compared to the rest of the Basilicata region, over the period 2000-2014 are as follows: mortality + 63% for circulatory diseases; hospitalization + 80% for ischemic diseases; + 41% for circulatory system diseases; + 48% for respiratory illness.
9.A short summary of the study is available in annex 7, while the full study should be made available to public as from 22 September. 5
4.3 Not profitable for the State
1. In 2008 ENI had been active in the area for 10 years and the Financial Times observed that such extraction activity has been carried out in the middle of an inhabited area.
Moreover, Scholar Maria Rita D’Orsogna4 (annexes 1 and 2) pointed out that the royalties charged by the State to the company are incredibly low: 4% compared to over 80% charged for similar activities (in more isolated areas) by countries such as Venezuela and Norway. Of such small amount, the local administrations receive about 15% while they have to deal with the disastrous effects of pollution of the soil and a dangerous inflation of human illnesses such as cancer and other chronic diseases.
4.4 Detected dangerous incident in 2017
1. In January 2017, a massive leak was detected in the Oil Collection Centre “COVA, Viggiano” and this was due to some over two cm wide holes at the bottom of the containment pools. From such holes over 2 square meters of oil per day could penetrate the soil and infiltrate the water of the Agri river flowing directing into the Pertusillo basin. The company acknowledged a loss of 400 tons of oil but representatives of local public administration say the estimate could be much greater and pressed charges against ENI.
4 http://www.csun.edu/~dorsogna/mwebsite/CV.htm
6
This event has triggered some inquiries from regional prosecutors with regard to concussion and corruption crimes and 57 subjects (of which 10 companies) have been subject to indictment. The trial is scheduled to start on November 6th.
The COVA center has been closed temporarily and then reopened on>>> see par. 4.5 infra
4.5 Malicious non-intervention of the Regional Administration in defence of the environment and citizen’s health
1. The leak and the inquiries that stemmed from it have brought the civil society (anItalian ONLUS) to press charges against the inactivity and confusion made by the Regional administration that failed to immediately require the application of safety measures foreseen by existing National and European legislation. The external emergency plan of the Oil Collection Centre has been classifying the oil as cancerous for years in conformity to the Seveso Ter EU directive. Therefore, an intervention adequate to the relevant risk was not only advisable but also foreseen by existing law prescriptions and safety measures.
According to the ONLUS petitions there also has been a lack of transparency in the assessment of the water of Lake Pertusillo from which many local communities are supposed to draw their drinkable water. Most of the analyses carried out in 2017 lack a compulsory validation foreseen by Regulation EC 882/2004. Moreover data available on
recent water analyses show some omissions that would suggest a certain degree of bias in the certification of conformity provided by national authorities. Substances that have been
considered in earlier studies have not been considered in recent ones, without providing clear explanations.
4.6 The re-opening of the Centre COVA Viggiano
1. The heavy pollution of water streams that flow into the artificial basin of Pertusillo that, with its 155 million cubic meters of water, is supposed to hydrate and provide drinkable water to the all of the Basilicata Region and a consistent part of Puglia Region.
Environmental NGOs and Professor A. Colella have carried out assessments of the quality of water and deposits.
2. Such studies detected considerable amounts of heavy metals (often beyond the limits imposed by national law and those set by the WHO) in the waters jeopardising its potability.7
3. Despite all sense of reason, the Regional government has given permission to the Companyresponsible of such environmental disaster (ENI) to reopen the Centre of Oil Collection in
Viggiano after only three months from closure. The reasoning behind such authorisation is the complete disavowal of any existing pollution, which is considered rather unlikely and it has not been corroborated by proofs.
4. No representatives of the civil society have been involved in discussions, concerning safety or consequences of the leak.
5. WHY THE ICC PROSECUTOR SHOULD CONSIDER OPENING AN INVESTIGATION
1. According to the Rome Statute and the policy paper on prosecutorial discretion, the goal of the ICC is to combat impunity and prevent the recurrence of crimes against humanity.
2. The claimant maintains that companies such as ENI and Total, withstanding the leniency of public administration, have continuously polluted the grounds, water, and
air of the Val d’Agri to the extent that human lives have been compromised and seriously endangered.
3. To this day, nobody has been held personally responsible for such acts regardless of many calls for intervention at both local and national level. Institutions are silent, or else they intervene:
a) when is too late (the leak from COVA Viggiano Centre for Oil Collection could have been prevented either not allowing such dangerous extraction activities in the first place or at least setting very high requirements in terms of safety standards)
b) to the smallest extent possible (by charging of petty corruption subjects that should
be trialled for far more severe crimes and by allowing the reopening of the COVA Viggiano Centre).
4. Moreover, it seems that Petroleum search in inhabited areas that deserve environmental protection, is being fostered further. Early in 2017 Shell has required permission to the Ministry of the Environment, in order to carry out hydrocarbon search in the area 8
between Campania and Basilicata. An extraction activity in such an area could compromise the drinkability of water.
5. Epidemiological studies assessing the impact of oil industry related activities in Val D’Agri report self explanatory figures that beyond any reasonable doubt show the increased risks for the inhabitants of the Basilicata region, especially for women.
6. CONCLUSIONS
1. Piernicola Pedicini, the claimant as per par. 1, hereby,
2. having duly notified the claim according to article 15 of the Roma Statute (par 2),
3. maintaining that the claim is admissible, given the arguments displayed in paragraph 3,
4. after due consideration of the exhibited facts (par. 4),
5. based on the motivations provided for in par 5;
6. renews his claim for the OTP to conduct a preliminary examination to decide whether there is a reasonable basis to initiate an investigation;
7. The claimant specifically, as a last resort, after exploiting all possible means, requests for the ICC Office of The Prosecutor to open an investigation to assign criminal responsibility for such carelessness towards the environment and human
lives and for any other crime the Honourable Public Prosecutor may discover through her enquiry.
8. Remains available to produce further documents and indications of proofs and witnesses and for other information and documents in his possession that the Honourable Public Prosecutor could need for the case
9. Asks for a notification in case of dismissal of the claim.
10. Any communication and or notification can be addressed to the following email address: piernicola.pedicini@europarl.europa.eu
In faith,
Piernicola Pedicini
Member of the European Parliament
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