CASERTA, January 9, 2026, 11:32 AM – Approximately 1700 tons of waste have been cleared from streets between Caserta and Naples, out of a total of 2700 tons, in less than four months. This extensive operation involved 20 municipalities within the ‘Terra dei Fuochi’ (Land of Fires) region and is slated for further expansion. Parallel efforts are also underway to remediate significant areas where waste has been buried, including the vast sites of Giugliano in Campania and Lo Uttaro in Caserta.
Commissioner Vadalà Details Progress in Environmental Remediation
Giuseppe Vadalà, the sole commissioner for the ‘Terra dei Fuochi’ clean-up, provided an update on the environmental interventions between Naples and Caserta during a regular meeting at Casa Don Diana in Casal di Principe. His appointment followed Italy’s condemnation by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in January 2025 for its failure to carry out environmental clean-ups. Significant acceleration in these efforts has been observed since the ‘Terra dei Fuochi’ Decree-Law came into effect in August.
“These are important moments of sharing for an activity that concerns the territory,” said the Carabinieri General. “These are moments where suggestions can be received. But it is also fundamental to make citizens understand that concrete actions are being taken in their interest.”
Government Allocates €60 Million for Clean-up Efforts
The Italian government has allocated €60 million to Vadalà’s structure, with €15 million provided through the August Decree-Law and €45 million from the Ministry of Environment. Nearly half of these funds have already been spent on removing the 1700 tons of waste found in streets, which for years had been transformed into illegal mega-landfills between Giugliano in Campania and Villa Literno – locations emblematic of environmental degradation in the ‘Terra dei Fuochi’.
Upcoming Tenders and Remediation of Buried Waste
A tender worth €23 million, divided into three lots, is expected to be finalized within days. Of this, €11 million will be allocated to sites in the province of Naples, €6 million to the Caserta area, and the remainder to the Ponte Riccio site in Giugliano. The program aims to remove street waste from 30 sites, with an additional 1000 tons yet to be cleared.
Another tender, valued at €2 million, for communication efforts will also be awarded shortly. Concurrently, work is progressing on the remediation of 20 sites where waste has been buried, including in public landfills, such as the extensive areas of Giugliano in Campania and Lo Uttaro in Caserta. This work is more complex and costly, requiring significantly more funding; Vadalà has previously estimated nearly €2 billion would be needed to remediate these sites. Currently, characterization of the waste is underway at these 20 sites – for eight of which the Commissioner will work in conjunction with the Region, and for 12, he will proceed autonomously. In addition to Lo Uttaro and Giugliano, work is also being carried out in the Neapolitan district of Pianura, the lakes of Villa di Briano, and Casal di Principe.
Agricultural Land Monitoring and Interdiction
Finally, there is the matter of agricultural lands between Caserta and Naples. The Carabinieri of CUFA and ARPAC are actively involved, with ARPAC receiving €500,000 in funding from the commissarial structure for a two-year period (€250,000 annually). Environmental investigations have been conducted on 957 hectares of agricultural land, resulting in 110 hectares being interdicted from agricultural production due to contamination, while the remaining areas have been cleared. Further assessments will be carried out on an additional 600 hectares.
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