Naples, Campania, Italy, February 16, 2026 – Operations to remove illegally abandoned waste have officially begun across 17 priority sites in the notorious “Land of Fires” region, spanning the provinces of Naples and Caserta. This significant undertaking, backed by over eight million euros in funding, marks a crucial step in the government’s ongoing efforts to combat the severe environmental crisis in the area.
Extensive Cleanup Efforts Underway
The cleanup initiative focuses on 17 priority sites and the Ponte Riccio settlement, for which 2.3 million euros have been specifically allocated for remediation. This latest push builds upon activities initiated in September 2025, which have already seen the removal of more than 2,200 tons of waste from 44 areas across 23 municipalities in the Naples and Caserta provinces.
Giuseppe Vadalà, the extraordinary commissioner, stated, “With these first 17 interventions, we are following up on the tenders from December, and many more cleanups will follow, according to priority criteria developed through the inspections we have been conducting since the early months of 2025. We aim to dispose of as much waste as possible by summer, implementing the Government’s Operational Plan to protect citizens’ health and the environment.”
Investment and Geographical Scope
In the province of Caserta, 6.4 million euros have been invested, targeting interventions in Capua, Casal di Principe, Caserta, Frignano, Gricignano d’Aversa, Lusciano, Marcianise, Mondragone, Orta di Atella, San Tammaro, and Teverola. The significant allocation for Ponte Riccio in Giugliano underscores the severity of contamination in that specific area.
Enforcement and Ongoing Surveillance
In conjunction with the cleanup, law enforcement agencies are intensifying their efforts to prevent further illegal waste dumping. Carabinieri, coordinated by the prefects of Naples, Michele di Bari, and Caserta, Lucia Volpe, are working alongside police forces and the Army, already engaged in the “Safe Streets” operation. Their role is to ensure that cleaned areas do not become targets for new waste abandonment.
Environmental Activists Raise Concerns
Despite the government’s commendable efforts, local environmental groups remain vigilant and continue to report ongoing environmental abuses. Last Friday, the Kosmos Committee, alongside citizens and institutional representatives, filed a complaint highlighting the persistent foul odors in the Giugliano-Aversa area. They protest that the region continues to be affected by uncontrolled waste dumping, even as law enforcement focuses on a significant portion of this vast territory.
Valentina Centonze, president of the Association for the Execution of the ECHR Sentence, noted, “It is good that superficial waste removal is taking place, but the concern of committees and associations remains regarding the deep-seated toxic dumps, for which remediation is proceeding slowly. It is also worrying that other contaminated sites, even those listed by environmental associations that mapped them for the Council of Europe, have not yet been included in the commissarial structure’s remediation program.”
Enforcement Actions and Seizures
Further enforcement actions underscore the scale of the problem. In Acerra, approximately 30 km from Giugliano, the Municipal Police, as part of the “Land of Fires” monitoring operation, seized a trailer without license plates and with an obliterated serial number. The trailer was found on public land, filled with special waste mixed with leather processing scraps.
In Naples, the Metropolitan Police conducted fourteen seizures and reported as many individuals in Scampia, Secondigliano, and Arzano. The seizures targeted companies and vehicles used for illicit waste transport, including car body shops, car washes, and scrap metal recovery businesses. At one site alone, forty tons of undeclared special waste were discovered. Among the vehicles inspected, one was stolen, and the driver of another was found to be a repeat offender without a license.
Community Engagement and Future Plans
Environmental activists have organized a meeting for Wednesday, February 18th, at 6 PM in Piazza Gramsci in Giugliano. The aim is to “build collective awareness and identify concrete actions to protect the right to health of communities experiencing the environmental emergency.”
The committees continue to maintain a high level of vigilance, while the state’s work in the “Land of Fires” appears to be becoming increasingly challenging with each passing hour.
Source: Corriere del Mezzogiorno
