VALLE GALERIA – The issue of health in Valle Galeria consistently resurfaces, and local politics is now attempting to present a united front. Between February 4 and 25, both Municipality XII and Municipality XI approved motions advocating for a new epidemiological study on the resident population. This initiative comes after decades of environmental burden from the Malagrotta landfill, one of Europe’s largest, and other industrial facilities.
Unanimous Approval for a Crucial Study
The vote in Municipality XII took place on February 4 and was unanimous. The resolution commits the Capitoline Junta and the Mayor to engage with the Lazio Region to initiate an updated and shared study. A few days later, on February 25, Municipality XI also voted positively on a similar motion.
The request for a new study stems from a long-standing environmental concern. For decades, Valle Galeria hosted the Malagrotta landfill, along with other facilities, creating an exceptional concentration and duration of environmental impact. Previous studies conducted between 2011 and 2016 had already indicated a correlation between mortality and hospitalizations and exposure to hydrogen sulfide, in addition to groundwater contamination.
Recent Events and the Need for Updated Data
More recent events, such as the serious fires at the TMB (Mechanical Biological Treatment) plants in June 2022 and December 2023, have further highlighted the urgency. A critical moment was the commencement of landfill remediation work in November 2025. This phase is considered the “zero point” for obtaining an updated snapshot of the population’s health and monitoring the future effects of the cleanup.
What the Motions Entail
The motions call for a study that cross-references environmental data, related to historical and current exposures, with health data, such as cancer registries, hospitalizations, and mortality. They also urge the creation of a technical group comprising experts from the Department of Epidemiology of Lazio, ARPA Lazio, ISPRA, and the ASLs (Local Health Authorities), in collaboration with the Sole Commissioner for remediation.
A precise timeline has been requested: an interim report within twelve months and a comprehensive study within twenty-four months. Transparency is also a central theme, with the full publication and sharing of data with citizens being a key demand.
A Collective Act of Responsibility
In Municipality XII, among the supporters of the initiative, Capitoline councillors from Azione, Flavia De Gregorio and Antonio De Santis, along with the group leader of Azione in Municipality XII, Francesca Severi, expressed satisfaction and assured that they would continue to monitor the process to ensure it progresses and that citizens’ voices remain central.
From Municipality XI, councillor and group leader of the Democratic Party, Benedetta Martini, stated: “The Municipality has taken an act of responsibility towards the citizens of a territory too long exposed to a heavy environmental burden – and added – Administrations have a duty to adopt the necessary measures to identify the actual risk to the environment and health determined by potentially risky areas.” The Councillor for the Environment, Daniela Gentili, echoed this sentiment: “For years, Valle Galeria has borne a unique environmental burden in Rome. Today, more than ten years after its closure and with remediation underway, it is necessary to update the checks on the relationship between environment and health. It is not about alarming, but about ensuring transparency: citizens have the right to clear and public scientific data.”
Support also came from the opposition benches. Fratelli d’Italia councillor Marco Palma declared: “Starting a prevention activity in Piana del Sole, Ponte Galeria, Spallette, and Pisana is not, in my opinion, compensation, but rather the assumption of responsibility by the Institutions.”
The ball is now in the court of the Lazio Region, which is called upon to allocate resources and coordinate the investigation. The stated objective is clear: to shed light, with updated scientific data, on a territory that has been awaiting answers for too long.
