A disagreement between the
Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and his
5-Star Movement (M5S) coalition partners continued on Friday
after the League leader proposed installing waste incinerators
for household rubbish in every province in the southern region
of Campania.
The illegal burning of waste in a big problem in Campania.
The M5S rejected the idea, with its leader, Deputy Premier
and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio, saying household
waste was nothing to do with the illegal fires as the problem
mostly regarded industrial refuse.
"The percentage of trash collected separately for recycling
is almost 20 points lower in Campania than in other Italian
regions," Salvini said.
"In 2016 Campania exported 300,000 tonnes of refuse to other
parts of Italy and Europe at a cost of tens of millions of
euros. There have not been any interventions for years.
"There are 13 waste incinerators in Lombardy that do not
pollute, they produce energy and wealth.
"Those who only say No, all the time, provoke toxic fires and
illnesses".
Salvini's call for waste incinerators across Campania has
stirred "tensions in the government," Di Maio said Friday.
"I'm sorry that Salvini has decided to launch into this row
and create tensions in the government," said Di Maio, who is
also labour and industry minister.
"I'm sorry about this row over incinerators because it is
based on an issue that should not be raised since it is not in
the government contract.
"We have an environment minister (former regional Carabinieri
commander Sergio Costa) who discovered the Land of Fires and
knows Campania, so we entrust ourselves to him.
"My family lives there and I'm the most worried person".
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli, an
M5S bigwig, said Friday the party was against installing waste
incinerators across Campania but the dialogue with the League
would continue.
"With the League we are talking, but we are against
(incinerators)", Toninelli said.
"The issue is not in the government contract to which we are
bound and so we must find a synthesis".
Costa also stressed that incinerators were not in the
government contract.
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