Avellino establishes technical board over cancer risks
Prosecutors in Avellino released data placing the city and surrounding hinterland among areas highly exposed to cancer risks, prompting local authorities to establish a permanent technical board to address long-standing environmental concerns, irpiniaoggi.it reported.
The Response From Avellino City Hall
The numbers made public by the Procura have brought renewed attention to a threat that community groups and environmental associations have monitored for years. Rather than treating the figures as isolated findings, the municipal administration responded by creating a permanent technical board dedicated to tumor incidence across the region.
Anna D’Aliasi of Avellino with responsibility for the environment, acknowledged that the report aligns with conditions local officials anticipated. She noted that the newly formed body will bring together mayors from the hardest-hit areas, the provincial Order of Physicians, the regional environmental protection agency Arpa, and active local associations. The structure is designed to function across multiple political administrations to ensure continuous oversight rather than sporadic interventions.
Addressing Regional Environmental Hazards
Beyond the epidemiological data, the region faces several visible pollution sources that residents have long tied to public health vulnerabilities. These include agricultural burning, illegal waste dumping in local riverbeds, and historic local opposition to telecommunications antennas.
To combat air pollution from agricultural fires, the municipality of Avellino enacted an ordinance prohibiting open-air crop burning. Municipal leaders are working to coordinate enforcement across municipal borders, recognizing that pollutants cross local jurisdictions without restriction.
Prefecture Coordination Meeting Scheduled for November
Il prossimo 3 novembre la vicesindaca sarà in Prefettura per un confronto convocato dal sindaco di Monteforte Irpino.
Alongside air quality measures, local authorities plan to launch public awareness campaigns targeting illicit dumping in local river basins to prevent environmental degradation from turning into acute public health emergencies.