Radioactive waste, Pichetto: “Deposit can no longer be postponed, strategy shared with the territories”

With respect to the management of radioactive waste and the identification of the national repository, “local communities feel a sense of threat” and for this reason “our task is to have and disseminate a clear picture of the 'status quo' and where we want to go, with authoritative voices that calm, or at least bring back on track the legitimate concerns arising from a ' Nimby effect ' ('not in my back yard'). This was stated on 25 June, speaking at a hearing before the VIII and X Commissions of the Chamber of Deputies, by the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto . “The delegation law on nuclear energy will provide the opportunity to also update the regulatory framework on this issue, which can no longer be postponed”, and on which it is necessary to “outline a broad-based shared strategy with the territories”.

On the location of the national radioactive waste repository , the minister recalled, taking stock of the situation on the procedure, “no self-candidacy has been presented”, and now “we are waiting for the scoping opinion from the Technical Commission Via Vas” on the proposed National Map of suitable areas. “Once the Vas is concluded – Pichetto clarified – the Cnai and the relative suitability order will be approved by decree of the Mase, in agreement with the Mit, following the technical opinion of the Isin”. The minister then explained the subsequent steps, with “the acquisition of possible expressions of interest”, “technical investigations carried out by Sogin for the duration of fifteen months and subsequent location proposal”, an “information campaign in the Region in which the chosen site is located” and “the carrying out of the procedure for issuing the Single Authorization and the Via procedure”.

Pichetto added that in the absence of spontaneous demonstrations or failure to define the agreement, "joint interinstitutional State-Regions Committees will be activated and the agreement of the Unified Conference will be sought", explaining that the next step, in the absence of an agreement, would be "a decree of the President of the Republic, following a resolution of the Council of Ministers, integrated with the participation of the President of the Region concerned". "On the basis of recent estimates by Sogin - he added - it is believed that the release of the Single Authorization provision can be expected for 2029 and the commissioning of the national repository for 2039".

The minister's hearing also covered the issue of suitable areas and the ministerial decree to identify those that can or cannot host the construction of renewable energy plants , on which the Lazio Regional Administrative Court recently expressed its opinion. "In light of the disputes," he explained, "we are proceeding with a rapid review of the decree, which we will submit to the coordination ministries and regions for evaluation as soon as possible." "We can no longer postpone," added the Environment Minister, "a planning action based on a constructive and responsible attitude from all the actors involved, to ensure an orderly development of renewable energy plants in the area, achieving the objectives of the Pniec, in such a way as to ensure the progressive reduction of electricity bills through decoupling."