Linking remediation strategies to the need for future productive settlements
The City of Venice focused its Pilot Action on the Porto Marghera Industrial Area with the involvement of its Remediation Office and the Economic Development Department.
- Characteristics of the brownfield:
- Size: 1828 ha
- Location: on the edge of the Venice lagoon
- Ownership: 35% public, 65% private
- Since 1998 (Law n. 426/1998) it is declared "Remediation Site of National Interest" because of its potential impact on the environment, due to its surface extension and risk posed by contaminants
- Despite its decline, the industrial site of Porto Marghera is still active and remains an economic node of the Venetian and Veneto Region area, with 841 economic activities and 10.480 employees
- Main issues/problems:
- Specific contamination of soil and groundwater deriving from the former petrochemical production
- Sanitary risk posed by contamination: in particular, potential impacts on population due to the presence of 9 factories using dangerous substances
- Serious hazard for Venice lagoon due to pollution of groundwater of the site
- In 49% of the total area the remediation projects have been approved by the relevant but not yet started
- Remediation procedures have been completed only in 14% of the area (241 ha)
- Fragmentation of the governance process in different levels of competence – national, regional, local
- Intrinsic complexity of the clean-up and administrative procedures
- Progressive crisis of the industrial production in the site
- Needs and Goals:
- Reviewing the remediation plans in the light of the envisaged re-use of the site and of the changed regulations
- Speeding up the procedures taking into account the new regulations and the sustainability of the interventions
- Defining specific measures and fiscal instruments to attract new investments in the area
- Reviewing the remediation plans in the light of the envisaged re-use of the site and of the changed regulations
- Activities, achievements and results:
The City of Venice elaborated studies aimed at supporting the environmental and economic rehabilitation of Porto Marghera.- 2 introductory surveys with an analysis of the area, respectively focused on the state of the art of environmental management and on the status of the economic activities currently settled in Porto Marghera were drafted;
- 2 surveys aimed at proposing new solutions both for the environmental rehabilitation and the economic redevelopment of Porto Marghera were drawn up, and specifically:
- A study on most valuable, sustainable and cost-effective remediation methods for pilot area, consisting in the review of some already approved soil remediation projects in the light of the new regulatory approach and the concept of sustainable remediation;
- A research on the potential use of the area for new economic activities. In particular, a study of the regulatory and fiscal instruments able to facilitate the attraction of investments in the area and guidelines for the drafting of contracts for the sale and purchase of industrial areas within the Porto Marghera site were prepared, Additionally, a promotional booklet to enhance the marketability of the Porto Marghera area was produced.
- Involvement of stakeholders:
Meetings and a Pilot Action Event to present the local activities and results were organized in cooperation with Veneto Region and the Port of Venice
Pilot Action Report
