Accedi
The second part of our route included analysing the data inherent in our chosen project. Our enthusiasm IMMEDIATELY clashed with the real difficulty of finding any kind of information. Since public funds were used, we expected to find many sources related to this important project
AFTER SEVERAL AND DEMANDING SEARCHES (CALLS TO THE MUNICIPALITY, THE ARPA, THE HARBOUR MASTER'S OFFICE, THE MARITIME POLICE, THE PORT AUTHORITY, EMAILS TO TESECO AND WEB SEARCHES ETC.), MOST OF WHICH DID NOT LEAD TO ANY RESULTS, BY THE TIME WE WERE DEMOTIVATED, WE MANAGED TO GET SOME DATA. STARTING FROM A LITTLE INFORMATION ON THE WEB, WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS THE PROVINCE OF BRINDISI THAT MANAGED THE FUNDING AT FIRST AND THE PORT AUTHORITY AFTERWARDS; WE SENT AN EMAIL TO THE LATTER ASKING FOR MORE DETAILS. HAVING RECEIVED NO REPLY, WE DECIDED TO CONTACT THEM BY PHONE.
FORTUNATELY, THIS LED US TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH AN EMPLOYEE, MS CONTE FROM THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT, WHO PROVIDED US WITH THE INFORMATION WE NEEDED. WHAT WE HAVE DEDUCED IS THAT OUR PORT WAS BORN AS THE SAFEST IN THE LOWER ITALIAN ADRIATIC; THE NATURAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE PORT IS IN THE SHAPE OF A DEER AND IS DIVIDED INTO THREE BASINS:
- EXTERNAL PORT (3,000,000 M2)
- MEDIUM PORT (1,200,000 M2)
- INLAND PORT (727,000 M2) IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE HAVE:
- "SENO DI PONENTE" (ABOUT 1.5 KM LONG)
- "SENO DI LEVANTE" (ABOUT 1 KM LONG)
THE FIRST PROJECT WAS BORN IN 2002, BECAUSE UNTIL THEN THERE WAS NO NETWORK OF AQUEDUCTS NEAR THE PORT, WHICH BECAME A PLACE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF WASTE WATER FROM HOUSES AND THE COUNTRYSIDE. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF ACCUMULATIONS ON THE SEABED, THIS CAUSED A DEPOSIT OF SLUDGE WITH A CONSEQUENCE OF BAD SMELL AND CAUSING DISCOMFORT IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. AFTER VARIOUS REQUESTS MADE BY THE CITIZENS INVOLVED, THE PROVINCE HAS DECIDED TO ANALYSE AND CLEAN UP THE SEABED OF THE SENO DI PONENTE.
AGAIN IN 2002, THE PROVINCE MADE €7,350,000 AVAILABLE TO USE TO BUILD THE MUD DREDGING TREATMENT PLANT TO SEPARATE THE SANDS FROM THE FINER MATERIALS. THESE LOANS WEREN'T ENOUGH BECAUSE THEY ONLY MANAGED TO CLEAN 30,933.31 M3, SO IT WAS DECIDED TO PASS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PORT AUTHORITY IN 2007, WHICH MADE €28,438,111.61 AVAILABLE, FAVOURING A SECOND CONTRACT WITH THE COMPANY SELECTED BY THE PROVINCE TO PROVIDE THE CLEANING OF THE SEABED. AS A TOTAL €35,788,111.61 WAS USED TO REMOVE THE FIRST 50 CM OF SLUDGE. THEY PLANNED TO REMOVE AN ADDITION METRE AND A HALF BUT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING.
THE PLANT WAS BUILT IN THE FORMER S.A.C.A. WAREHOUSES. TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS BEEN DISMANTLED, BECAUSE ONCE THE CONTRACT WAS TERMINATED, THE PLANT REVERTED TO THE CHOSEN COMPANY. THE CENTIMETRES OF TURBIDITY WERE SUCKED UP BY DREDGE. THE FIRST SECTION OF THE PLANT INVOLVED A SEPARATION OF COARSE SANDY MATERIAL WITH THE FINER MATERIAL. THE MATERIAL WAS FED BACK TO A SEDIMENTER IN ORDER TO SEPARATE THE EARTHY PART FROM THE WATER. AFTERWARDS, THE WATER WAS TREATED AND RETURNED TO THE HARBOUR WHILE THE LOAM WAS SENT TO A FILTER PRESS, WHICH DRIED OUT THE WET LOAM AND THEN SENT TO LANDFILL. AT THE END OF THE WORK, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO CARRY OUT THE MONITORING OF POLLUTANT DATA AND WRITE A FINANCIAL REPORT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT.
MOREOVER, THE INTERVIEW REVEALED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE DATA ON THE OPEN COHESION SITE, A FURTHER 1,500,000€ WERE ALLOCATED BY THE PORT AUTHORITY, THAT WERE NEVER RETURNED BY THE PROVINCE. ANOTHER QUESTION WE ASKED WAS WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY OTHER FINANCING OR OTHER IDEAS TO IMPROVE OUR PORT AND ITS ENVIRONMENT. THE ANSWER WE GOT WAS NOT ENTIRELY EXHAUSTIVE AS, OF THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE ONGOING DURING 2010, ONE WAS NOT KNOWN TO EXIST, THE SECOND WAS NOT STARTED, AND THE THIRD WAS NOT COMPLETED. WE WERE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE EXPECTED THAT SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING WOULD SOLVE SOME OF BRINDISI'S PROBLEMS, BUT INSTEAD, ONLY 50 CENTIMETRES OF SLUDGE WERE REMOVED, AND MAINLY FOR ECONOMIC AND NOT ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES.
3D Linguistico 3B Economico Sociale Liceo Palumbo Brindisi
