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69 charged with environmental crimes in Italy's Land of Fires

A raid by Italian police on the country’s Land of Fires uncovered a high level of hazardous and illegal waste. So far, 69 people have been charged with environmental crimes.

Located between Naples and Caserta, the Land of Fire got its name due to the high number of fires which break out in the area. The fires are started from people dumping waste.

In 2014, firefighters put out over 2,500 fires across the area. However it is not just the fires which are causing issues with the local residents but also pollution. Cancer in the area is way above the national average which has been linked to the pollution caused by toxic dumping, not only taking the lifes of adults but now children as well.

The government has been more active in cracking down over the past few years, however they haven’t been able to stamp out the problem.

During the last raid, police discovered that dirty water and engine oil from car washes and factories were being dumped directly into the area’s local sewage system which is creating dangerous fumes.

In addition more than 3,000 tyres have been left along with bags containing scraps of fabric without any forms which are required for legally disposing waste.

In addition to the 69 individuals who were charged with crimes against the environment, 34 businesses have been suspended due to their involvement in the activity.

Green Motion car rental in Italy and worldwide takes its environmental policy seriously, championing best practices and attitudes to ensure that our impact on the environment is kept to a minimum.

To find out more about environmental best practices or to make a car rental booking at one of our locations in Italy (Rome Fiumicino Airport, Rome Ciampino Airport, Milano Airport, and Bologna Airport) or in any one of our 260 global locations, please contact Green Motion car hire directly at greenmotion.com or +44 (0) 2071864000.