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Introduction
In
compliance with the Directive 96/62/CE, during the year 2003 Veneto Region Administration
has classified its territory on the basis of its air quality.
Three classes of quality (or zones) have been identified:
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A
type: endangered zones where there is the need to implement Action Plans to
improve air quality;
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B
type: zones where there is the need to implement Air Quality Restoration Plans;
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C
type: zones where there is the need to implement Air Quality Maintenance Plans.
Besides providing this first zoning of air quality in the regional
territory, the Regional Air Quality Plan presents some suggestions on the
possible ways to abate and control atmospheric pollution in the different
zones, but also to manage this problem when different decisional levels are
involved.
Cities that are bordering or are interconnected by common
production and transport systems, need to manage air quality problems (especially
those deriving from road traffic), according to a “trans-boundary pollution”
logic, to adopt efficient and harmonized abatement criteria in every urban area.
Firstly, an answer to this needs to come from the
Agreement between the Councillors of the seven Veneto provincial capital cities,
the so-called Padua Charter (see Example 5P1.6.1), that is a common measures system for vehicle circulation limitations which
allow coordinating the containment actions operating on a wider and more
homogeneous area in case of PM10
limit value exceedence.
Atmospheric
pollution management at local and regional levels
The Regional Air Quality Plan, whose final approval is
currently underway, settles the implementation and application competencies on
air quality Action Plans and Programmes, to control such exceedances.
Competencies are defined on three decisional levels.
At the first level the Surveillance Committee (CIS), consisting of the
Veneto Region and the seven Veneto Provinces, gives guide lines on measures to
be implemented according to different criteria (Action Plans, Restoration Plans
and Maintenance Plans) and to check their correct execution. CIS is directed by
the Regional Council President and consists of seven Presidents of the Provincial
Councils. The Environmental Regional Direction (Unity Protection of the
Atmosphere), the Regional Health Prevention Direction and ARPAV have only a
consultative role.
At second level two types of measures are located, implemented under the
approval and surveillance of each Provincial Authority:
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the
measures to be activated by all the Municipalities included into zones or
agglomerations classified like A or B that need Air Quality Restoration Plans;
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the measures to be activated by all the Municipalities included into
zones or agglomerations classified like A or B or C that need Air Quality Maintenance
Plans.
Both classes of measures are in charge of every
Municipality, according to different criteria due to the pollutants classification.
According to art. 39 of DM 60/2002, the Mayors of
Municipalities included into agglomerates and zones where there is the exceedence
or the risk of exceeding limit values or alarm thresholds, on the plan base or
programs, must adopt restriction measures for traffic circulation.
At the third level there are seven Technical Boards (TTZ),
consisting of the seven Veneto provincial
capital cities and all the smaller municipalities falling in the zones or
agglomerations classified as A and B. Each TTZ has to delineate and implement in its territory
the Action Plans needed to lessen limit values and alarm thresholds exceedances.
Every TTZ is coordinated by the capital city Major and
collect all the municipalities included in A or B zones; the Regional Agency
for the protection of the environment (ARPAV) and the Health Local Service (AULSS)
have only consultative roles.
According to the National Decree 60/2002, ARPAV must
inform each TTZ in case of exceeding of alarm thresholds and limit values.
The communication includes also information on the weather
forecast, useful to evaluate the atmospheric tendency to reduce or to worsen
air pollution.
Following ARPAV communication, each TTZ provides:
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to
invite the population adopting correct behaviours;
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to
implement the measures defined in the Action Plans,
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to inform immediately all the interested municipalities on the measures
and restrictions that have been adopted.
Interested Municipality must respect all the measures settled
by the Technical Boards, as requested by to Action Plans or related measures.
Acknowledgments
This text has been kindly made available from the Veneto Region
Authority (Regional Air Quality Plan). |