Historical events

Bianca Settimo

21 September 1938
Inauguration of the first core of the plant.

21 September 1940
Inauguration of the plant expansion (doubling of capacity).

26 October 1940
Establishment of the Municipality of Torviscosa. Royal Decree Law no. 1621
[FG 1940]

31 July 1942
The Prefect asks the Municipality of Torviscosa to provide “a list of all plants operating within the municipal territory that, permanently or temporarily, discharge industrial waste into public waters, whether or not they possess the required prefectural authorization. The list must include the following data:

1. company name

2. location of the plant

3. type of production

4. public water body into which discharge occurs

5. quantity of waste

6. details of the prefectural authorization decree for discharge, or the note ‘unauthorized’ for those companies lacking it.”
   [FA 19420731]

31 August 1942
The Municipality forwards the request to SAICI, which replies:
“With reference to your letter of the 11th, we communicate the requested information:

1. SAICI – Torviscosa – headquarters in Milan, Via Cernaia 8 –

2. Location – Torviscosa –

3. Production of high-grade cellulose for textile fibers –

4. Discharge takes place north of the plant into the Banduzzi Canal and east into the dock –

5. The total quantity of waste amounts to approximately 3000 m³/hour, of which 2900 m³ are washing waters, while the remaining 100 m³/hour consist of spent lyes –

6. We cannot specify the details of the Prefectural Decree because the procedures are ongoing at our Milan headquarters.”
   [FA 19420831]

24 September 1943
The Prefecture of Udine grants SAICI “provisional permission to discharge industrial waste from its Torviscosa plant into the waters of the Banduzzi Canal, subject to compliance with a series of conditions.”
[FG 1943]

11 November 1948
The Chamber of Commerce, following a request from the Ministry of Agriculture dated 25 October 1948, asks municipal authorities to urgently provide—by 6 November at the latest—a list of industrial plants discharging waste into public waters. The Municipality forwards the request to SAICI, which responds:
“1. The industry carried out in this plant is the production of high-grade cellulose for artificial textile fibers.
2. Waste liquids discharged into the sewer consist of cellulose washing waters from various processing stages and waste liquids from chemical treatments of the raw material, with slightly acidic or alkaline characteristics depending on the operation.
3. Wastewater collected in a sewer approximately 500 meters long is conveyed into the plant’s industrial port.”
[FA 19481111]

1949
After ten years of ignored protests by fishermen from Marano, the mayor—on the advice of the Prefect of Udine—appoints a lawyer to assess the situation and consider seeking compensation from SAICI. Legal initiatives continue for several years without reaching a conclusion. The entire matter is described in a report attached to Municipal Council Resolution no. 20 of 14 March 1954.
[FA 19540314]

1950
Start of production at the chlorine-soda plant.
[FA 1976_6]

6 May 1950
SAICI submits the project for a wastewater treatment plant, approved by prefectural decree in 1953.
[FA 1971_1]

25 October 1951
The Prefect asks whether SAICI possesses the required authorization under Article 9 of the Consolidated Law on Fishing. The company confirms it holds authorization no. 20036/III of 24 September 1943.

25 January 1952
The Prefect notes that SAICI has not yet built the required treatment plant and calls on the company to comply.
[FA 19520125]

7 January 1953
The Prefect orders SAICI to construct a wastewater treatment plant.
[FA 19530107]

26 March 1953
A newspaper article reports concerns about fish mortality linked to industrial discharges into the Aussa River.
[FS 19530326]

17 July 1953
The Municipality of Marano Lagunare authorizes legal action against SAICI (first ruling: 11 March 1965).
[FA 19530717]

13 January 1955
SAICI requests authorization for 13 artesian wells for industrial water use. The request remains unanswered for forty years.
[FA 19950620]

10 June 1955
Presidential Decree no. 987 modifies regulations on industrial discharge authorization.
[FG 1955]

1961–1963
Construction of a new thermoelectric plant and caprolactam facility; water extraction increases significantly.

1963
New production plants enter operation.
[FA 1976_6]

5 March 1963
Law no. 366 establishes rules for lagoon protection.
[FG 1963]

11 March 1965
The Court of Udine orders SAICI to compensate the Municipality of Marano. Appeals confirm the ruling; the case concludes in 1973.
[FG 1965_1]

26 August 1965
Administrative powers over fishing are transferred to the Region.
[FG 1965_2]

9 December 1967
The Ministry of Health requests data on industrial pollution due to growing concerns.
[FA 1967_1]

1967–1970
Multiple requests for information on industrial discharges are made to the Municipality and SNIA.
[FA 1967_2]

12 May 1971
Regional Law no. 19 transfers authority over discharge regulation to the Region.
[FG 1971_1]

21 May 1971
The Civil Engineering Office orders SAICI to submit plans for adequate discharge systems.
[FA 1970_1]

18 September 1971
SNIA submits documentation on its discharges.
[FA 1971_3]

30 December 1971
The mercury pollution risk is officially recognized.
[FA 19711230]

1972
Analyses confirm severe pollution; authorities request corrective measures.

1974
Criminal trial begins against SNIA executives. Despite evidence of pollution, defendants are acquitted “because the act does not constitute a crime.” The planned treatment plant is never built.

10 May 1976
The Merli Law (Law no. 319) is enacted.
[FG 1976]

1976–1977
SNIA requests discharge authorization; no response leads to automatic approval under silence-consent.

1980
The plant becomes “Chimica del Friuli.”

1983
Executives are acquitted in a new trial.
[FA 1980_1]

13 April 1984
The company abandons plans to comply with stricter environmental standards.
[FA 1984_1]

1987
The Region establishes the Water Treatment Consortium (“Tubone”).

1987–1988
Analyses confirm ongoing severe pollution.

1989
Legal proceedings are initiated against local authorities and company executives.

30 September 1991
Conviction of company managers and the mayor; later overturned in 1994.

November 1991
Closure of the cellulose production plant.

February 1992
The consortium treatment plant becomes operational but faces difficulties due to reduced industrial activity. To operate in an economically self-sufficient manner, starting from the mid-1990s it began to receive liquid waste first from the regional area and then from the rest of Italy.