Explosion at ENI’s Calenzano refinery leaves waterways polluted

A technical evaluation, commissioned by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Prato, Italy, sought to ascertain the discharge of substances with the potential to adversely affect the environment following the explosion at the ENI refinery in Calenzano on December 9, 2024. This evaluation, performed by geologist Giovanni Balestri, indicated a probable risk of aquifer contamination near the ENI depot. Furthermore, waterways adjacent to the facility exhibited hydrocarbon contamination. Analyses conducted on February 13 revealed the consistent presence of hydrocarbons in both wastewater and surface waters of the Garille and Tomerello streams. Concentrations detected were up to six times greater than the limits authorized in 2015 by the relevant regulatory bodies. The assessment also identified deficiencies in hydraulic risk management and the paving of the ENI depot, thereby compromising subsoil protection. The consultant’s report was dispatched by the Prosecutor’s Office of Prato to the Italian Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin; the President of the Region, Eugenio Giani; the Mayor of the Metropolitan City, Sara Funaro; and the Prefect of Florence, Francesca Ferrandino. The purpose of this report was to call upon these individuals to undertake any initiatives they deemed necessary to remove or contain any negative environmental repercussions that had been observed around the depot.