Wind energy does not wait. On the contrary: we need to decide as quickly as possible. So no public inquiry into the Mistral offshore wind project off the coast between Capo Marrargiu and Capo Mannu, with 32 blades 355 meters high: "A series of simplification measures aimed at boosting the energy transition have been introduced, which have provided for the extreme reduction of the procedural terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment". For this reason, the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security has rejected the request of the Municipality of Alghero asking for the activation of an open discussion - provided for by law - on the construction of the gigantic floating park proposed by the Spanish giant Acciona.
The motivation, according to the Legal Intervention Group, "is disconcerting: according to the ministerial interpretation, "the provision regarding public inquiry contained in the environmental code has an alternative and optional nature to the procedure of publication and presentation, in written form, of observations". Therefore: since a Via is underway, we focus on that. And if anyone had something to say, they should have filed their opinion in that area.
According to the ministry, "the possibility of having the widest participation was guaranteed: 35 observations and opinions were acquired from numerous citizens, associations (such as Gruppo d'Intervento Giuridico, Italia Nostra, LIPU, Medici per l'Ambiente - ISDE Sardegna), the Consorzio Industriale Provinciale Oristanese, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Municipalities of Alghero, San Vero Milis, Bosa and Arborea".
The Roman offices recognize "that the conditions exist for the request to activate the public inquiry" but, the ecologists claim, "they believe that the request should not be accepted, because we must hurry (today the largest projects also benefit from a fast track), because the interested bodies have already been involved and 35 intervention documents with "observations" and opinions from public administrations, environmental associations, citizens have already arrived".
The law, however, does not provide that the two procedures (VIA and public inquiry) are alternatives. And a project of the scale of the Mistral (which affects about 70 kilometers of coast), according to the Grig «should have led to maximum popular participation for a project with such an impact on the environment and the economic-social context of the territory involved».