To the MINISTER of TRANSPORTATIONS

Dear Minister,

We are writing to you as citizens residing in the Province of Viterbo and as representatives of movements and structures involved in the defence of the environment, quality of life, civil life in common, legality, human rights of all human beings.

We are very worried about the prospective that, in Viterbo, a low cost airport is in the planning stages as a third pole in the Lazio Region and we believe it is opportune to inform you that the prospected realisation of this large project would have disastrous consequences.

But let us proceed in an orderly way.

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1. Reduce and not increase air transportation.

Since some time there are rumours about increasing instead of decreasing air transportation and relevant airport basis in the Lazio Region.

We believe it is a serious mistake: air transportation must be reduced and not increased:

- it has to be reduced because it strongly contributes to climate overheating, the most serious environmental and planetary emergency which must be opposed by urgent and strong measures;

- it has to be reduced because it is strongly polluting and damaging our health, both for the pollution generated by harmful emissions and for the sound pollution of the areas close to airports;

- it has to be reduced because it is unsustainably energy-consuming, incomparably higher than other means of mobility;

- it has to be reduced because it is anti-economical and very expensive for the Treasury which strongly supports it via direct financing and via granting airlines companies facilities and even tax exemptions which merely represent a scandal.

Resuming: it has to be decreased because it is necessary to limit the damages that it provokes to the biosphere, the local eco-systems, the people, the economy and the finances of the country.

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2. An ecological , sanitary and economical disaster.

The proposal of realising in Viterbo a low cost airport for the “bite and run” tourism for Rome is simply senseless.:

- because even if a purpose infrastructure were realised, afterwards, from Viterbo to Rome, a two-hour train trip would become necessary due to the fact that a political and administrative class, evidently inadequate, in the course of the years, has disregarded the railway network, with the result that the line Civitavecchia – Capranica – Orte is closed; and the other two, Viterbo – Orte and Viterbo-Capranica-Rome, run at biblical paces;

- because it would devastate by its impact an area of great environmental, historic, cultural, social and economic value: the areas of the thermae and of the Bulicame which constitute for Viterbo an non-renounceable element of historic-cultural identity and a fundamental treasure, both environmental and socio-economical;

- because it would hurt entire populated districts of the city with an acoustical pollution so much grievous as to make the daily life of tens of thousand residents unliveable;

- because it would damage in an unreversed way the cultural and environmental possessions and the productive vocations of the area and the life quality of many citizens who live there;

- because it would start a further aggravation of the aggression to the Alto-Lazio territory by a devastating development model founded on bonds and speculation: Alto-Lazio has already suffered and continues to suffer from harmful, heavy consequences of military and energetic bonds, from big senseless works, insane building speculations, illegal refuse dumps, penetration of criminal powers into this business.

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3. For Viterbo

Viterbo needs some thing else:

- it needs a decisive improvement of the railways for the travelling workers and for trade: so that it be finally guaranteed a proper link between Viterbo and Civitavecchia, Viterbo and Orte, Viterbo and Rome;

- it needs defence and enhancement of its environmental and cultural wealth;

- it needs support for its real productive vocations: quality agriculture, quality tourism, social usage of thermae, high training and research in the agro, forestall, environmental, archaeological, historic and artistic fields.

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4. But also for Frosinone and for Latina

But it is similarly not acceptable the idea of realising in Frosinone or in Latina the so-called “third airport pole for Lazio” for the “bite and run”, low cost tourism directed to Rome.

In both sites indicated by reckless proposers it is in fact clear that there are important contrasting elements about which we shall talk on another occasion.

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5. For Ciampino

It is urgent and necessary from our view point to reduce air transportation, also and firstly to make less unliveable the situation of serious damage which continuously affects the population of Ciampino and nearby areas: a unsustainable situation, amply documented under each and every profile; to the citizens of Ciampino goes obviously our full solidarity and our full support for their legitimate demands.

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6. Renouncing the third airport pole in Lazio

We are therefore dealing, according to our opinion, with renouncing to chase the dream of a proliferation of airports; renouncing to give an incentive to a “bite and run” sort of tourism which is consumer-prone, anti educational and destructive; and to promote instead a appropriate way of mobility, an informed and responsible tourism, accessible to every body, coherent with the goal of appreciating the cultural and environmental wealth and with the making of significant human experiences.

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7. Protect the workers

Not only: we also inform you that – as it is amply documented – the low cost airlines often have anti trade union behaviours and that, therefore, it must be the preoccupation of the public powers to defend the rights of the workers and guarantee the observance of the laws.

The anti trade unions behaviour of some low cost airlines also shows how they do not promote a stable and qualified occupation but forms of precarious status and of work subjected to pressuring mechanisms reaching the limits of blackmail.

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8. Respect law

We ask you to forbid the realisation of a mega airport in the absence of the full settlement of the “Valuation of environmental impact Act” according to the provisions of the legislation in force.

Up to date, it has never been published an appropriate, comprehensive, ostensible project, on which to exercise those ways of proceeding which the laws on the Valuation of environmental impact explicitly foresees.

We would not want that in this occurrence one would proceed at coup de main like “accomplished facts” or via the classical, squalid method of eluding a comprehensive exam pretending to proceed only at partial interventions which together configure a larger project but that, individual realisation by individual realisation, they can appear as non important works and therefore not included in the pledges of laws which are foreseen for large works.

We ask that you pay your utmost attention towards the respect and observance of the laws on environment, cultural wealth, health and rights of the citizens; the administrative procedures and the urban and territorial covenants; the local, national and European regulations.

We ask that you be vigilant and inflexible in affirming the obligation of full respect of the law and that you contrast every possible illegal affair and every probable speculative transaction that has been or could be put in place.

Furthermore, we ask that you verify all actions already accomplished by local authorities, on any financing already approved or disbursed , or even utilized for works linked to the materialisation of a low cost airport for which, up to date, it does not even exist a proper project and an appropriate verification as to compatibility with the dispositions of law.

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9.Significant adhesions to our appeal

Lastly, we point out that to the appeal promoted by the Committee that opposes the Viterbo airport and is bound to the reduction of air transportation, we have already received a very great number of declarations of attention, support and adhesion, among which those very welcomed from the magistrate Ferdinando Imposimato; of scientists like Angelo Baracca, Virginio Bettini, Giorgio Cortellessa, Marcello Cini, Giorgio Nebbia; of other university professors such as Rocco Altieri, Andrea Canevaro, Domenico Jervolino, Raffaele Mantegazza, Arnaldo Nesti, Luigi Piccioni, Giuliano Pontara, Elena Pulcini, Silvia Vegetti Finzi; of writers and essayists such as Dacia Maraini e Lea Melandri; of intellectuals like Giancarla Codrignani, Enrico Peyretti, Bruno Segre, Renato Solmi; of personalities in the civil life and in the social and educational engagement like Marinella Correggia, Pasquale Iannamorelli, Daniele Lugli, Luigi Malabarba, Anna Puglisi, Umberto Santino, Mao Valpiana and also of various Members of the European Parliament, senators and members of the Italian Parliament, and councillors of the Lazio Region.

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10.A demand for a meeting

Last but not least, we ask for a meeting with you in order to better illustrate all that has concisely been described in this letter.

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We remain at your disposal for any and all further clarifications and trust to meet with you shortly.

We thank you for your attention.

With our cordial salutations and wishes, we remain,

Sincerely yours,

Antonella Litta, speaker for the Committee opposing the Viterbo airport

Peppe Sini, responsible for the “Centre for the Research for peace” in Viterbo