Seveso disaster

The Seveso disaster was an industrial accident that occurred around 12:37 pm on July 10, 1976, in a small chemical manufacturing plant approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Milan in the Lombardy region of Italy. It resulted in the highest known exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in residential populations which gave rise to numerous scientific studies and standardized industrial safety regulations. The EU industrial safety regulations are known as the Seveso II Directive.

Location

The Seveso disaster was named because Seveso, with a population of 17,000 in 1976, was the community most affected. Other affected neighbouring communities were Meda (19,000), Desio (33,000), Cesano Maderno (34,000) and to a lesser extent Barlassina (6,000) and Bovisio-Masciago (11,000). The industrial plant, located in Meda, was owned by the company ICMESA (Industrie Chimiche Meda Società Azionaria), a subsidiary of Givaudan, which in turn was a subsidiary of Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche Group). The factory building had been built many years earlier and the local population did not perceive it as a potential source of danger. Moreover, although several exposures of populations to dioxins had occurred before; mostly in industrial accidents, they were of a more limited scale.

Seveso

Seveso (in Lombard dialect: Séves) is a town and comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza, in the Region of Lombardy. The economy of the town has traditionally been based on the furniture industry.

Its name comes from the river of the same name which crosses the comune in a north-south direction.

Seveso received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 18 June 2003.

Geography

The town is situated 21 kilometres (13 mi) to the north of Milan in the Brianza lowlands. The territory of the commume is highly urbanised, with the majority of inhabitants living in the town.

Seveso lies on the national trunk road Statale dei Giovi, which connects Milan to Como and on the Milan-Meda motorway. Seveso railway station is located on the Milan–Asso railway, while Seveso-Baruccana railway station is located on the Saronno–Seregno railway.

Neighbouring communes are Meda, Seregno, Barlassina, Cogliate, Cesano Maderno.

History

Seveso's origins date back to about the 3rd century BC, when certain areas around Brianza were used as military staging posts for the Roman conquest of Gaul. Towards 780, the monastery at Meda was founded, the jurisdiction of which extended to the territory of Seveso.

Seveso (river)

The Seveso is a 55-kilometre (34 mi) Italian river that flows through the provinces of Como, Monza e Brianza and Milan. It rises on Sasso di Cavallasca or Monte Sasso of Cavallasca, near San Fermo della Battaglia. From here its course runs through the communes Montano Lucino, Grandate, Civello, Casnate con Bernate, Portichetto, Fino Mornasco, Cucciago, Vertemate con Minoprio, Asnago, Carimate, Cimnago, Lentate sul Seveso, Camnago, Barlassina, Seveso, Cesano Maderno, Binzago, Bovisio-Masciago, Varedo, Palazzolo Milanese, Paderno Dugnano, Cusano Milanino, Cormano, Bresso. Finally, at Milan, it joins with the canal called the Naviglio Martesana which flows into the Lambro.

The Seveso is sometimes called il fiume nero, or “the black river” on account of the colour it acquires from industrial pollutants.

The 'Oltreseveso' is the area in the north-west of Lombardy, (it is ‘oltre’ (beyond) the Seveso river). The beyond Seveso brianzolo, ( of Brianza), consists of the municipalities of Cermenate, Lazzate, Misinto, Cogliate, Ceriano Laghetto, Solaro and Limbiate.