On Monday, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci announced the government will designate a special commissioner for the Campi Flegrei to oversee risk-prevention efforts. This is in response to concerns about increased seismic activity in the volcanic region.
The Campi Flegrei, also known as the Phlegrean Fields, has been experiencing bradyseism along with a series of recent earthquakes.
“The responsibility for managing the interventions in the Campi Flegrei area will not be left to the (Campania) regional government, the (local) municipalities, or the department. It will be assigned to an extraordinary commissioner, who will be appointed by decree, based on my proposal, within 15 days,” Musumeci stated after a cabinet meeting.
The minister expressed frustration about the urban development that had been permitted in the region. Hence the forthcoming appointment of the special commissioner for the Campi Flegrei.
“The government is addressing more than its share of the issues in the Phlegraean Fields, one of the world’s most dangerous and complex volcanic regions,” he remarked. “Extremely serious responsibilities are coming to light, both historical and recent, involving all entities, starting with the regional government and the municipalities involved – Naples, Pozzuoli, and Bacoli.
“Unreasonable, chaotic, and haphazard urban development was sanctioned, and the potential hazards of the area were disregarded. Those responsible for oversight failed in their duties.”
