MUNICIPALITIES HOSTING ESTABLISHMENTS WITH A MAJOR ACCIDENT HAZARD

Update date
Authors

Francesca Pepe, Fabrizio Vazzana

Abstract

The indicator allows the identification of areas with a particular concentration of establishments at risk of a major accident, providing useful information for territorial planning, in particular for the destination and use of land. In 2025, the municipalities in which there are 4 or more RIR (Major Accident Risk) establishments are 30, distributed in 13 regions: they host approximately a quarter of all the factories at risk of major accidents in Italy. The regions with the largest number of these municipalities are:  Lombardy 5, Sicily 4, Lazio 4 and Piedmont 4. Among the municipalities characterized by a high number of establishments, Ravenna is worth mentioning 28, Genoa with 13, followed by Trecate and Venezia con 10, Naples and Filago with 9,  Augusta and Catania with 8, Anagni and Livorno with 7 each.

Description

The indicator reports the list of municipalities in whose territory there are establishments at risk of a major accident requiring notification (lower threshold and upper threshold establishments), as well as the number of establishments present in each municipality. With this indicator the area of ​​the analysis has been narrowed, taking as reference a territorial reality less extensive than the region or province or the municipality. From the analysis of the indicator it is possible to draw further considerations on the map of the dangers of major accidents in our country. In fact, this information allows us to better highlight, going down to the municipality level, the areas in which there is a particular concentration of establishments at risk of a major accident. The presence of an establishment at risk of a major accident in a municipality also influences territorial planning and, in particular, the destination and use of land. In fact, it is necessary to maintain appropriate safety distances between establishments at risk of major accidents (RIR) and the surrounding residential and commercial areas (article 22 of Legislative Decree 105/15).

Purpose

Provide elements for the identification of areas with a high concentration of establishments at risk of major accidents present on the national territory.

Policy relevance and utility for users
It is of national scope or applicable to environmental issues at the regional level but of national significance.
It is able to describe the trend without necessarily providing an evaluation of it.
It is simple and easy to interpret.
It is sensitive to changes occurring in the environment and/or human activities
It provides a representative overview of environmental conditions, environmental pressures, and societal responses.
It provides a basis for international comparisons
Analytical soundness
Be based on international standards and international consensus about its validity;
Be theoretically well founded in technical and scientific terms
Presents reliability and validity of measurement and data collection methods
Temporal comparability
Spatial comparability
Measurability (data)
Adequately documented and of known quality
Updated at regular intervals in accordance with reliable procedures
Readily available or made available at a reasonable cost/benefit ratio
An “adequate” spatial coverage
An “appropriate” temporal coverage
Main regulatory references and objectives

Identification of areas with a high concentration of industrial plants at risk of major accidents pursuant to articles. 19 and 22 of Legislative Decree 105/2015.

DPSIR
Pressure
Indicator type
Descriptive (A)
References

ISPRA-MASE, Seveso Inventory ISPRA, Yearbook of environmental data - Various years

Limitations

It depends on the timeliness and accuracy of the information that reaches ISPRA from the managers, now subjected to a validation process before approval.

Further actions

None

Data source

ISPRA MASE (Ministry of the Environment and Energy Safety)

Data collection frequency
Continuos
Data availabilty

All information comes from the national inventory of establishments likely to cause major accidents, provided for by article 5, paragraph 3 of Legislative Decree 105/15. Https://www. rischioindustriale. isprambiente. gov. it/seveso-query-105/Default. php

Spatial coverage

Regional, Provincial, Municipal

Time coverage

2023-2025

Processing methodology

All information is taken from the National Inventory of establishments likely to cause major accidents, provided for by Article 5, paragraph 3 of Legislative Decree 105/2015. The inventory allows the extraction of an Excel file which allows the data necessary to update the indicator to be extrapolated after different steps.

Update frequency
Two-year
Data quality

This is information provided by managers to the competent authorities (including MASE, through ISPRA) pursuant to specific obligations established by Legislative Decree 105/15, which provides for administrative and criminal sanctions in the event of failure to declare. The data is then collected, validated and processed by ISPRA, also through comparison with the information held by the regions and territorially competent regional agencies. The information is easily available and updated at regular intervals and has adequate spatial coverage. The indicator is national in scope and applicable to environmental issues at a regional level and of national significance.

Status
Undefinable
Trend
Undefinable
State assessment/description

Al november 30, 2025, the municipalities in which there are 4 or more RIR establishments are 30, distributed in 13 regions: approximately 1/4 of the factories at risk of major accidents in Italy are located in them. The regions with the largest number of these municipalities are:  Lombardy 5, Sicily 4, Lazio 4 and Piedmont 4. Among the municipalities characterized by a high number of establishments, Ravenna is worth mentioning 28, Genoa with 13, followed by Trecate and Venezia con 10, Naples and Filago with 9,  Augusta and Catania with 8, Anagni and Livorno with 7 each. 
 

Trend assessment/description

Compared to the previous evaluation period ( june 2025) the number of municipalities with at least 4 RIR factories remained the same and there were no significant changes in the number and type of industries subject to the obligations imposed by the "Seveso" legislation.   They register 206 activity, increasing compared to the previous half-year. 
 

Comments

The choice of the threshold value of 4 factories was made for practical reasons and does not prefigure a specific regulatory orientation regarding the criteria for identifying areas with a high concentration of factories at risk of a major accident. The data available are, in addition to the name of the municipalities, the number of establishments for each of the selected municipalities. From the analysis of the indicator it is possible to draw further considerations on the map of the dangers of major accidents in our country. In fact, this information allows us to better highlight, going down to the municipality level, the areas in which there is a particular concentration of establishments at risk of a major accident (figure 1). 
 

Data
Data
Headline

Table 1: List of municipalities in the national territory in which 4 or more establishments subject to Legislative Decree No. 105/2015 are located (update as of 30.11.2025).

Data source

ISPRA

Thumbnail
Headline

Figure 1: Municipalities with at least 4 RIR establishments (year)

Data source

ISPRA