Toblini Brothers Contest Asbestos Cleanup Costs in Torbole
The wind still blows strongly in Torbole, but this time it’s a breeze of controversy. The brothers Toblini, owners of the Omomino Residence and, most notably, the house on the lakeshore uncovered by the fierce gust that struck Alto Garda last Wednesday, are raising a fuss against the local administration (particularly against Mayor Parolari).
The reason: a story involving asbestos. Naturally, asbestos of the solid type, in all forms, the kind hidden within Eternit sheets, which were commonly used until a few years ago for roofing. This is the case for the six tourist rental apartments at Casa Toblini. Still asbestos, nonetheless: to be handled with care and dealt with as hazardous waste when removed.
Indeed, there is a possibility that tiny fragments are released into the air when the sheets break, which are extremely harmful to health. Evidently, once made aware of this inconvenient presence, Mayor Parolari (who, among other roles, is a director at the Provincia di Trento Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari) took action.
Reactions from the administration and the costs of the intervention
“They called us,” says one of the owners with frustration, “only worried about the asbestos and not about the damage we suffered. And, in particular, the mayor went to check where the asbestos ended up, even inspecting the skip used to deposit only the broken branches of the olive trees.”
We knew we had to handle special waste, but even the fire brigade had pointed this out. On one side, we stacked the firewood; on the other, the Eternit panels. To remove it, we will have to spend 4 million euros for asbestos disposal, which will be carried out by a specialized company.”
Claudio Toblini describes the city’s response as a “superfluous zeal.” “We would have preferred different support and even minimal solidarity from the Municipality, and probably, in a courtesy, we would have replied that we didn’t need anything.”
Instead, solidarity was expressed by many of Torbole’s fellow tourism operators, including Alberto Martinelli (who is also a city councilor). “We thank everyone who offered their hospitality to our guests, including the firefighters from Nago-Torbole and Riva.”
The intervention, which is highly costly (an initial estimate values the damage at one hundred million euros), is already underway.