Contorta Sant’Angelo”, which would link the Petroli Canal with the Marittima terminal.
Citizens and local institutions opposed to this project including the Comitato NO Grandi Navi, which prefers the solution of an off-shore port at entrance of Lido-San Nicolò as the only alternative project that respects the lagoon's environmental balance and the principles of gradualism, flexibility and reversibility. Instead, the City Council of Venice prefers the solution of a new tourist terminal at Marghera, even if it would be in conflict with the Special Law of 1973. Both subjects have filed an appeal against the plan of the new canal.
From the 70s to the present the cruise ship traffic into the Venetian lagoon has increased exponentially. As shown by the data of the Venice Passenger Terminal (VTP), the ship moorings at Marittima terminal increased by 38% in the period 1997-2013, rising from 206 to 548, with a significant increase of passengers carried, from 299.450 in 1997 to 1.815.823 in 2013 [11].
In 2012 the D.L. “Clini-Passera” was enacted which affixes the ban on driving in San Marco’s basin and Giudecca Canal for ships with a weighing more than 40,000 GRT. The Prohibition is subsequently annulled by T.A.R. of Veneto, in 2013, following an appeal filed by the VTP, along with other port companies, due to the lack of definition of waterways alternatives.
Another key step is constituted by the choice of the Comitatone, in August 2014, to implement the alternative project of the Contorta Sant’Angelo Canal which provides the entrance of the big ships from the harbour entrance of Malamocco and the attainment of the Marittima terminal through the new canal (width 100m; depth 11m; length 4.8 km), for which the estimated cost of construction is €115 mln.
Due to this project has been initiated the E.I.A. procedure, despite the rejection receipt by the Ministry of Environment Commission in September 2013 environmental risks is necessary to add the overlap of the cruise ships traffic with the commercial traffic, which could lead further enlargement of the Petroli Canal. In addition, the project would conflict with the MOSE project during the high tide, when the three harbour entrance will be closed through the rise of the mobile gates.
In case of a new negative response from the EIA Committee, or in the case that the T.A.R. of Veneto accept the appeals filed by the City Council of Venice and the Comitato NO Grandi Navi, will be considered other project alternatives.
Relevant government actors: Comitatone, set up by the Special Law no. 798/84 (New interventions for the safeguarding of Venice and its Lagoon) is composed of the Prime Minister who presides, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Minister of Culture, Minister of Environment, Minister of Education, Veneto Region, the Mayors of Venice, Chioggia, Mira, Cavallino and Jesolo, Province of Venice and Venice Port Authority.
The “Comitato NO Grandi Navi” has promoted several “water manifestations” in the venetian lagoon in which the citizens, with various type of boats have occupied part of the cruise ship routes.
Further, in 2013 and 2014, the Comitato with “Gruppo d’Intervento Giuridico” have appealed to the European Commission, asking that the project alternatives to the actual used waterways are subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).
Other Environmental impacts With regard to data on air pollution from cruise ships is possible to consult the ARPAV report [13] or the APICE Report Project [14], both published in 2013.
The emission from the big ships affect both the health of citizens and the global warming, because of the greenhouse gas emitted. The ARPAV report estimate that the ship emissions are the 8% of the total PM2.5 emission and the 6% of the PM10 total emission in the city of Venice.
Other Health impacts Other impacts for the health of citizens and cruise ship passengers, is the risk of crashes or malfunction of the big ships; this danger is amplified when cruise ships transiting into the Venetian lagoon, given their size and the proximity of the waterways to the historic centre of Venice and Lido.
The risk is to assist again to incidents as that of Costa Concordia, wrecked at Giglio Island in 2012, or that of the Jolly Black, which has felled the pilot tower in the port of Genoa in 2013 [16].
Other socio-economic impacts The influx of tourist through the big ships strengthens the mass-tourism model that for decades has characterizes Venice. This dynamic has affected the quality of life in the historic centre, forcing the residents to move to the mainland due to the increase in housing price and lack of services, replaced by tourism-related activities.
Development of alternatives: The Comitato Grandi Navi has supported the idea of a Tourist off-shore port at harbour entrance of Lido-San Nicolò. There are several project with this vision, presented respectively by: De Piccoli [18], that is the project supported by the “Comitato NO Grandi Navi”, because in line with the principle of reversibility contained in the law no. 171/1973; Vittadini, Boato, Giacomini [19]; Caut. The off-shore port project would allow both not to dig new canals into the lagoon, preserving the environmental balance, and avoiding that the ships traffic could be limited by the closure of the MOSE system. The off-shore port would be connected with the city and the Marittima terminal through small/medium size boats.
Other alternative projects have been presented by other actors, both from the central government and local bodies.
-	Contorta Sant’Angelo canal project, presented by the Port Authority, has been subjected to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from August 2014. It provides the excavation of a new canal with a width of 180m and a depth of 10.5m. The project also includes the implementation of environmental mitigation measures for the protection of the lagoon beds [17]. This project present risks concerning the modification of the current's speed within the lagoon and the erosion of lagoon beds.
-	“Tangential lagoon project”, proposed by Enrico Zanetti and then developed by the Venice Passenger Terminal (VPT) which presented a preliminary project called “Canale Grande Capacità Sud Giudecca” [20], provides the transit of the big ships in the rear of the Giudecca island trough a new canal with a width of 160m, depth of 10.5m and a length of about 2km. In this case there would be the same impacts, on environment and on architectural heritage, caused by thecurrent route in Giudecca canal.
-	New touristic terminal at Marghera, presented by the study of Arch. D’Agostino and supported even by the City Council of Venice, involves the construction of a new tourist port near the VEGA building, exploiting the disused industrial areas [21]. With this project the risks is both to overlap the cruise ship traffic with the commercial traffic, and to modify the hydro-morphological balance of the lagoon.
Briefly explain: Since many years the Comitato NO Grandi Navi and the environmental venetian associations are fighting against the route of the cruise ships into the Venetian Lagoon, denouncing the evident contrast between the transit of the big ships with the preservation law for the lagoon and historic centre of Venice.
The first objective of the protest has not yet been achieved but the demonstrations put in place by the Comitato and local associations have achieved significant results. For first is the increased level of awareness of citizens and environmental groups on the environmental impacts caused by cruise ships. Further, over the years, the participation in the mobilizations has increased and consequently also the ability to put pressure on local, national and European institutions through demonstrations, popular petitions and appeals to the European Commision and T.A.R. (Regional Administrative Court).
In 2012, the Comitato was able to push through several observations into the P.A.T. of Venice (Art. 35 bis), which should push the city council to seek new design alternative solutions that respect the principles of the lagoon protection.
Finally, with regard to the chosen project (Contorta S’Angelo canal) by the Comitatone as a solution to the transit of the cruise ships into the venetian lagoon, its implementation or not, will pass through the T.A.R. of Veneto Region appeals presented both by the City of Venice and Comitato NO Grandi Navi whose, for different reasons, consider this alternative illegitimate.
[12]Tattara G. (2013). È solo la punta dell’iceberg! Costi e ricavi del crocierismo a Venezia, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia.
[15]D’Alpaos L. (2010). Fatti e Misfatti di Idraulica Lagunare. La laguna di Venezia dalla diversione dei fiumi alle nuove opere alle bocche di porto, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Venice.
[16]Fabbri G. (2014). Venezia, la Laguna, il Porto e il Gigantismo Navale. Le grandi navi fuori dalla laguna. Libro Bianco, Comitato NO Grandi Navi