According to the Cagliari Prosecutor's Office, the flares at the Sarlux refinery in Sarroch—which were supposed to be activated only in emergencies—remained in operation daily from 2019 to 2024, releasing particulate matter and benzene into the air above legal limits. This prompted the request for indictment against CEO Settimio Guarrata, environmental and safety manager Walter Cocco, prevention representative Fabio Corvetto, and Sarlux itself.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 4th. The charges include environmental disaster and, secondarily, dangerous dumping of materials; Corvetto is also accused of obstructing inspections. The Region, the Municipality, the Ministry, and the associations Donne Ambiente Sardegna and Sardegna Pulita are plaintiffs in the case , and their complaint initiated the investigation.

Monitoring stations have recorded systematic exceedances: benzene has exceeded WHO limits for over 300 days a year, while fine particles are linked to serious respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer diseases. A situation defined as "dangerous for human health and public safety."

All the details will be available tomorrow in L'Unione Sarda, and also in the online edition on the app.

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