Il decommissioning incompiuto: i siti del ciclo del combustibile tra ambizioni, criticità operative e impasse ambientale = Unfinished decommissiong: the fuel cycle sites among ambitions, operational constraints and environmental impasse

In the aftermath of World War II, Italy undertook a determined effort to develop
nuclear energy as a driver of industrial growth, promoted through both private (Cise,
1946) and public (Cnrn, 1952) initiatives. Despite an initially promising trajectory, the
national nuclear program was hindered by inconsistent choices. The 1987 referendum
marked the formal discontinuation of nuclear power in Italy, which occurred in the
absence of a coherent national strategy for decommissioning, thereby transferring
the operational and decision-making burden to technical bodies. During the 1990s,
an early decommissioning approach was adopted; however, its implementation was
significantly delayed due to inadequate infrastructure and a complex regulatory
environment. Case studies such as Saluggia, Trisaia, and Bosco Marengo illustrate
the interplay between institutional fragmentation, technical constraints, and
socio-political resistance at the local level. A structured national decommissioning
framework was only introduced in 1999 with the publication of the governmental
White Paper, although its practical enforcement has remained fraught with critical
challenges.