Ex-Montefibre in Acerra. Industry, Environment, Health: A Critical Entanglement

Abstract

The following thesis is the outcome of a research period on the case study of the ex-Montefibre in Acerra, an industry that produced synthetic fibres, located in the heart of the so-called Terra dei Fuochi. The dissertation aims to investigate the relationships between industry, environment and health in Acerra. To do this, the case study will be framed in the broader context of the industrialisation of Southern Italy. Then, the history of the factory and its productive cycle will be presented. After tracing the historical drivers, the dissertation's core will be developed. By considering the environmental and health aftermaths of the industrial plant’s activity, it will be argued that the perception of the risk among the workers and community went through several different phases. It will also be argued that the risk has its roots in the dependency typical of contractual peripheries established through an auto-colonisation process (cf. Poggio and Ruzzenenti). In light of this, Acerra can be seen as a sacrifice zone of disposable bodies (cf. Barca and Leonardi) still dealing with its contamination legacies.