In 2010, periodic checks continued on the data pertaining to the operation and atmospheric emissions of the waste-to-energy plant according to the procedure defined by the RAB together with the Hera technical personnel responsible for the plant. A quarterly report of disposed wasted (showing its types and origin) and of the measured atmospheric emissions (compared with the legal limits and A.I.A. limits). The two reports are first illustrated to the RAB, then made available on the RAB site, www.rab-fe.org, which provides additional documentation such as the RAB newsletter and updated information on planned initiatives.

In 2010, the RAB planned several meetings for in-depth discussions, among the most significant issues it tackled:

• target and initial results of the Moniter project (Monitoring Incinerators in the Emilia-Romagna area) with Arpa and the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government technical personnel;
• state of the art of environmental monitoring in the area around the waste-to-energy plant with the participation of technical personnel from Arpa, CNR, Ausl and Ferrara Province;
• separate waste collection in the Municipality of Ferrara: 2009 results and 2010 development projects;
• results of the modelling of the emissions of the waste-to-energy plant with the data of the first two years of operations illustrated by technical personnel from the Ferrara Province;
• construction of a new sewer for the elimination of untreated discharges in the Porotto residential area (where the RAB is located), illustrated by Hera technical personnel.

The activities of the RAB were widely publicised in issues 8 and 9 of the RAB periodical “Vediamoci Chiaro” (Let’s see clearly), 5,000 copies of which were distributed to the local community.

The RAB organised a public evening meeting on the district heating plant in Ferrara, together with Hera and the Ferrara Municipality. The citizens of the RAB attended the information meetings on separate waste collection organised by Hera and reported on the activities carried out.

As a result of this project that promoted the establishment and development of the Ferrara RAB, in 2006 the Hera Group was awarded the Sodalitas Social Award in the category “Internal Social Responsibility Processes.”