The municipalities of Montesarchio and Bucciano have revoked the precautionary restrictions on the harvesting, use, consumption and sale of plant products intended for human consumption that were imposed after the smoke fallout from the Airola fire.
The decision follows monitoring and sampling carried out by the ASL of Benevento after the fire of 31 August 2026 at the waste-storage plant in Airola. According to the municipalities, the revocation was adopted on the basis of guidance from the ASL of Benevento and the analytical results available so far.
In Montesarchio, the measure expressly covers the olive harvest and other seasonal crops, as well as delivery of produce to processing and commercial facilities, subject to hygiene and health rules.
A precautionary measure, now lifted
The restrictions now revoked had been introduced as a precaution after produce was exposed to smoke fallout, pending technical, environmental and health checks. The initial ordinance in Montesarchio had prohibited, as a precaution, the harvesting and consumption of fruit and vegetable products exposed to the fallout.
The revocation returns those plant products for human consumption to normal harvesting, consumption and sale in the two municipalities.
What the soil tests show
The first definitive results from soil sampling in the monitored area have not shown exceedances of the limit concentrations for the pollutants investigated.
ARPAC reported that, as of 14 October, about 270,000 square metres had been investigated. The finding applies to the soils examined and the pollutants tested; the primary municipal reports do not publish the numerical values of individual samples or a full analytical list of every matrix tested by the ASL of Benevento.
Monitoring is not over everywhere
The regional monitoring should not be read as a definitive closure of all checks. A regional Civil Protection report dated 9 October recorded two non-conformities in matrices intended for animal feed, one sampled at Bonea and one at Forchia.
Those findings concern individual matrices and cannot automatically be extended to the whole territory or to other productions. In particular, they cannot automatically be extended to milk, dairy products or the full range of local farm output.
The revocation in Montesarchio and Bucciano concerns plant products intended for human consumption. It does not necessarily mean the revocation of every measure relating to forage, pasture, livestock or animal-derived products.
What this means for residents and growers
For households and growers in Montesarchio and Bucciano, harvesting, household use, consumption and sale of fruit, vegetables, olives and other seasonal plant products for human consumption are permitted again.
Produce sent to mills, processors and retailers must still comply with normal hygiene and health rules. The full texts of the municipal revocation orders were not available in the documents reviewed, and no additional farm- or plot-specific requirements beyond those described in the municipal communications could be confirmed.
Anyone with doubts about a specific field, farm or animal-feed use should continue to follow guidance from the municipality and the ASL of Benevento.
