Quake: Govt to allocate more for relief

(ANSA) - Rome, August 26 - Cabinet's initial allocation of 50 million euros for earthquake relief are just for super emergency interventions and more money is to follow, Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said Friday.
    The 50 million "are not the only funds we'll designate," Galletti said. "Now we will need to tally the damages with mayors and regions and then we will intervene with further funds and measures".
    Cabinet is at work on a decree for the prompt removal of debris from the areas stricken by the August 24 earthquake, the minister told RAI public broadcaster.
    Asbestos is "an ever-present danger but is more contained in this case" because the deadly seism mostly affected residential units, which should not have any, Galletti said. Authorities will focus on restoring road access and "a minimum of life in the (stricken) towns," he said.
    "We must safeguard historic and artistic assets even if they are rubble because they can be used as raw material for reconstruction," Galletti explained.
    Debris removal is being organized with neighboring regional authorities so material from the quake sites can be initially carted to designated landfills and facilities prior to their disposal, he said. The minister said experts from the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) got to the field immediately after the first 6.2-magnitude shock, which struck at 03:36 on August 24, to monitor the potential for landslides and assess the state of whatever buildings were still standing.
    "The situation is under control for now," Galletti said.
    "There are few habitable buildings, and the risks are contained as far as the surrounding land. Clearly this monitoring activity will continue".
    The minister went on to say that both public and private buildings must be made anti-seismic.
    "We need a wide-ranging 10-year plan for public buildings, and as far as the private sector, I am a big believer in tax cuts," Galletti told RAI. The government last year extended a so-called eco-bonus for sustainable construction to include anti-seismic renovations.
    "Right now the eco-bonus is only for individual homeowners, but these measures - including tax cuts - need to be extended since in Italy many live in condominiums, to give everyone the opportunity to take action," the minister explained.