Quantification of the environmental impacts in the transportation of marble: A case study

Marble quarrying is extremely important for the Venosta Valley in northeastern Italy. Two quarries are currently in use and most of the routes used to transport the marble to the processing plants are within the boundaries of a protected area: the Stelvio National Park. In this study, two transport solutions from one of the two quarries were quantitatively analysed. One solution considers the exclusive use of trucks, whereas the second considers the combined use of trucks, two railway stretches, a cableway and an inclined plane. For both of these solutions the environmental compatibility and sustainability were evaluated in terms of the main potential sources of environmental impact on air quality and on groundwater, and the possible effects on humans, flora and fauna. Different methodologies previously set, were applied, depending on the means of transport considered. The analysis showed that the second solution is more environmentally compatible. Considerations on the replicability of the calculations are included too.