Matt Nager

Photographer

Unhappy Country

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Biography: My portfolio can be found on my website at: www.mattnager.com Born in the mountains of Colorado in May 1983, I spent much of my youth outdoors rock climbing and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. In high school, I discovered both my passion for... MORE

Mario Cannavacciuolo, a sheep h...n their family for generations.

1 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Mario Cannavacciuolo, a sheep herder, on his abandoned land in the country side outside Acerra, Italy, Thursday, July 1, 2010. The Cannavacciuolo family has been destroyed by illegal toxic waste disposal and a government sponsored garbage incinerator which was constructed adjacent to their land. His flock of sheep, of about 3000, died due to dioxin contamination. His brother, Enzo Cannavacciuolo, died shortly after, and tests show his body contained levels of dioxin, purins, and PCBs 30 times the amount allowed by the World Health Organization. The Cannavacciuolo family no longer earns money off the land which has been in their family for generations.

Overgrown trees and vegetation ...radation to the famous volcano.

2 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Overgrown trees and vegetation cover the road leading to Mount Vesuvius which last erupted in March 1944. Due to the nutrients delivered by volcanic eruptions to the agricultural land surrounding Mount Vesuvius, the Campania region of Southern Italy contains some of the most fertile soil in all of Europe. Produce from the region has been prized the world over and has been a key ingredient and export for all Italian cooking. Unfortunately, the rise in Camorra mafia activity has hurt the ability for businesses to grow and has led to increases in prostitution, illegal waste disposal, and environmental degradation to the famous volcano.

Assia Cerciello suffers from a ...icultural lands outside Naples.

3 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Assia Cerciello suffers from a variety of illnesses including, diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypertension, uterus cancer and diabetic neuropathy affecting her nervous system. Her health issues started when toxic waste build up began in the historical irrigation canal, Vasca San Sossio, which run by her neighborhood. A majority of the families in her neighborhood have similar health issues. Vasca San Sossio no longer transports water, as it is been plugged with concrete to prevent the spread of toxic waste due to illegal dumping in the canal. The canals, which were created by the Bourbons in the 1700s, brought clean water from Mount Somma, to the fertile agricultural lands outside Naples.

Black tarps cover piles of toxi...secure by government officials.

4 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Black tarps cover piles of toxic waste to prevent the spread of chemicals in an abandoned farm and extra textile fabric marks the land recently used as an illegal dumping ground in Calbricito near Acerra, Italy. Urban waste can be found throughout the provinces of Naples and Caserta. Surrounding farms have seen a drop in production quality of produce.This waste will unlikely be removed or treated to lessen toxicity levels as the area has been deemed secure by government officials.

Francesco Cipolletta, an agent ...f due to bureaucratic hold ups.

5 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Francesco Cipolletta, an agent with Corpo Forestale dello Stato, the federal forestry department, marks and documents found urban waste sites in the countryside. The Corpo Forestale dello Stato is a government agency in charge of running missions documenting actual illegal waste disposal and securing found waste sites. These sites often take years to be cleaned up and disposed of due to bureaucratic hold ups.

People gather and gossip after ...ies into the Triangle of Death.

6 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

People gather and gossip after a wedding in Marigliano, Italy. Doctors refer to the area around Marigliano, Nola, and Acerra as the Triangle of Death, as a result of the high levels of toxic waste and health issues facing communities. Another term, the Ecomafia, has also been used to describe the environmental problems caused by organized crime. For the past 20 years, the Camorra has been dumping industrial waste brought from Northern Italian industries into the Triangle of Death.

Genarro Esposito, an environmen...ormonal imbalances, and tumors.

7 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Genarro Esposito, an environmental activist, doctor, and member a non-profit organization called Doctors for the Environment, lives in Marigliano, and has worked for several years documenting and uncovering waste sites and looking into health issues that result from contamination. Quarries are known to have been used as a toxic waste dumping sites by Camorra organizations who illegally dispose of waste from Northern Italian industrial companies. Once the waste is dumped, it is quickly absorbed into the ground water and irrigation canals in the region. Health issues are on the rise amongst the population including cancer, hormonal imbalances, and tumors.

Giuseppe Esposito, a local farm...ng from food related illnesses.

8 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Giuseppe Esposito, a local farmer and ex-police officer from Marigliano, Italy openly discusses his lack of action and direct participation in illegal waste disposal in the past. He now grows his own organic food and condemns the continuation of waste disposal in the land around his city. Esposito reflects on the history of Marigliano and has trouble seeing a brighter future for his grandchildren with the current health issues facing the region. While organic farming is not widely used in the Southern Italy, these alternatives may offer hope to people suffering from food related illnesses.

Antonio Marfella, an oncologist...de and continued health issues.

9 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Antonio Marfella, an oncologist, is the leading doctor currently doing testing of people with health issues coming from the country side outside Naples. Recent cutbacks in funding has delayed future testing and dramatically illustrates the struggles linking the rise in health issues with illegal waste disposal. Old televisions, computers, tires, asbestos and toxic chemicals lie mark a landscape which still holds beauty created by Mount Vesuvius. While organized crime can blamed for much of the illegal toxic waste dumping from Northern Italian companies, local citizens have, as well, become accustomed to illegal dumping of waste leading to further contamination of the countryside and continued health issues.

Apartment buildings named Case ..., earning money for the region.

10 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Apartment buildings named Case Popolari were built to house families after the 1980 earthquake displaced families. It was about this time that illegal dumping of toxic waste from Northern Italian industries began, earning money for the region.

Bruna Gambardella, from Marigli...arming and healthy agriculture.

11 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Bruna Gambardella, from Marigliano, Italy, has experienced endometriosis and a weakened immune system due to high levels of PCBs accumulated in ground water and produce found in Marigliano. In 2008, Antonino Vassallo, a member of the Camorra, confessed to dumping toxic waste into the countryside around the provinces of Naples and Caserta. Gambardella has turned to organic farms to avoid eating local produce and has noticed some relief of health symptoms and a rise in energy. While some of the fertile land in the Campania region is facing polluted ground water, toxic dumping and rises in urban waste, there are opportunities for sustainable farming and healthy agriculture.

Alessandro Cannavacciuolo, sits...ing city officials for justice.

12 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Alessandro Cannavacciuolo, sits with piles of newspaper clippings and other documents of his families struggles with illegal toxic waste disposal on their farm in Acerra, Italy. The Cannavacciuolo family has been destroyed by illegal toxic waste disposal and a government sponsored garbage incinerator which was constructed adjacent to their land. The families flock of sheep, of about 3000, died due to dioxin contamination. His uncle, Enzo Cannavacciuolo, died shortly after, and tests show his body contained levels of dioxin, purins, and PCBs 30 times the amount allowed by the World Health Organization. Alessandro, who no longer earns money off the land which has been in his family for generations, now focuses his time on earning a law degree and fighting city officials for justice.

Antonella Devastato works with ...nd water and irrigation canals.

13 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Antonella Devastato works with organizing community members to speak out against the rising health and environmental concerns facing the city. She has struggled with Pituitary Microabenoma, which is a hormonal growth problem facing many women in the area. Acerra, another city in the Triangle of Death, has recently added a new addition to the city cemetery. With the rise in health problems, the city is expecting a rise in death and necessity of a larger cemetery. In addition to health problems, many farmers have seen a drop in production quality of produce due to increases in illegal waste disposal and poisoning of ground water and irrigation canals.

Conflicting images define curre...ntamination of the countryside.

14 of 14 © 2024 Matt Nager

Conflicting images define current affairs facing the people of the Campania region. Large amounts of lichen grow on the incredibly fertile flow plane of the most recent eruption of Mount Vesuvius which occurred in March 1944. Due to the nutrients delivered by volcanic eruptions to the agricultural land surrounding Mount Vesuvius, the Campania region of Southern Italy contains some of the most fertile soil in all of Europe. Produce from the region has been prized the world over and has been a key ingredient and export for all Italian cooking. At the same time, broken pieces of old building material containing asbestos and toxic chemicals lie abandoned under a bridge near Acerra, Italy. Once the asbestos is broken into small pieces it is easily absorbed into the ground entering water streams and other irrigation canals. While organized crime can blamed for much of the illegal toxic waste dumping from Northern Italian companies, local citizens have, as well, become accustomed to illegal dumping of waste leading to further contamination of the countryside.

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Public Story

Unhappy Country

Copyright Matt Nager 2024

Updated Oct 2010

Topics Camorra, Documentary, environment, health, Italy, mafia, Naples, Nature + Landscape, Photojournalism, square, Toxic Waste, triptych

According to the Italian environmental group Legambiente, "If all the trash that"¦ escapes official inspection were collected in one place, it would form a mountain weighing 14 million tons and rising 47,900 feet from a base of three hectares. Mont Blanc rises 15,780 feet, Everest 29,015."
-Excerpt from Gomorrah's chapter Land of Fires by Roberto Saviano

For nearly two decades, Campania, the southern region of Italy where Naples is located, has witnessed the ongoing practice of illegal toxic material dumping. This practice has taken place in the provinces of Naples and Caserta known as "The Triangle of Death" taken from the towns of Acerra, Nola and Marigliano. The material that is illegally dumped in this vastly fertile region comes mostly from industries in Northern Italy. As of today, the management of waste material in Campania is fully in the hands of the Camorra "“ a mafia organization with vast economic and political power. The waste material, including aluminum salts, ammonium salts, lead, rubber from tires, and asbestos, is unlawfully incinerated. As a result, high levels of dioxin are released in the atmosphere causing a high rate of birth defects and cancer among the people who are living in the contaminated area.

Campania In-Felix (Unhappy Country) explores the presumed connection between waste, health and environment in the area of the Triangle of Death, recognized by local doctors as the most polluted area of the region, and is presented as a series of triptych images composed of three square images. I chose to present the project as triptychs to emphasize the polarizing environments directly affecting the people living in the region. Life exists stuck between the beauty of the historically fertile land on one hand and a new tradition of waste and destruction on the other.

The documentary Campania In-Felix (unhappy country) is currently under postproduction and will be finished in May 2011. Visit the film's website for more information: www.unhappycountry.com

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