As chairman of the Province of Milan I am are very pleased to give my welcome to all who visit the tenth conference Consoil 2008, which this year will be held at the trade fair of Rho - Pero.
It is an honor for me to support this important event that fits into the international scene as the biggest European showcase and that by its vocation attracts thousands of visitors from various foreign countries.
In this brief welcoming, allow me to expand on two aspects of major importance for the content that Consoil 2008 wants to put forward during these days of meetings, that is the reclamation of contaminated sites and the technologies that allow such reclamation. I would like to stress how important the location chosen for the tenth international conference is. The Convention Center Stella Polare inside the outer Polo Fiera Milano is in fact an example of the reclamation of land. Before having its final destination, this was a big refinery of Agip. Now this area has been reclaimed and transformed into the biggest exhibition in Europe. This and other areas have been realised thanks to technology and innovation in environmental activities for remediation of contaminated sites. The Province of Milan have always worked in recent years on the reclamation of contaminated sites, and this has allowed us to develop skills, relationships with other institutions and research institutes.
I conclude with the hope that the days of this event will be crucial moments of reflection and comparison to continue on a path that allows us to combine environmental protection with the technological development of our cities.

Filippo Penati
President of the Province of Milan