Strategies for the Environmental Improvement of Marble Quarries Activities. A model to evaluate impacts and to support decisions Monica LAVAGNA*, Cinzia Maria Luisa TALAMO**, Marco MIGLIORE *** * Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy, (monica.lavagna@polimi.it) ** Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy, (cinzia.talamo@polimi.it) *** Phd Candidate, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy, (migliorem@hotmail.it) Keywords: Marble quarry, land use, transports, environmental improvement,reuse Field of Interest: Innovation in Building Technology and Construction; Topic of Interest: Materials and building components. Main paper focus: specific topic; Paper Content Classification: Experimental. Abstract The paper deals with the theme of environmental issues connected to marble quarries, focusing the attention on extraction processes, on waste disposal of this activity and on transports and infrastructures. The marble extraction is an energy-intensive process and is characterized by a significant production of waste (on average, 1 ton of blocks generates about 1 ton of waste that usually goes to local special dump). The research applies to few marble quarries located in Puglia (Italy). Unfortunately in this area uncontrolled processes are leading to serious environmental emergencies. The study aims to emphasize the negative consequences due to transports development and the production of high quantities of residuals. The situation could be improved through a careful management of mining processes and the control of energy and materials flows. The study identifies strategies aiming to implement a system for the re-use of the waste through the development of new networks of local factories that reuse residuals deriving by marble and stone extraction and cutting. In order to compare the environmental improvement related to the different scenarios and strategies, the study proposes a model of evaluation based on a simplified set of environmental indicators. The method takes some parameters from the Life Cycle Assessment and contextualizes the evaluation with indicators that quantify and assess the territorial modifications engaged with marble quarries activities (for example land use). The study proposes a model to evaluate impacts and to support decisions, oriented to the stakeholders (public and private) of the various production processes, in order to guide their choices and to enable the comparison of different alternatives whit explicit criteria (environmental performances). 1. Background, aim and scope In the current scenario of the stone’s production, the awareness of the consequences that mining and transformative activities have on ecosystems is growing. This awareness leads to develop production systems that minimize the energy consumption and the production of waste. The "XXIII Report marble and stones in the world" [1] says that in the world in 2011 the use of natural stone in architecture, or in related sectors, grew by 3.9%, almost the 70% compared to 2001. Moreover the prospects of growth are positive. The entry of new competitors on the stone’s scenarios means that the market is in