The industrial plant, located in Meda, was owned by the company ICMESA ("Industrie Chimiche Meda Società Azionaria"), a subsidiary of Givaudan, which in turn was a subsidiary of Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche Group).
Drugeprizadete sosednje občine so bile Meda (19.000), Desio (33.000), CesanoMaderno (34.000) in v manjšem obsegu Barlassina (6.000) inBovisio-Masciago (11.000).