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Euronews
2 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Inside Taranto's 12-year wait for EU action on steel plant pollution
Local residents and an MEP from the Left Group in the European Parliament are today (4 June) making an official complaint to the European Ombudsman about the Acciaierie d'Italia steel mill, still known by its former name Ilva, in the southern city of Taranto. Despite opening an infringement procedure against Italy in 2013 for breaching environmental laws at the site, the EU has failed to escalate it appropriately, they say. During that 12-year wait, residents are continuing to suffer the consequences of air, soil and groundwater pollution in Taranto, which numerous studies have linked to higher rates of cancer and other diseases. 'Today, we turn to the Ombudsman with a sense of responsibility but also with deep bitterness,' says Alessandro Marescotti, a Taranto resident and president of the Associazione PeaceLink, an NGO which is also listed as a complainant on the document seen by Euronews Green. 'We do so because we no longer have much confidence in the European Commission. The Commission had years to intervene. It received reports, studies, and appeals. Meanwhile, in Taranto, many people have fallen ill and died,' he says. 'The case of the ILVA plant in Taranto has, unfortunately, remained in the shadows of institutional indifference.' 'Greetings from Taranto, the only city founded by the Spartans in 706 BC.' This is how Massimo Castellana from the Taranto Parents Association (Genitori Tarantini) signs off on WhatsApp when I ask about the pollution that has blighted his city for decades. It was described as a 'sacrifice zone' by a UN Special Rapporteur in 2022 due to pollution from llva, which has loomed over the Tamburi district for the last 60 years. But there is clearly a lot of pride in this city on the Ionian Sea, and residents are not giving up without a fight. The Italian government knew Taranto was an area 'at high risk of an environmental crisis' as early as 1990. In 2001, photos and scientific evidence acquired by Marescotti revealed an alarming scene, 'with thick toxic fumes that resembled something out of Dante's Inferno.' 'According to analyses, the fumes contained carcinogenic substances in concentrations equivalent to more than 7,000 cigarettes over an eight-hour work shift,' he says. Despite public outrage, Europe's biggest steel plant was grindingly slow to follow EU rules; in particular, the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) adopted in 1996, which required all installations to have a permit by 2007. Italy finally issued an authorisation in 2011, following legal action from the EU. But by 2012, mounting evidence of an 'environmental disaster' led to a local trial at which the judge ordered Ilva's most polluting parts to be seized and shut down. Since then, however, successive governments have issued 18 so-called 'Save-Ilva' decrees to enable it to continue operating, having specially introduced the concept of a plant of 'strategic national importance'. 'There is no economic, occupational, or strategic reason that can justify such fierce insistence from the politicians (and the unions, guilty of complicity) against the health of the Taranto people,' says Castellana. 'If the plant has not yet been closed, despite its danger being clarified at multiple levels, it is due to the subservience of a depressing political class to steel producers and industrialists, particularly in northern Italy.' In 2013, following complaints from citizens and NGOs including PeaceLink, the Commission began an infringement procedure against Italy for violations of environmental standards. This infringement procedure has now been open for 12 years without any substantial further action. A 'reasoned opinion' - the next step when a member state fails to comply - followed in 2014, and then, bureaucratic silence. MEPs who repeatedly questioned the lack of progress in the European Parliament (EP) were met with 'vague and unsatisfactory answers', according to the complaint. For Valentina Palmisano, an MEP from Puglia, elected with the Five Star Movement in Italy, which is part of the Left Group in the European Parliament, this situation is unacceptable. 'European law cannot be applied selectively and Taranto cannot be treated as a rights-free zone,' she tells Euronews Green. Palmisano believes the Commission's prolonged inaction is politically motivated. 'On the one hand, it shields itself from responsibility by pointing to the fact that an infringement procedure has been open since 2013, as if this absolves it from the ongoing health and environmental consequences of ILVA's operations. 'On the other hand, it avoids referring Italy to the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union) because steel production remains politically sensitive and strategically important in the context of EU industrial policy.' There is concerted pressure within the EU to boost domestic steel production - in response to Trump's tariffs, Chinese steel dumping, and the shadow of war across Europe. On 7 May this year - the same day one of Ilva's two blast furnaces exploded - the Commission 'decided to send an additional letter of formal notice to Italy.' For campaigners, it was again far too little, far too late. In fact, the complaint from Palmisano and PeaceLink describes it as a backwards step in the infringement process. They say the Commission has failed to ensure legal enforcement and must now finally take Italy to the CJEU. 'Taranto has been sacrificed on the altar of economic interests, at the expense of health, dignity, and the fundamental rights of its inhabitants,' says Marescotti. Alongside this administrative approach, Taranto residents, spurred on by the premature deaths of family and friends, have pursued collective action to stem Ilva's pollution. A report by Sentieri, an epidemiological monitoring group, found that between 2005 and 2012, 3,000 deaths were directly linked to exposure to pollutants from the plant - including benzene, heavy metals, and dioxins. Cancer and excess overall mortality are well above regional averages, with childhood leukaemia nearly 50 per cent above expected levels. A case brought by members of the Taranto Parents Association, including Castellana, was referred by the Milan district court to the CJEU for clarification. In a landmark ruling on 24 June last year - applicable to tens of thousands of sites in the EU - the top court said that operations must be suspended where there are serious threats to the environment and human health. This ruling was brought back to the Tribunale di Milano for a hearing on 22 May, but no final decision has been reached yet. Castellana remains hopeful, but the Ombudsman complaint describes the case as being stuck in the bureaucratic hinterland that seems to surround Ilva. In short, the complainants write, 'The case remains pending, the ILVA steel plant continues to operate and pollute, and the ILVA infringement procedure is still ongoing.' The steel plant, which coats Taranto in fine red iron ore dust, appears to have left its mark on all living things. The food chain has been corrupted, Castellana claims. A decade ago, the impact on livestock was a major concern, with thousands of sheep and goats culled after cheese made from their milk was found to contain dioxins above legal limits. Now, a source with knowledge of the issue says, mussels are the most enduring bearers of dioxins in the environment. They grow in Mar Picolo ('Small Sea'), an enclosed coastal lagoon where the filter feeders accumulate dioxins in their bodies that are stuck in the sediment. Air pollution has fluctuated and improved over the years, notably around 2013, the source says, but Taranto is still awaiting remediation of its air, soil, and water. In its call for buyers of Ilva, which remains under special administration, the Italian government stipulates that the new owner must decarbonise the plant in line with the EU's goals. Palmisano, however, thinks it should be nationalised; in order 'to align industrial production with real ecological transition, based on green hydrogen, not gas, and finally undertake the necessary remediation of the ILVA site.' 'No transition is credible without first addressing the environmental and health devastation already caused,' she says. Other campaigners want to see Ilva closed altogether, and its workers supported to transition into other sectors, bringing a dirty chapter to an end. Their determination endures. Marescotti has previously said he owes his strength to always go on to his father, who was a partisan in the anti-fascist resistance against Mussolini. Castellana says he would never move away from Taranto, 'because Taranto is my mother. And a mother should not be abandoned.' 'We demand justice,' he says. 'We owe it to the little Tarantinos who are no longer here, to those who are suffering today, and to future generations that we want to be able to live in health and enjoy the sublime beauty of Taranto.' The European Commission and the Italian government have been contacted for comment. Glacier-related risks are becoming a global concern, according to Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Speaking at the Glacier Preservation Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Saulo emphasised that all countries, regardless of development level, face threats linked to glacial change. A recent disaster in the Swiss village of Blatten illustrated the dangers. A glacier-triggered mudslide devastated the area, destroying nearly all livelihoods. One person remains missing, but early warning systems were credited with reducing the overall impact. In response to accelerating climate change, the WMO is urging increased investment in glacier monitoring and forecasting. Saulo highlighted the need for greater awareness and support for hydrometeorological centres worldwide. 'With better monitoring, we can expect to have better forecasts, with those we can expect to have better early warning systems in the end to protect societies, protect people and to protect livelihoods,' she said. Just last week, Blatten was buried under a massive avalanche of rock and ice from the Birch Glacier and the nearby Lonza River bed. Experts had issued warnings about the potential collapse of the glacier, which contained 1.5 million cubic metres of ice. Local authorities acted quickly, evacuating around 300 people and livestock. A few days after the event, the Lonza River resumed its flow through the debris. The Blatten collapse is not an isolated event. In 2022, a chunk of the Marmolada glacier in Italy's Dolomite Mountains - roughly the size of an apartment building - broke off during a summer heat wave. The resulting avalanche swept through a popular hiking area, killing 11 people. In 2016, a glacier in Tibet's Aru mountain range suddenly collapsed, killing nine people and their livestock. A few months later, another glacier in the region gave way. Glacier collapses have also occurred in Peru. In 2006, one triggered a mini tsunami, and in April of this year, an overflowing glacial lagoon caused a landslide that killed two people. 'It's amazing sometimes how rapidly they can collapse,' Lonnie Thompson, a glacier expert at the Ohio State University, told the AP. 'The instability of these glaciers is a real and growing problem, and there are thousands and thousands of people that are at risk.' While melting glaciers are expected to contribute to sea level rise for decades, scientists warn that the loss of inland glaciers poses immediate risks to nearby communities that depend on them for drinking water and agriculture.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Coal or cool? Poland's energy sector in industrial transition mode
Poland is home to some of the highest-emitting industrial facilities in the European Union, such as the famous Belchatow power plant, which can produce up to 20% of Poland's electricity needs by burning lignite coal. At the turn of the last few decades, when Poland joined the European Union, various comprehensive modernisation plans were implemented at Belchatow. 'Since the early 1990s, the plant has reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by more than 93%, nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 66% and eliminated 99% of dust emissions,' Rafał Smejda, Director General of PGE GiEK SA Belchatow Power Plant told Euronews. The work involved building a new combustion unit, closing or replacing old boilers, renovating the electrical filters and installing desulphurisation systems. These changes were imperative for the plant to retain its permit. The competent authorities in the 27 Member States must ensure compliance with the standards of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), the EU's main tool for reducing pollution from large installations. Turning your back on coal Despite these technical improvements, the Belchatow power station is due to close gradually over the next few years as part of Poland's ongoing energy transition. Poland is reducing its dependence on coal, a particularly polluting fuel. Some power plants are already abandoning coal, such as the Zeran plant in Warsaw, whose new unit is fuelled by gas. 'In this transitional period, we still need to rely on combustion plants. Poland does not have a nuclear power plant yet. We are also not in a position to develop large-scale hydropower. We also cannot fully rely on energy import because Poland has one of the biggest district heating network in the EU', explains Marcin Wisniewski, from the Department of Environmental Instruments of the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment. Poland facing the IED 2.0 directive National data confirms the decline in the main industrial pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂), which can have serious effects on the environment and human health. The transposition of the first European IED Directive in 2016 has, according to the Polish government, led to a 40% reduction in SO₂ emissions in the country. 'We then had to implement the Best Available Techniques conclusions. And when you compare data from 2023 with data on emissions from 2016, so already those reduced, you can see for example that dust emission dropped by 80%.', Wisniewski adds. 'Now, we are working intensively to transpose IED 2.0 to the national legislation, because for sure it will bring further emission reduction', he says. The European Union has just revised its IED directive, with the aim of further reducing the levels of industrial pollutants in the air, water and soil, and accelerating the transition to a more innovative, clean and circular industry. According to Marcin Wisniewski, this means Polans 'will also have to work on increasing uptake innovation by the industry, by providing incentives for the operators to transform towards climate neutral and circular economy'. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution in 2021 have cost the equivalent of around 2% of the EU's GDP, or several hundred billion euros. Still according to the EEA, one percent of the most polluting industrial facilities in Europe - many of them coal power plants - caused half of these costs.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Science
- Euronews
From Seville to Warsaw: Industrial pollution has fallen in the EU, here's how
It is estimated that the 50,000 largest installations in the EU still account for around 40% of greenhouse gas emissions and are responsible for 20% of all air and water pollutants. These pollutants have a significant impact on human health and the environment: Fine particles (PM2.5) can enter our lungs and bloodstream, causing illness and death. NOx threatens human life and biodiversity. SOx, heavy metals and ammonia are harmful to crops, wildlife and humans. Greenhouse gases cause climate change and reduce air quality. A sharp fall in emissions Pollution caused by industrial emissions accounts for billions of euros in costs and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in the EU every year. However, according to the European Environment Agency, environmental and health costs of European industry have decreased by a third from 2012 to 2021. The EEA says the EU energy sector has accounted for about 80% of the total decrease. According to the same study, this is mainly due to the adoption of new techniques and the shift to renewables and less polluting fuels, both changes being largely as a result of EU action. View Gallery 10 Photos New European rules The European Union recently revised its Industrial Emissions Directive (IED 2.0), its main tool for taking action on pollution coming from the continent's largest factories and farms. Under this directive, installations have been required to comply with the environmental performance associated with the best available techniques (BAT) in their sector. A growing number of governments in the world are now seeking to adopt the same approach. These performances are decided during the 'Sevilla process', a collaborative governance model involving industry, EU Member States and civil society, which takes place at the Joint European Research Centre (JRC) in Seville. Currently, around 80% of industrial sites comply with the highest permitted emission limit values. Under the IED 2.0 directive, the competent authorities in the Member States will be required to use more stringent values when revising or establishing permits. Best Available Techniques are set to also take into account more explicitly the human health and climate protection of installations. Decarbonisation efforts The new rules aim to achieve a further 40% reduction in the main atmospheric pollutants by 2050. One aim is to confirm the trend observed in recent decades: EU industry has grown while reducing its impact on the environment, a process known as 'decoupling'. Another important aspect of the revised directive is to support innovation and guide investment to boost Europe's green competitiveness on the basis of the Clean Industrial Deal recently presented by the European Commission. In Seville, a new Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE) has been set up to identify and characterise the most promising technologies for achieving circular economy and carbon neutrality. The European Union's objectives are to reach carbon neutrality and zero pollution by 2050. A new portal makes it possible to track changes in the levels of various pollutants in the different regions of Europe. The European Environment Agency considers that the EU has completed or advanced the implementation of the 33 actions announced in the 2021 'zero pollution' action plan, but that further efforts are still needed to achieve the objectives.
