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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.
GMA Network
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Bella Poarch feasts over some street food during Philippine trip
Bella Poarch is making the most out of her trip back to the homeland! On Instagram, the social media personality shared a video of herself with her friends exploring the streets of Manila and eating some street food. In the video, Bella can be seen eating kwek kwek, kikiam hotdogs and balut. "Street food in Manila," she wrote. According to Bella, it's been 14 years since the last time she ate Filipino street food. Bella returned to the Philippines in early May after being away for 14 years. While here, she got eye surgery, explored Bohol and went farming. Aside from being a TikToker, Bella is also a singer. Her songs include "Build a Bitch," "Inferno," "Living Hell," and "Crush." The Filipina personality is also featured in Enhypen's track, "Sweet Venom." —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News
UPI
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Robert Langdon mystery series in the works at Netflix
1 of 2 | Dan Brown's next Robert Langdon mystery novel will be adapted as a series for Netflix. File Photo by Stephen McCarthy/ SPORTSFILE/Web Summit/ Flickr May 23 (UPI) -- A mystery series based on Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels is in the works at Netflix. "Netflix has greenlit a Robert Langdon series based on The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown!" Penguin Books, Brown's publisher, wrote on X Friday. "Out 9 Sept, the new book follows Langdon on a race to recover a manuscript that could rewrite what we know about the mind." Brown shared on X a link to Deadline's story about the show, along with the message: "Netflix knows the secret." The report said Brown and Carlton Cuse are sharing writing and executive producing duties, while Cuse will be the show-runner. No casting has been announced yet, but Oscar-winner Tom Hanks played the renowned Harvard symbologist in the big-screen adaptations of Brown's books The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons and Dante's Inferno. Ashley Zukeman played the role in the 2022 Peacock limited series, The Lost Symbol.
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Plug-in hybrid Jaecoo J7 becoming one with the grid in June
Jaecoo and parent company Chery's first plug-in hybrid to debut in South Africa, the J7 SHS has an EV-only range of 90 km and a combined system output of 255kW/525Nm. Initially planed for local market release at the end of May, Omoda & Jaecoo South Africa has confirmed that its first-ever hybrid, the J7 SHS, will officially launch in early June. Hybrid shock Its abbreviation denoting Super Hybrid System, which parent company Chery debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show two months ago, the setup consists of the smaller 1.5 T-GDI engine rather than the normal 1.6 T-GDI being combined with a single electric motor driven by an 18.3-kWh lithium phosphate battery pack. ALSO READ: Serious shock: PHEV Omoda C9 and Jaecoo J7 outputs revealed Paired to a new three-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), the J7 SHS develops a combined 255kW/525Nm and, as a result of being a plug-in hybrid, drive 90 km on the electric systems alone. Supporting DC charging up top 40 kW, the SHS will require a waiting time of 20 minutes from 30-80%. According to O&J, the combined combustion and electric range is 1 200 km. Expect it to fit in here… While no pricing has yet been made, Jaecoo has hinted at the SHS possibly being modelled on the mid-range Glacier trim grade rather than the flagship Inferno, whose only differences include a heated steering wheel and all-wheel-drive. This stems from not disclosing the latter features on the preliminary specification list, which so far names 19-inch alloy wheels, the eight-speaker sound system, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Reserve Automatic Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control as some of the standard items. Known as the SHS, the J7 has a combined electric and combustion engine range of 1 200 km. Image: Omoda & Jaecoo At present, the three-model J7 range starts off at R549 900 for the entry-level Vortex, before increasing to R599 900 for the Glacier. The all-paw gripping Inferno completes the trio at R679 900. As such, the SHS could be positioned above the Inferno on the price, but with identical levels of spec to the Glacier as a means of keeping pricing competitive. More soon For the moment though, this is purely speculative and will only be confirmed or disproved when the official unveiling happens next month. NOW READ: Plug-in hybrid Jaecoos destined for South Africa with serious shock
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kerry never fear Westmeath, but maybe this time they should as relegation looms large
The only way the Kingdom can be assured of survival is to win the game with Westmeath this Saturday afternoon in Tralee Kerryman It was, we felt, a situation a bit like that famous line from Dante's Inferno. You know the one about abandoning hope all ye who enter? We travelled that day with little hope and an expectation that Westmeath would do a number on the Kingdom. Upon entering the press-box the local scribblers and scribes expressed reservations about their side's chances in the game. We reassured them to not fret, Kerry were going poorly, this one was sure to be one-way traffic.
