On September 26, a local investigating judge rejected a plan by Taranto-based Italian steel producer Ilva to tackle the environmental impact of its steelmaking complex, rejecting a request made last week by Ilva chairman Bruno Ferrante to maintain minimum levels of production at the plant, thereby raising new concerns over the future of the biggest steelworks in Europe.
Patrizia Todisco, the judge in charge of pre-trial proceedings, ruled against the Italian steelmaker's plan to invest €400 million to modernize the plant while continuing production at the same time. “The issues involved - health, life and the environment, but also the right to a decent job but not prejudicial to the health of a human being - do not allow bargaining,” Todisco stated.
In August this year, prosecutors had ordered Ilva to halt production and clean up its Taranto steelmaking complex in the south of Italy after an inquiry found that toxic emissions from the plant were harming workers and local residents.
Some 12,000 jobs at Ilva’s Taranto facilities are at stake, as well as an additional 8,000 related jobs. Ilva workers are demonstrating their opposition to the shutdown of the steel complex with two days of strike, on September 27 and 28.