The management offormer Ilva would not have implemented all measures to contain environmental pollution. For this reason the former CEO of Acciaieria d'Italia Lucia Morselli, is being investigated by the Taranto prosecutor's office for environmental pollution and malicious removal of precautions against accidents at work. Morselli would have been notified days ago of the notice of extension of the investigations signed by the investigating judge Francesco Maccagnano. Morselli has no longer held the role of CEO of the former Ilva since February following the appointment of extraordinary commissioners by the government. However, according to the accusations, his direct responsibilities also emerged for the redevelopment plan of the former Ilva. A very open question even after the appointment of the commissioners. The then director of the plant was also investigated, Alessandro Labile
The effects of the steelworks' activity on the environment have been brought to the attention of Apulian investigators for years who, through investigations by the Noe the Carabinieri detected serious emissions on several occasions, especially of benzene. The substance is believed to cause deaths and the spread of diseases in the Taranto area.
Benzene is a carcinogen and ongoing investigations
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, benzene is in group 1 of substances with a certain capacity to generate cancer. The investigations have been ongoing since 2018 and theHarp Apulia, which keeps the plant under constant observation, has documented that the values emitted have come close to the maximum permitted threshold several times.
At the top of the company since 2019, Morselli should have guaranteed compliance with polluting agents: the detection unit in the Tamburi district closest to the steelworks detects that in 2023 the benzene level it rose by 15% compared to 2022. Appeals from citizens and associations have raised the issue, with the judiciary moving in order to identify responsibility - we are currently in the investigation phase - of the leaders of the agency.
