Shut down Taranto steelworks if dangerous - EU court

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 25 - Italy should shut down production at the troubled Acciaierie d'Italia (AdI) steelworks in Taranto if the plant poses a threat to human health and the environment, the EU Court of Justice said in a ruling on Tuesday.
    The court said operations at the facility must be suspended "where there are serious and significant threats to the integrity of the environment and human health".
    The Court of Justice said the Milan court that referred the case to it should decide if this is actually the case in relation to a petition presented by local residents.
    The Milan court had asked for a decision on whether the Italian legislation and the special derogating rules applicable to the steelworks in order to ensure its continuity contravene the EU directive on industrial emissions The former Ilva steelworks, which has some 11,000 employees, was recently put into special administration and AdI declared insolvent as the multinational ArcelorMittal's term as the majority stakeholder ended acrimoniously.
    It has been the subject of legal battles over its impact on the environment and on local people's health for many years.
    In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights found that the steelworks had a significant negative impact on the environment and the health of local residents.
    The Court of Justice said measures to reduce its impact have been provided for since 2012, but the deadlines for their implementation have been repeatedly extended.
    Previous owners the Riva family were convicted of causing higher than normal cancer rates in Taranto, especially among children.
    In March former AdI CEO Lucia Morselli was put under investigation in Taranto for alleged environmental and health-and-safety felonies along with former plant director Alessandro Labile (ANSA).