The European Court ruling gives hope in the Italy region known as toxic waste

Even a few days ago, Anthony Machia, a 61 -year -old housewife, had little hope that the Italian authorities would treat the illegal disposal of the waste that was afflicted by its town and others north of Naples.

Her daughter was diagnosed with rare cancer at the age of five in an area where groups of cancer are linked to pollution. But her years of marches, sitting and comfortable neighbors whose lives were raised due to the sudden deaths of loved ones did not result in little.

Examples of this, she nodded her head to a garbage ht.

“We need more conversation, more work,” she said. “There was a conversation for years.”

Recently, the European Court of Human Rights allowed it to be known to have felt the same. The court found its headquarters in Strasbourg, France, that the Italian authorities have long been aware of illegal dumping in an area known as “fire ground” due to the burning of continuous toxic waste.

But he said that local and national authorities have repeatedly failed to act. The court cited a 1997 report to the parliament, which said that dumping was continuing at least in 1988.

“Progress was iceberg”, seven judges unanimously ruled, saying that the residents were deprived of their “right to life.” The government ordered immediate action and reporting within two years.

People and environmental activists said they hope that the decision will finally violate the failure to work to clean one of the poorest regions in Italy, where about three million people are spread among 90 of the municipality.

A continuous study conducted by the best Heath authorities in Italy found in A. 2023 reports The death rate for people in this part of Campania was 9 percent higher than the rest of the region. People had a greater opportunity to die than malignant tumors (10 percent higher) or blood circulation diseases (7 percent higher), and in some cases statistics were stark: liver tumors cases in women were 31 percent higher.

“We hope that there will be a tremor of conscience in all Italian politicians,” said Enriko Fontana, who monitors the environment and legitimacy at Legambiente, the largest environmental group in Italy. “Hope is that this teacher will lead to a real national unity with a national strategy that the forces are at every level interacting together to solve the problem.”

The case included complaints from dozens of population who seek to know whether Italy has violated Article 2 of the Human Rights Agreement, the right to life, its failure to clean chaos, and whether the Italian authorities have also violated the right of people to information pollution in the region.

Additional 4,700 citizens submitted complaints in Strasbourg regarding the same cases, and these cases can move forward if Italy fails to prepare a comprehensive strategy during the deadline set by the court for two years.

The Strasbourg case was based on the results of many parliamentary committees, scientific studies and reports conducted by environmental groups and expert opinions, indicating that the region was intentional to become a landing land.

Experts said that manufacturers in Italy, and beyond, abandon secret deals with Camorra, as it is known the local mafia, to illegally dispose of the dangerous waste of part of the cost of legal disposal.

By burying waste in the backyard, it can guarantee Kamura A measure of protection and silence.

“This is known as the sacrifice area, a weak, low -income, low -income society that was already struggling”, socially and economically.

He said in a telephone interview that the opening of an Acerra incinerator in 2009 “added an insult to the injury of a already contaminated society” and did not bring any relief to toxic waste management. As a result, he added, “These societies do not trust institutions anymore.”

He said that rebuilding confidence can only come from providing court bids.

The European Court gave Rome for two years to formulate a “comprehensive strategy” to address the situation, including removing pollution in areas where toxic waste was buried and burned.

It is called for Italy to create a “independent monitoring mechanism and a public information platform” for residents. The court found that “it was impossible to obtain a general feeling of the place that has not yet been contaminated,” and called for better coordination between institutions to address this issue.

“The general situation is still concerned,” said Fabrizio Bianchi, a researcher at the National Research Institute for Clinical Physiology in Pisa. Despite decades of delay, he said that time is still essence.

“The more we continue, if the pollution is not removed and the pressure on the region is not reduced, the more you feel the negative effects,” he said.

Antonella Massca, a lawyer who represented some of the people who filed a complaint, said it was rare for the court to be detailed with its recommendations to Italy, determining a two -year time limit.

After that period, the court said it would also address the issue of financial compensation for those who have made claims. “But it was not about money, but about verifying a violation of the change – this is the spirit of” claim, “Ms. Masa said.

Her colleague at Acerra, Centonze, said that Italy had to make a priority to find money to meet the court’s recommendations, from removing the removal of the region to monitor them so that new dumps are not developed. As, garbage is placed along the back roads throughout the area.

“To solve a problem, you have to invest in it,” she said.

The court was also clear that the local population no longer should remain in the dark about what was happening in its territory, for the better or for the worst.

“There must be transparency about what was not done and what to do,” said Alessandro Kanavashello, a local environmental activist.

He said he was shocked by pollution when the lambs began with two visions, two tails, or one eye on the family farm.

In the end, the health authorities ordered to reduce the entire herd. His uncle, Vinsnezo, died within a few weeks of lung cancer that spread.

Earlier this month, he was invited to a meeting in Naples Governorate with the various health authorities, legislators, law enforcement and environmental activists to address the court ruling. He said that the concrete proposals were in a lack of offer.

“There is a hadith, the hadith, the hadith. Eh, I heard this region a lot of words.”

Attempts to reach the regional authorities in Campania have not succeeded.

The 36 -year -old Cannavacciolo can leave his home area but chose to stay and fight. “Our roots here,” he said. “Why do you give up the land that belongs to us? The people who have contaminated are the ones who should go.”

Others cannot wait to leave. Maria Dales, 18, known to everyone as Maryam, was only five when she was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor It affects about 650 children Annually in the European Union. Ms. Mukonia, her mother, said: “In a prisoner, a town of 60,000, there were three cases.”

Now cancer -free but still deal with the subsequent effects of her treatment, Mrs. Dalus has become in her last year of high school and hopes to become a tattoo artist after graduation. Not in Accra.

She said: “This is where I had what I had, and I have to have children when they are older, I don’t want them to have my own experience, so I will leave.”