Impossible to run Taranto with decree

(ANSA) - Bari, June 19 - It will be impossible to run the former ILVA plant at Taranto unless the government's growth decree is changed, ArcelorMittal said Wednesday.
    "If the decree were to be approved in its current form, the disposition relating to the Taranto plant would jeopardise, for anyone, ArcelorMittal included, the capacity to mange the plant while implementing the environmental plan requested by the Italian government and dated September 2017," it said in a statement.
    The plant, which has been linked to high local cancer rates, is being cleaned up while preserving jobs under the government-approved plan.
    ArcelorMittal said that is Italian unit, ArcelorMittal Italia (AMI), "has manifested its concerns to the Italian government".
    It said the growth decree, in its preset form, "cancels all the legal safeguards existing when ArcelorMittal agreed to invest in the Taranto plant.
    "Safeguards which are necessary to remain in force until the environmental plan is completed so as to avert incurring responsibilities relating to problems which the current managers did not cause".
    The industry ministry said it was "surprised" by ArcelorMittal's statement, "seeing that (the company) was informed in February 2019 of the developments regarding thee possible revocation of the penal immunity introduced in the growth decree".
    It said "the industry ministry and all the government are working to make sure the company continues to operate while respecting the environmental parameters".