An appeals court in the Puglia city
of Taranto on Friday annulled a sentence issued by a court of
first instance against 37 defendants and three companies over
the alleged environmental disaster and health-and-safety
felonies caused by the ex-Ilva steelworks when it was owned by
the Riva family.
The appeals court ruled in favour of a request presented by
defence attorneys to move the trial to another city in Puglia,
Potenza.
The motion to move the case was based on the fact that, as
locals, the judges who issued the first sentence could be
considered as parties affected by the alleged environmental
disaster produced by the steel plant whose emissions have been
linked to high cancer rates in the area.
The court of first instance had convicted 26 plant managers as
well as local politicians to a total of 270 years in jail and
ordered the seizure of assets of the three companies managing
the steelworks - Ilva spa, Riva fire and Riva Forni Elettrici -
for a total value of 2.1 billion euros.
Prosecution experts said "excess" death rates of 10%-15% caused
at least 400 premature deaths from cardiovascular and other
cancers among locals and workers.
Child cancer rates were said to be even higher in the Taranto
area.
The blast furnace areas originally impounded in July 2012 were
formally confiscated by the court along with the three companies
Ilva spa, Riva fire and Riva Forni Elettrici.
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