Mayors stage toxic ship sit-in
(ANSA) - Rome, October 19 - Fifty mayors staged a sit-in outside the Italian government building on Tuesday, in protest at the lack of government action over a shipwreck off the Calabrian coast thought to contain toxic waste. The boat, allegedly sunk in 1992 by a criminal organization to conceal illicit waste, was discovered six weeks ago but remains underwater 12 miles off the coast. The mayors, all from the Calabrian province of Cosenza, called on the government to declare a state of emergency and take urgent action. In the afternoon, Environment Undersecretary Roberto Menia met with a small group of the mayors, led by Calabrian Environment Councillor Silvestro Greco, to hear their demands.
Menia has agreed to tour the site of the shipwreck and meet with the local harbour master on Wednesday, as well as visit a ministry-funded survey ship that arrived in the area this week.
But Greco said this was not enough, calling for extensive action at a higher level of government. ''An incident of this kind must be addressed in a broader context that involves the health, environment and interior ministries, as well as the premier's office,'' the councillor said. The mayoral sit-in met with widespread support in Rome, particularly among Calabrian MPs from all political backgrounds.
Calabrian Deputy Franco Laratta of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) said MPs from the region would camp overnight in parliament if the government failed to receive the mayors properly.
''The situation is extremely serious and there is no time to waste,'' he said.
''The ship was discovered 40 days ago and still no action has been taken.
Enough is enough''.
Deputy Jole Santelli, a former undersecretary who is an MP with the majority People of Freedom (PdL) party, called for a special inter-ministerial task-force to tackle the problem and said she had raised the issue directly with Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
''I am certain the premier will give his personal commitment to resolve the 'toxic ship' problem as soon as possible,'' she said, adding it should be treated as ''a government emergency''.
The leader of the opposition Green party Angelo Bonelli accused the government of an ''irresponsible, heel-dragging approach'' and failing to protect ''the Calabrian people, the sea or the environment''.
PD House whip Antonello Soro called on the chamber's speaker Gianfranco Fini to raise the issue with the premier.
''It's essential this disaster is stopped,'' he said.
''By all means chase away these mayors but at least give them some answers''.
Two other MPS, Fabio Granata of the PdL and Ermete Realacci of the PD, also issued a joint statement expressing their support for the mayors' demonstration.
The ship was discovered during a search launched last month after a mafia turncoat told prosecutors about his involvement in the 1992 sinking of a ship, the Cunsky, in order to hide 120 containers of radioactive waste. Following days of exploration, hampered by poor weather, a wreck believed to be the Cunsky was identified and a robot sent down to investigate the vessel. The name of the boat was not visible but the probe sent back images of containers still on board and a blast hole in the prow from an explosion that appears to have sunk the vessel. Francesco Fonti, a former member of the 'Ndrangheta Calabrian mafia, also told prosecutors he had been personally involved in the sinking of two other ships. The turncoat said he knew of at least 30 more vessels sunk by the mafia in Italian waters in order to dispose of toxic waste. Fonti, who is under house arrest, says the toxic waste came from Italian and European pharmaceutical companies and that the 'Ndrangheta was paid between 1.5 to 15 million euros to sink the ships. When news of the wreck broke, the environment ministry promised immediate action and sent its own scientific vessel, the Astrea, to the area to assess the damage.
But local politicians have complained the boat has been of little practical assistance, as it is only equipped to analyze the surrounding sediment, not the contents of the containers.
A new vessel, the Mare Oceano, arrived in the area on Monday to carry out more specialized tests. However, Calabrian representatives say the focus should be on the costly job of recovering the wreck, or at least the containers, in order to prevent the spread of pollution.
But Greco said this was not enough, calling for extensive action at a higher level of government. ''An incident of this kind must be addressed in a broader context that involves the health, environment and interior ministries, as well as the premier's office,'' the councillor said. The mayoral sit-in met with widespread support in Rome, particularly among Calabrian MPs from all political backgrounds.
Calabrian Deputy Franco Laratta of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) said MPs from the region would camp overnight in parliament if the government failed to receive the mayors properly.
''The situation is extremely serious and there is no time to waste,'' he said.
''The ship was discovered 40 days ago and still no action has been taken.
Enough is enough''.
Deputy Jole Santelli, a former undersecretary who is an MP with the majority People of Freedom (PdL) party, called for a special inter-ministerial task-force to tackle the problem and said she had raised the issue directly with Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
''I am certain the premier will give his personal commitment to resolve the 'toxic ship' problem as soon as possible,'' she said, adding it should be treated as ''a government emergency''.
The leader of the opposition Green party Angelo Bonelli accused the government of an ''irresponsible, heel-dragging approach'' and failing to protect ''the Calabrian people, the sea or the environment''.
PD House whip Antonello Soro called on the chamber's speaker Gianfranco Fini to raise the issue with the premier.
''It's essential this disaster is stopped,'' he said.
''By all means chase away these mayors but at least give them some answers''.
Two other MPS, Fabio Granata of the PdL and Ermete Realacci of the PD, also issued a joint statement expressing their support for the mayors' demonstration.
The ship was discovered during a search launched last month after a mafia turncoat told prosecutors about his involvement in the 1992 sinking of a ship, the Cunsky, in order to hide 120 containers of radioactive waste. Following days of exploration, hampered by poor weather, a wreck believed to be the Cunsky was identified and a robot sent down to investigate the vessel. The name of the boat was not visible but the probe sent back images of containers still on board and a blast hole in the prow from an explosion that appears to have sunk the vessel. Francesco Fonti, a former member of the 'Ndrangheta Calabrian mafia, also told prosecutors he had been personally involved in the sinking of two other ships. The turncoat said he knew of at least 30 more vessels sunk by the mafia in Italian waters in order to dispose of toxic waste. Fonti, who is under house arrest, says the toxic waste came from Italian and European pharmaceutical companies and that the 'Ndrangheta was paid between 1.5 to 15 million euros to sink the ships. When news of the wreck broke, the environment ministry promised immediate action and sent its own scientific vessel, the Astrea, to the area to assess the damage.
But local politicians have complained the boat has been of little practical assistance, as it is only equipped to analyze the surrounding sediment, not the contents of the containers.
A new vessel, the Mare Oceano, arrived in the area on Monday to carry out more specialized tests. However, Calabrian representatives say the focus should be on the costly job of recovering the wreck, or at least the containers, in order to prevent the spread of pollution.