The steel mill’s dust engulfs the city, but school windows need to stay open due to Covid-19
Based on a decree from the Apulian regional government (n. 1944 – 02/10/2012) which aims at curbing pollution from PM10 and benzo(a)pyrene, the Apulian Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPA) has set up ‘Wind-days’ for the city of Taranto. These are days in which the wind blows from the Ilva steel mill – the largest in Europe - to its adjacent residential neighbourhoods, engulfing them with its dust and toxic compounds.
On these ‘Wind-days’ the local population is advised by the local public health authorities to minimise exposure to pollution by reducing outdoor activities in the morning and late evening. In addition to this, residents are asked to ventilate their homes only between 12pm and 6pm, when pollution levels are supposedly lower.
These public health recommendations translate into operational guidelines for schools and should be enforced by the mayor of Taranto. Schools are required to ventilate classrooms between 12pm and 6pm on ‘Wind-days’ to reduce concentrations of PM10. These guidelines nevertheless clash with more recent public health directions, which stress on the importance of continuous ventilation in classrooms to reduce risk of Covid-19 infection among pupils. The contradiction between these two different procedures create a public health dilemma which urges immediate action from the local and national authorities.
Taranto’s City Committee for Health and the Environment stresses that it is the mayor’s duty to push for the halting of the hot rolling mills of the factory in order to safeguard the public health of the residents. To curb the spread of Covid in classrooms, which now need steady ventilation, it is also necessary to interrupt all industrial activity that drastically increases the production of PM10.
Articoli correlati
- La replica del governo ad Angelo Bonelli
Il ministro Urso evita il confronto sui debiti di Acciaierie d'Italia
Nella seduta odierna è stata discussa l'interpellanza urgente sui debiti ILVA presentata da Angelo Bonelli al ministro Adolfo Urso.24 January 2025 - Fulvia Gravame - Interpellanza urgente di Angelo Bonelli
Vogliamo sapere quanti debiti ha Acciaierie d'Italia?
Se i debiti di ADI a dicembre 2022 erano pari a 4,7 miliardi di euro, a quanto saranno arrivati in due anni? Domani, 24/1/25, il ministro Urso risponderà all'interpellanza. Oggi il governo Meloni ha svuotato definitivamente il fondo per le bonifiche per garantire la continuità produttiva.23 January 2025 - Fulvia Gravame - Esperimento con ChatGPT
Vendola, Riva e Dio
E' stato chiesto a un modello linguistico di Intelligenza Artificiale generativa di sviluppare un articolo in chiave ecologista partendo una dichiarazione di Nichi Vendola del 2011, in cui esprimeva stima verso Emilio Riva. Ecco cosa è venuto fuori.17 January 2025 - Alessandro Marescotti - Ilva di Taranto:
Memoria, lotta e resistenza sociale nella narrazione di Piero Mottolese
La tesi di Monia Torre, basata su un’approfondita ricerca antropologica, analizza la percezione del rischio legate all’Ilva di Taranto. Attraverso le testimonianze di operai come Piero Mottolese, attivista di PeaceLink, emergono le dinamiche tra fabbrica, ambiente e comunità.14 January 2025 - Redazione PeaceLink
Sociale.network