A. Mittal: suspension agreement against closure of the hot area

The danger linked to the emissions of the steel industry that the judges of the TAR of Lecce defined "permanent and immanent" for the Council of State is "merely hypothetical", while the prejudice "consisting in the irremediable deterioration of the plants" in the event of shutdown, raised by ArcelorMittal, is profiled "as current and irreparable". The judges of Palazzo Spada have thus decided to accept the appeal of the multinational that manages the steel plant in Taranto and the cross appeal of Ilva in As, owner of the plants, suspending the enforceability of the sentence of 13 February last of the Lecce TAR. A provision that had restarted the 60-day deadline for the execution of the order of the mayor of Taranto Rinaldo Melucci (dated 27 February 2020) for the closure of the plants in the hot area due to environmental criticalities and health risk. According to the ruling of the TAR, ArcerlorMittal should have stopped the plants considered polluting by next April 14th. Now the countdown stops at least until the hearing on the merits set for 13 May next. A decision welcomed "with respect" by the Minister of Economic Development, Giancarlo Giorgetti, however convinced that "the solution to the crisis cannot pass through the courtrooms". This pronouncement "in any case - he affirms - gives the possibility and the time to politics and to Mise in particular to seek the solution for the workers, the company and the Italian steel production which represents a strategic asset as well as excellence and must be protected" . The mayor's ordinance was signed following "emission events that occurred in August 2019, connected to some critical issues of the E312 chimney dedusting system" and the emission of odorous substances in February 2020.