EU: Italy not doing enough to stop pollution from ILVA steelworks

The European Union's executive on Wednesday lashed out at Italy for not doing enough to curb pollution at ILVA, a troubled steelworks in the southern city of Taranto that is the largest in Europe, dpa reported. "There are high levels of pollution and nothing has been done to prevent the situation and stop the situation from happening," European Commission spokesman Isaac Valero Ladron said in Brussels. "Analyses have shown that the soil and the surface waters and the ground waters in the ILVA site are heavily polluted, with potentially severe effects on the health of the population, in particular as regards the nearby city of Taranto," he added. The spokesman said the commission sent a second written warning to the Rome government over the issue, as part of a so-called infringement procedure that could see Italy being taken to an EU court and exposed to the risk of hefty fines.