Rubbish again plagues Naples

The streets of Naples are again piled high with stinking rubbish, threatening a public health crisis and further ratcheting up the pressure on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

A team of European Union inspectors made the depressing declaration yesterday as the total amount of uncollected waste in the city appeared to be heading for the 3600-tonne mark, mirroring a similar crisis that attracted international interest two years ago.

"After two years the situation is not very different," said chief inspector Pia Bucella, who is in charge of the European Commission delegation sent to Naples to enforce European rules on waste management.

"The refuse is there in the streets, and there is still no plan for treating or recycling it".

Health experts warned that again the crisis presented a significant health risk. "There is a health-and-hygiene danger that may turn into a serious risk for public health," said Dr Maria Triassi and a fellow member of the Italian Institute for Public Hygiene, Andrea Simonetti.

The most serious risks are linked to stray dogs, rats, cockroaches and insects, which "all carry gastrointestinal diseases", they said.

The first time around, at the start of last year, an energetic intervention from Berlusconi appeared to solve the problem as well as help his poll ratings. But the fundamental causes of the crisis were not properly tackled.

Naples Mayor Rosa Iervolino Russo said: "The city's not dirty, it's filthy. I wish I could invent new powers for myself so I could actually do something."

The crisis has been caused in part by the closure of regional dumps after fierce protests from residents who fear the sites pose a pollution risk to their communities. But the local mafia, the Camorra, also has an interest in ensuring there are inadequate official disposal facilities because it earns hundreds of millions of euros a year from illegal dumping.

Experts called on local and national authorities to clear the streets, open contested dumps, persuade more of the population to recycle and hasten the construction of incinerators.

"We're in a state of emergency," said Stefano Caldoro, the Governor of the Campania Region.

"We need to act quickly because we're 20 years behind in responding to this problem."

- Independent