Black smoke in the meeting at Palazzo Chigi between the government and ArcelorMittal on the former Ilva plant in Taranto. The Government delegation proposed to the company's top management the subscription of the share capital increase, amounting to 320 million euros, in order to contribute to increasing the public shareholder Invitalia's shareholding to 66%, as well as what is required to ensure the continuity of production at the steel plant, but was met with ArcelorMittal's unwillingness to make financial and investment commitments, even as a minority shareholder. As a result, the government has authorized Invitalia to make the necessary decisions via its legal staff. The unions, who had anticipated for a meaningful breakthrough from the scheduled meeting, were summoned by the executive for Thursday afternoon, January 11th. Meanwhile, the bad news for Taranto, a key steel hub for Italian industry, also come from an environmental standpoint: in the Tamburi district of the Apulian city, where the former Ilva plant is located, fine dust and benzene levels increased in 2023, according to data from the Arpa control unit: the year just ended was worse than 2022, which had worsened since 2021. In particular, benzene grew by 14.93% in 2023 compared to 2022, and 15.35% in 2022 compared to 2021; PM10 (particulate matter) increased by 22.09% in 2023 compared to 2022; and it had already increased by 16.69% compared to 2021, exceeding the permissible limits.
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