Italian army called in as Naples rubbish crisis continues

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Environment and also in Local Government

The Italian army started bulldozing piles of uncollected rubbish away from schools in Naples today, more than two weeks into the city's latest waste crisis.

Collectors stopped picking up rubbish in the city and the surrounding Campania region on December 21 because there is no more room for it at dumps.

Although locals are angered by the uncollected trash, they have also blocked plans to create new dumps or re-open old sites.

Residents in the suburb of Pianura set up roadblocks to bar access to a long-closed dump that authorities are trying to reopen to ease the crisis claiming it would pose a health risk.

The barricades made with rubbish, metal railings and old tires caused traffic jams and blocked trucks heading for the dump with equipment needed to reopen it.

Before dawn, army engineers used bulldozers to scoop up rubbish from the streets of Caserta, near Naples, working mainly around schools, which were reopening today after the Christmas break, the Defence Ministry said.

With rubbish accumulating across the city, residents have taken to burning the stinking mounds, raising alarm over toxic fumes.

The lack of space at dumps has caused periodic problems in Naples for several years.

The latest crisis has prompted calls for the resignation of local officials who had promised to solve the decade-old problem.

Authorities have blamed organised crime's takeover of rubbish collection services, disorganised bureaucracy and the protests that hinder the construction of dumps and disposal plants.

Premier Romano Prodi, who has pledged to solve the problem "once and for all," was meeting government ministers today to come up with a strategy.