First came jobs, then came death
The ILVA steel mill in Taranto was once supposed to boost the economically depressed south of Italy. But decade after decade it polluted the environment, leading to many casualties. It's a story of jobs and death.
Darkness on the edge of town
The inhabitants of Taranto in southern Italy's Apulia region used to make a living from fishing. That changed when one of Europe's largest steel mills, ILVA, opened there back in 1965. It now employs 14,000 workers and accounts for 70 percent of Taranto's economic output. But the plant has not only brought jobs, but also pollution and death.
'Steel or life'...
... reads graffiti in Taranto. Dioxins and other harmful substances from the steel mill have caused far above-average rates of cancer in humans — 10 times the national average. Around 400 people are said to have already died prematurely because of excessive pollution from the mill.
Shepherd without a flock
Right beside the steel mill is Vincenzo Fornaro's farm. He used to have 600 sheep and also made cheese, like his father and grandfather before him. But he had to kill his flock after the soil got contaminated. Animals can no longer be reared within a radius of 20 kilometers (12.4 miles). The personal cost to Fornaro has been devastating — his mother died of cancer while he has lost a kidney.
An ill wind
Also located near the steel mill is the Paolo VI housing estate. The apartments there had attracted many people from the old town center. However, with toxic waste and iron dust settled on the steel plant's premises, when there are strong winds, people are advised to stay at home, with schools remaining closed.
A less than rich tapestry
The steel mill may be the biggest polluter in town, but it's not the only one in the region. Energy giant ENI runs a refinery there, and there's also a large Italian naval base in the Gulf of Taranto. Their presence makes it harder to say who exactly is to blame for the varying environmental damage in the region.
Exile on Main Street
Taranto's old town center has many run-down houses which could collapse at any moment. Despite the steel mill, the town is economically depressed and has a high unemployment rate. The few who have not turned their back on the old town center eke out a living from fishing or mussel breeding.
Striking down a vital industry
Mussels have been a part of Taranto's economy for centuries. The "cozze alla tarantina" have put the town on the map. But the long-standing business has been in crisis ever since it became known that the mussels too are contaminiated by dioxin.
In a state of grace, and disgrace
In the beginning, industrialization brought hope to people in Taranto. In the picture, taken at the local Gesu Divin Lavoratore church, Jesus blesses the chimneys of the steel mill and the workers. The church profited directly from the mill — the family who owned it was reported to have financed the renovation of the church, among other things.
New dawn fades
The ILVA steel plant was put into state administration after its environmental sins, to be eventually sold for €1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) in mid-2017 to a consortium led by the world's largest steel company, ArcelorMittal. The new owners aimed to cut 4,000 jobs and before the purchase, secured guarantees they would not be punished for pollution.