Top European court orders Italy to tackle mafia-caused pollution in area with high cancer rates

Mafia informants directed police to specific sites where toxic rubbish was dumped.

Transcript

00:00The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy violated the right to life of 2.9 million

00:09citizens living in a toxic waste polluted area around Naples. The court gave Italy two

00:15years to address the contamination and health issues. The area is known as the land of fires

00:21due to the dumping and burning of rubbish and toxic waste which has taken place there

00:26for decades. Authorities say the Camorra mafia is linked to the illegal waste dumping

00:32and burning. The court confirmed that increased rates of cancer and groundwater pollution

00:37had been recorded in the area of 90 municipalities and found that Italian authorities were aware

00:44of the issue since 1988 but failed to act. Residents have long reported health issues

00:51due to waste dumping which has contaminated underground wells used for irrigation. The

00:57case was brought to the European Court of Human Rights by dozens of people and five

01:02local organisations.