News Archive

On April 23, 2024, the Florence Court of Appeal awarded Annalia Volterrani – bereaved daughter of 52-year old Francesco Volterrani who died in 2000 – compensation over his asbestos death; she was 14 years old when her father died. The deceased had worked for 32 years in the Italian Navy. The Ministry of Defense – which had previously compensated Annalia’s mother and sister – was ordered to pay Annalia a monthly pension of €2,000 (US$2,140) including the sum of €360,000 (US$385,000) in arrears. See: Perse il padre per l’amianto, Ministero della Difesa condannato: alla figlia vitalizio e arretrati [Lost her father to asbestos, Ministry of Defense [ordered to pay] daughter's annuity and arrears].

Upcoming Grassroots Protests

Apr 23, 2024

On April 22 & 23, 2024, rallies organized by a dozen asbestos victims’ support groups are being held in the Italian cities of Monfalcone and Trieste to demonstrate the strength of public outrage at a change in national legislation which will benefit companies like Fincantieri shipbuilding – a defendant in many asbestos cases – and not asbestos victims. The protestors are demanding that the €20 million (US$21.3m) of public money intended for Fincantieri be reallocated for medical research and treatment of mesothelioma. See: Mobilitazione vittime amianto [Mobilization of asbestos victims].

Lombardy’s Asbestos Tragedy

Apr 23, 2024

In the run-up to International Workers Day (April 28), CGIL Brescia – the local affiliate of the Italian General Confederation of Labour – organized a conference entitled: “A future without asbestos.” Data presented by speakers at this event disclosed the names of regional and provincial asbestos hotspots. One of the highest incidences of asbestos-related diseases in Italy is found in the Lombardy region, with its capital, Milan, very badly affected. See: Allarme amianto a Milano: aumentano gli ammalati e i decessi. Le province lombarde più colpite [Asbestos alarm in Milan: the number of sick people and deaths is increasing. The most affected provinces of Lombardy].

Italy’s Asbestos Legacy

Apr 18, 2024

The article cited below contained a wide variety of facts and figures detailing Italy’s ongoing asbestos catastrophe. There are, according to the text, 4,400 people diagnosed every year with asbestos-related diseases and a million asbestos-contaminated sites throughout Italy which collectively contain 40 million tons of asbestos; asbestos is present in 2,400 schools, 1,000 libraries and 350 hospitals. With just 18 facilities capable of disposing of asbestos waste, calls are being made for government action to build capacity as a matter of urgency. See: Amianto, i dati epidemiologici evidenziano una situazione di allarme [Asbestos, epidemiological data show an alarming situation].

INPS Loses Another Asbestos Case

Apr 17, 2024

The Court of Appeal of Catania, Italy issued a victim’s verdict in an asbestos case brought by petrochemical worker Francesco Castorina, who had been employed for 35 years as a maintenance worker in a plant in the Priolo-Augusta petrochemical facility. The Court ordered Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) to reevaluate the claimant’s pension contributions and pay the amount owed to him since the INPS first rejected his application for asbestos benefits. See: Lavoratore del Petrolchimico esposto all’amianto, Tribunale condanna l’Inps [Petrochemical worker exposed to asbestos, Court condemns INPS].

Victory for Asbestos Appellant

Apr 15, 2024

The Court of Velletri, in the Italian capital city, this month upheld an appeal from 60-year old Piero De Luca, who alleged that as a result of asbestos exposures at the Colgate Palmolive plant in Anzio he contracted pleural plaques and pleural thickening. His application for asbestos benefits and early retirement was rejected by the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) in 2020. The Court ordered INPS to increase by 30% the social security benefits paid to the claimant bringing the sum to €2,500 (US$2665) per month. See: Amianto alle porte di Roma, lavoratore affetto da placche pleuriche: tribunale condanna l'Inps [Asbestos on the outskirts of Rome, worker suffering from pleural plaques: court condemns INPS].

Another Asbestos Victim in Casale

Mar 7, 2024

The death was announced of 62-year old Daniela Zanier, a mesothelioma victim who was environmentally exposed to asbestos whilst living in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, for decades home to an infamous asbestos-cement factory owned and operated by the Swiss Eternit Group. Mrs Zanier had been an active member of the local asbestos victims’ group: AFeVA. The funeral took place on March 4, 2024. AFeVA spokesperson Bruno Pesce said: “She leaves us with a great emptiness, but also deep anger and bitterness for the cause that took her away.” See: Vittime dell'amianto a Casale, morta Daniela Zanier. "La mia unica colpa: aver respirato l'aria" [Asbestos victims in Casale, Daniela Zanier died. “My only fault: having breathed the air”].

Rome Verdict for Mesothelioma Victim

Mar 6, 2024

The Court of Rome last week condemned the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the case brought over the 2019 asbestos death of 56-year old Aldo Martina. The MoD was ordered to pay the deceased’s family the sum of €200,000 (US$216,400) as it had failed to protect the soldier from exposures to asbestos during his military service in La Spezia and Brindisi. As a communications technician, Martina was constantly in contact with asbestos fibers from engine room equipment, cables, paint and insulation products. See: Amianto, Il MInistero della Difesa dovrà risarcire la famiglia di un militare [Asbestos, the Ministry of Defense will have to compensate the family of a soldier].

Asbestos Convictions in Basilicata Region

Feb 29, 2024

The Court of Matera, Italy this week sentenced former managers – Silvano Benitti, Pietro Pini, Michele Cardinale, Michele Bonanni and Lorenzo Po – to a year in jail and ordered them to pay compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages to asbestos victims who had worked at the Materit asbestos factory in Ferrandina. The defendants were charged with manslaughter, negligent injury and failure to comply with workplace safety regulations. Their negligence resulted in several workers contracting asbestos-related diseases; four workers died of these diseases as did a widow of a former Materit employee. See: Materit: cinque condanne per le morti da amianto [Materit: five convictions for asbestos-related deaths].

Rimini: Coastal Asbestos Hotspot

Feb 26, 2024

Since 1996, 258 people have died from asbestos-related diseases in Rimini, an Italian holiday resort in the Emilia-Romagna region, according to a report by the Association of Asbestos Families and Victims which warned that: “Anyone who is aware of the presence of asbestos on roofs, sheds, buildings, should immediately report it to the Municipality or contact the association…” In 2023, work commissioned by the city council removed just eighteen tons of asbestos from the municipal infrastructure. See: Amianto killer a Rimini: più di 150 morti dal 1996 ad oggi [Killer asbestos in Rimini: more than 150 deaths since 1996].

Compensation for Shipyard Worker

Feb 23, 2024

A record sum of €190,000 (US$206,000) was awarded by a civil court in Torre Annunziata, in the Metropolitan area of Naples, to a worker from the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard who is now suffering from an asbestos-related disease as a result of toxic workplace exposures. Countless numbers of people worked at these shipyards, opened in the late 18th century and still producing vessels during the 21st. See: Indemnisation record de 190 000 euros pour un ancien travailleur exposé à l'amiante [Record €190,000 compensation for former worker exposed to asbestos].

Victim’s Appeal Court Verdict

Feb 23, 2024

The Court of Appeal of the Italian Province of L'Aquila issued a ruling ordering the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) to recognize the asbestos-related death of Luigi Vitullo, who died aged 54 of pleural mesothelioma. The deceased worked from 1976 to 1987 for various companies in the province of Chieti; during the course of his duties, he was routinely exposed to asbestos. Vitullo was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2015; he died in Ancona the following month. His widow Antonietta Cicchini will receive an increased pension as well as a lump sum payment of €80.000 (US$86,000). See: Amianto, muore di mesotelioma a 54 anni, condanna per Inps [Asbestos, death from mesothelioma at 54, INPS sentenced [ordered to pay compensation]].

Subsidizing Asbestos Eradication

Feb 8, 2024

Subsidies of up to €3,000 (US$3,230) for the eradication and disposal of asbestos products such as roofs, canopies, slabs, insulation panels, pipes, tiles, pipes and tanks from buildings are being offered to domestic property owners – including individuals as well as housing associations – in the Italian commune of Misano, in Rimini Province. Applicants must employ the services of listed specialist companies for the asbestos removal work and disposal services. See: Fondi per togliere l’amianto [Funds to remove asbestos].

Asbestos at Power Station

Feb 2, 2024

The Court of Rome ordered the owners of the Gualdo Cattaneo power plant – the Italian multinational Enel S.p.A., a manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas – to pay compensation of €130,000 (US$141,000) to the family of Franco Galantin. Mr Galantin died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos whilst employed as a maintenance technician at the plant for 33 years. See: Amianto nella centrale umbra, Enel condannata per la morte di un operaio [Asbestos in the Umbrian power plant, Enel condemned for the death of a worker].

Shipyard Asbestos Death

Jan 22, 2024

Last week, a court in Livorno, Italy ordered Fincantieri S.p.A – an Italian shipbuilding company – to pay compensation for the 2009 asbestos death of a worker who had been exposed to asbestos at the company’s shipyard in Livorno where he had worked for 37 years. The widow and daughter of the deceased were each awarded €350,000 (US$381,000). In addition, the widow will receive a survivor’s pension plus additional benefits from the Asbestos Victims’ Fund. See: Morto per l’esposizione all’amianto, Fincantieri condannata al maxi-risarcimento [Death from asbestos exposure, Fincantieri sentenced to maxi-compensation].

Protests over New Decree

Jan 16, 2024

Last week, news was circulated about a December 5, 2023 Italian Ministerial decree which amended national regulations and in so doing allocated €20 million (US$22m) to reimburse companies ordered to pay compensation to victims of occupational asbestos exposures. There was a huge outpouring of anger from asbestos victims, NGOs and trade unionists over the generosity to solvent companies which had been found guilty of breaking the law. See: Amianto, beffa per le vittime: il fondo risarcirà anche i colpevoli [Asbestos, mockery of victims: fund will also compensate the guilty].

Victim’s Verdict in Rome

Jan 16, 2024

The widow of Gian Piero Defendini, who died of pleural mesothelioma due to asbestos exposures as an activity officer in telephone exchanges and radio networks in the capital city whilst employed by Telecom Italy, was awarded a survivor’s pension by a Court in Rome. The pension, which was backdated, will be paid by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work which had rejected the claim. According to the verdict: “Workers involved in the installation and maintenance of telephone lines could be [toxically] exposed due to the presence of asbestos-containing materials inside the conduits for laying telephone cables…” See: Amianto killer sui fili del telefono: il tribunale di Roma condonna INAIL [Killer asbestos on telephone wires: Rome court condemns INAIL].

Victim’s Verdict in Emilia-Romagna

Jan 10, 2024

A Court in Parma, Italy issued a victim’s verdict for the widow of a soldier from Rovigo Province who died in 2018 from pleural mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. The claimant was awarded a lump sum of €400,000 (US$438,000) along with a lifetime pension. The Ministries of Defence and Interior were held liable for failing to protect the deceased – who had maintained and repaired amphibious tanks –from toxic exposures during his service in the Army. See: Amianto, condannati i ministeri della Difesa e dell'Interno per la morte di un militare polesano [Asbestos, the Ministries of Defense and the Interior condemned for the death of a Polesine soldier].

Opposition to New Landfill

Jan 10, 2024

Residents of the commune of Villafranca di Verona in northeastern Italy are mobilizing over plans to build a landfill for hazardous material. The anti-landfill committee issued an invitation calling for local people to attend a public meeting on January 11. According to the invitation, the landfill – with an estimated capacity of about 900,000 cubic meters for 280 types of special waste including asbestos – “is a threat that involves the entire area.” Opposition to this proposal has already been expressed by environmental authorities as well as nearly all the municipalities affected. See: Villafranca si mobilita contro la discarica di amianto a Ca’ Balestra [Villafranca mobilizes against the asbestos landfill at Ca’ Balestra].

Legal Victory for Train Driver

Jan 5, 2024

A landmark decision by Rome’s Court of Appeal has increased access to compensation for asbestos-injured employees of ATAC S.p.A., a publicly owned Italian company which runs Rome’s public transport system. The Court ordered Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) to recognize the claim for early retirement brought by Giancarlo Musilli, a former ATAC train driver, who suffers from pleural plaques and pulmonary fibrosis caused by workplace asbestos exposures. See: Caso Musilli in ATAC, dipendente esposto all’amianto vince causa contro l’INPS per il prepensionamento [Musilli ATAC case, employee exposed to asbestos wins lawsuit against INPS for early retirement].

Ovarian Cancer & Asbestos

Jan 5, 2024

In a journal paper uploaded to PubMed – a free scientific and medical search engine – in December 2023, Italian researchers considered the association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer and questioned the occurrence of misdiagnoses of peritoneal mesothelioma as ovarian cancer. The co-authors found that in geographic areas “where the prevalence of asbestos exposure was very high… the burden of ovarian cancer due to asbestos exposure can go unnoticed…” See: Occupational asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer: updated systematic review.

Hospital Worker’s Asbestos Death: Ruling

Jan 3, 2024

A Labor Judge in Ancona, Italy awarded the wife and children of a deceased 81-year old hospital laundry worker €820,000 (US$900,000), after his former employers were found negligent of failing to prevent workplace exposures to asbestos contained in ironing boards, pipes and machinery. The man had worked at the hospital from 1982 to 1986; he died of pleural mesothelioma in 2017. See: Altre quattro sentenze. Lavorò all’ex Umberto I, stroncato dall’amianto. Risarcita la famiglia [Four more sentences. Worker at former Umberto I [hospital] destroyed by asbestos. Family reimbursed].

Victory for Livorno Family

Dec 22, 2023

A Court in Livorno, Italy this week handed down a guilty verdict against the employer of a 76-year old maintenance worker who died from asbestos-related lung cancer. The deceased had been employed by the shipbuilding giant Fincantieri at its Livorno plant for 21 years; his family was awarded €500,000 (US$550,000). It was, said the family’s lawyer “the umpteenth conviction against Fincantieri which, in addition to violating all safety measures, failed to inform the workers that this mineral [asbestos] was a killer, capable of causing death…” See: Operaio morì di cancro ai polmoni per l’amianto, Fincantieri condannata a oltre 500mila euro di risarcimento [Worker died of lung cancer due to asbestos, Fincantieri sentenced to over 500 thousand euros in compensation].

Compensation for Railway Worker

Dec 18, 2023

INAIL – Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – was ordered by the Court of Naples to pay former railway worker Segio Mattera compensation of €1,000 a month with a backdated lump sum payment of €100,000 (US$109,000). Mattera contracted colon cancer after experiencing workplace exposures to asbestos as a train driver for the Italian State Railways over a career lasting more than 35 years. See: Amianto, ferroviere napoletano risarcito con 100mila euro dall'Inail [Asbestos, Neapolitan railway worker compensated with 100 thousand euros by INAIL].

Asbestos at the Laboratory

Dec 8, 2023

The Court of Rome condemned Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) for failing to protect laboratory worker Federico B. from workplace asbestos exposures. The technician – who worked for ENEA for 34 years – died in May, 2017, aged 78, from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. The Court awarded his family the sum of €49,319 (US$53,215). Additional lawsuits in this case are pending. See: Esposto all’amianto nei laboratori Enea, muore di mesotelioma: l’Agenzia condannata a risarcire i familiari Death from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos in ENEA laboratories: Agency ordered to compensate family members].

Naples Verdict for Shipbuilder

Dec 5, 2023

The family of a subcontractor from Castellammare di Stabia, Naples, who worked for Fincantieri S.p.A – an Italian shipbuilding company – for more than 30 years has been awarded €1.5 million (US$1.62m) for his 2016 death from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The Court of Appeal of Naples confirmed that Fincantieri S.p.A. and Sait S.p.A. had been negligent in failing to protect the deceased from experiencing workplace asbestos exposures. See: Operaio morto per un tumore a causa dell’amianto: risarcimento da 1,5 milioni di euro alla famiglia [Worker who died from cancer caused by asbestos: 1.5 million euro compensation to the family].

Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers

Dec 1, 2023

In Italy, people who worked with asbestos have a right to retire at an earlier age; under the government’s early-retirement scheme, eligible workers can receive pensions at 61 years and 7 months (62 years and 7 months if self-employed) if they have made at least 35 years of social security contributions and they were exposed to asbestos for at least 7 out of the last 10 years, 6 out of the last 7 years or for at least half of their working life. The size of the pension increases for those with a greater than ten-year duration of occupational asbestos exposures. Applications for early retirement must be submitted by May 1st of each year. See: Pensione per lavoratori esposti all’amianto, quale uscita anticipata spetta [Pensions for workers exposed to asbestos, what early exit is allowed].

Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma Patients

Nov 27, 2023

The report cited below provided an update on progress being made by Italian researchers and doctors in treating patients with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposures. Two thousand Italians are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. The use of immunotherapy protocols has facilitated treatments that are able to prolong post-diagnoses survival as detailed in a paper published in The Lancet November 2023 which concluded that: “the addition of pembrolizumab to standard platinum–pemetrexed chemotherapy … resulted in a significant improvement in overall survival. This regimen is a new treatment option for previously untreated advanced pleural mesothelioma.” See: Tumors caused by asbestos, progress is finally being made with immunotherapy.

Unions Mobilize over Asbestos Hazard

Nov 20, 2023

Following an October 2023 court verdict awarding €1,276,000 (US$1.4m) to the family of a firefighter from Calabria who died of mesothelioma contracted as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos, Italian trade union leaders called on the Government to undertake asbestos mapping of buildings as a matter of urgency to protect firefighters from future toxic exposures. In addition, the trade unionists asked that occupational disease claims by firefighters be fast-tracked in recognition of the high-risk nature of their work. See: Vigile del fuoco morto per l’amianto in tuta, i sindacati sollecitano interventi urgenti [Firefighter died from asbestos in overalls, unions urge urgent action].

Victim’s Verdict by Rome Court

Nov 14, 2023

Last week, the Court of Rome issued a judgment finding the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) company liable for the mesothelioma death of worker Francesco Maria Cairo; the deceased had worked for RFI from 1969 to 2001 as a technical foreman in the company’s Turin and Mila plants. During his employment, he was routinely exposed to asbestos. He was diagnosed with asbestos cancer in 2019 and died in 2022. RFI was ordered to pay Cairo’s widow and family the sum of €238,814 (US$255,535). See: Amianto: RfI condannata a risarcire famiglia operaio morto [Asbestos: RFI ordered to compensate dead worker’s family].

Asbestos Exposures in the Armed Forces

Nov 10, 2023

Experts in personal injury claims for asbestos claimants have estimated that more than 6,000 people have died from asbestos exposures experienced during service in the Italian military. According to official government statistics, there is an elevated incidence of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma amongst former service personnel. Asbestos was used on almost all military bases in Italy as well as in armoured vehicles, engines, brakes, clothing, aircraft, firefighting devices and missile systems. See: Amianto, la strage silenziosa nelle Forze Armate: oltre 6mila morti [Asbestos, the silent massacre in the Armed Forces: over 6 thousand dead].

Compensation for Power-Plant Exposures

Nov 8, 2023

The public health provider (ASL) of the IVREA commune in Italy agreed to pay the sum of €400,000 (US$427,000) to the family of former employee Fiorano Canavese, who died from asbestos cancer due to toxic workplace exposures. Canavese had worked for ASL at the thermal power plant serving Ivrea hospital. He died aged 54 in 2017. See: IVREA – Muore per l'amianto nella centrale termica dell'ospedale: l'Asl paga un risarcimento ai famigliari [IVREA – Death from asbestos exposures in hospital's thermal power plant: ASL pays compensation to family].

Regional Asbestos Removal Plan

Nov 6, 2023

The Regional Council of Emilia-Romagna, Italy has allocated the sum of €4 million (US$4.3m) for the removal and safe disposal of asbestos from factories throughout the region “in the name of environmental sustainability…” According to Irene Priolo, the Vice President of the Region with responsibility for the Environment, asbestos eradication work has been ongoing for more than 20 years. Subsidies for this work can be accessed by small, medium and large companies with properties in the Emilia-Romagna Region. See: Dalla Regione oltre 4 milioni per eliminare l'amianto dalle fabbriche [Over 4 million from the Region to eliminate asbestos from factories].

Asbestos Audit in Sardinia

Nov 6, 2023

The Italian municipality of Porto Torres, in north-west Sardinia has begun work on an asbestos audit of buildings owned by the city. According to officials, this initiative was launched to protect the health of members of the public as well as that of workers. The new survey follows on from a 2015 Regional Council Resolution that laid the groundwork for a series of measures needed in order to safeguard citizens from asbestos exposures. See: Porto Torres, amianto negli edifici comunali: via al censimento [Porto Torres, asbestos in municipal buildings: census kicks off].

Asbestos Compensation in San Lazzaro

Nov 3, 2023

The municipality of San Lazzaro in the Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna last week progressed budgetary discussions to pay compensation of €400,000 (US$422,600), as per an order of the Court of Reggio, to the family of a construction worker who had died from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma following toxic workplace exposures. See: Comune condannato per l’amianto. Morì di mesotelioma al San Lazzaro. Eredi risarciti con 400mila euro [Municipality condemned over asbestos. Death from mesothelioma in San Lazzaro. Heirs compensated with 400 thousand euros].

Mesothelioma in Younger Cohort

Oct 26, 2023

The results of research by Italian scientists who analyzed the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in young people were published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal about the health hazards of workplace exposures and practices. Among the conclusions of the paper were the following: “Paraoccupational and environmental exposures to asbestos have been found more frequent in young MM cases… Clusters of mesothelioma incident cases in young people are a significant signal of a potential non-occupational exposure to asbestos.” See [subscription site]: Incidence of mesothelioma in young people and causal exposure to asbestos in the Italian national mesothelioma registry (ReNaM).

Asbestos on the Agenda in Bologna

Oct 23, 2023

On October 22-25, 2023, a conference in Bologna, Italy, held under the auspices of the Collegium Ramazzini, will consider a wide range of topical subjects including asbestos. Amongst the eminent speakers who will make asbestos presentations during the conference are Fernanda Giannasi and Henrique CS Silveira (Brazil), Arthur Frank, Barry Castleman, Steven Markowitz (USA), Corrado Magnani and Alessandro Marinaccio (Italy) and Xaver Baur (Germany). From the Collegium’s website, it appears that the sessions can be accessed online. See: Environment, Work and Health in the 21st Century: Strategies and Solutions to a Global Crisis.

Mesothelioma from Shipyard Exposures

Oct 19, 2023

This week, a court in Trieste, Italy sentenced the company Fincantieri to pay damages of €869,000 (US$919,440) to the family of Alfio Derin, who died as a result of asbestos exposures experienced in the company’s Adriatic shipyards. Mr. Derin was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2017 by doctors at the Cattinara Hospital in Trieste. See: Amianto killer in Fincantieri: il Tribunale condanna l’industria navalmeccanica per la morte dell’operaio Alfio Derin [Killer asbestos in Fincantieri: the Court condemns the shipbuilding industry for the death of the worker Alfio Derin].

Court Victory for Firefighter’s Family

Oct 17, 2023

On October 12, 2023, a sentence handed down last month by the Court of Reggio Calabria awarding compensation of €1,276,000 (US$1.35m) to the family of a deceased firefighter became final. According to the family’s lawyer, the deceased started work in 1973 at the of Reggio Calabria fire brigade central command, where he “had used asbestos sheets and blankets in fires of cars, cylinders, country sheds … The killer fiber was in the gloves and overalls he used to defend himself from the flames.” The cause of death was mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. See: Amianto nella tuta, 1,2 milioni a famiglia vigile del fuoco [Asbestos lawsuit, 1.2 million for the firefighter’s family].

Long Wait for Compensation

Oct 16, 2023

After a wait of 24 years the Italian widow of a railway repair yard worker, who died in 1999 from asbestos-related lung cancer, was awarded €300,000 (US$316,655) by Judge Alfonsina Manfredini from the Labor Section of the Court of Lucca. The Judge rejected the argument by the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work that the case had been barred because the statue of limitations had expired. Included in the compensation package was a lump sum for the funeral arrangements, a backdated annuity and monthly pension for the widow. See: Morì per un carcinoma, risarcimento dopo 24 anni [He died of carcinoma, compensation after 24 years].

Remembering Casale Monferrato

Oct 16, 2023

The picturesque Piedmontese town of Casale Monferrato, which was at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos catastrophe, was the subject of the article cited below. The deadly repercussions of almost 80 years of asbestos-cement manufacturing continue to blight this municipality. Workplace and environmental asbestos exposures produced a high incidence of asbestos cancers and diseases amongst Casale workers and residents. Trials to hold company owners, directors and managers to account for thousands of asbestos deaths continue to this day. See: Casale Monferrato, Eternit e produzione di amianto: tra i più grandi disastri ambientali in Italia [Casale Monferrato, Eternit and asbestos production: among the biggest environmental disasters in Italy].

Asbestos Issues in Calabria

Oct 13, 2023

The article cited below deplored the lack of progress being made in Italy in decontaminating the built and natural environment. Whilst this problem is a national disgrace, the situation in Calabria is particularly bad. The Regional Plan for Asbestos in Calabria (PRAC) – which provides a regional census and mapping of asbestos hotspots – should have been approved by May 2022; it wasn’t. The PRAC is a prerequisite for accessing reclamation funds from the Ministry of the Environment. Politicians in Calabria blame the lack of progress on the Covid-19 pandemic. See: Amianto: persi i fondi della bonifica [Asbestos: reclamation funds lost].

Eradicating Asbestos in Reggio Emilia

Oct 9, 2023

A conference on October 11, 2023 in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia will consider the ongoing efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the municipality and surrounding areas. The event is being organized jointly by the Reggio Emilia chapter of the Italian General Confederation of Labor (CGIL) and the local Association of Asbestos Families and Victims (AFeVA). On the agenda will be a discussion of the asbestos repercussions in the aftermath of the tornado and flood which hit the Emilia-Romagna region on July 22, 2023. See: Reggio Emilia ad Amianto Zero [Reggio Emilia with Zero Asbestos].

Successful Ruling in Mesothelioma Case

Oct 2, 2023

Last week, Palermo’s Court of Appeal overturned the decision of a court in Marsala, Italy which had denied compensation to a mesothelioma widow. The Appeal Court ordered INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – to pay €45,000 (US$48,000) for the 2020 death of the shipyard worker from Trapani, Sicily. See: Trapani, Mori per L’Amianto: L’INAIL Condannara a Risarcire I Familiari di un Operaio [Trapani, Died from Asbestos: INAIL Condemned to Compensate the Family members of a Worker].

Asbestos at the Bank

Sep 22, 2023

A decision last week by the Rome Court of Appeal ordered Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to pay compensation of €200,000 (US$213,400) plus a life-time annuity to a 44-year old bank worker who contracted mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos at the San Paolo bank where he had been employed for 14 years. INAIL had challenged the ruling of a lower court which had also supported the victim’s claim. See: Amianto nella filiale in cui lavorava, mesotelioma a 44 anni. L’Inail dovrà risarcire il dipendente della banca [Asbestos in the branch where he worked, mesothelioma at 44 years old. Inail will have to compensate the bank employee].

Asbestos Legacy in the Marche Region

Sep 22, 2023

The Italian city of Pesaro has announced plans to streamline efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard by the inauguration of a bipartisan asbestos task force. An asbestos helpdesk will be run by the municipality to seek practical assistance as well as financial support from national and European sources for efforts to deal with the deadly contamination posed by decades of asbestos use. Local councillors will work closely with communities to ensure that all voices are heard in this potentially life-saving initiative. See: Una task force da schierare contro i rischi dell’amianto [Task force to be deployed against the risks of asbestos].

New Mesothelioma Data

Sep 11, 2023

Data from Italy’s Mesothelioma Registry made public on June 30, 2023, confirmed the deadly price still being paid by Italians for the country’s historic mining and consumption of asbestos. In the Emilia-Romagna region, the new figures show that the city of Reggio Emilia had the region’s worst incidence of mesothelioma with 12 cases diagnosed in the first six months of 2023. Bologna is the country’s worst asbestos hotspot with Reggio Emilia the second. See: Mesoteliomi da amianto: Reggio Emilia prima in regione per nuovi casi. VIDEO [Asbestos mesotheliomas: Reggio Emilia first in the region for new cases. VIDEO].

Asbestos on the Railways

Sep 4, 2023

At the end of August 2023, the Court of Palermo ordered Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work to pay compensation of €200,000 (US$216,000) for the mesothelioma death of train driver Vincenzo Sabato to five children; his widow Giuseppa Consiglio died in 2022, having waited 15 years to see justice for her husband. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos for 30 years whilst employed by the State Railways. See: Amianto nelle Ferrovie: Il Tribunale di Palermo condanna l’INAIL a riconoscere rendita di 200mila euro ai familiari del palermitano Vincenzo Sabato [Asbestos in the Railways: The Court of Palermo orders INAIL to pay 200 thousand euros to the family members of Vincenzo Sabato from Palermo].

Addressing the Asbestos Hazard or Not?

Sep 4, 2023

The excellent commentary by Alessandro Marinaccio of Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) which is cited below contrasted efforts to protect citizens in Italy from carcinogenic exposures to asbestos with the laissez-faire attitude to asbestos prevalent in countries such as China, India and Russia, where asbestos is regarded as just another raw material. To suppress public knowledge of the irresponsible and dangerous behaviour of governments, a policy of denial is routinely pursued which the author summed up as: “No data, no problem; no problem, no action.” See: Amianto, killer fantasma. In Cina, India e Russia è ancora legale. Uccide, ma non viene detto quanto [Asbestos, ghost killer. In China, India and Russia it is still legal. Kills, but it is not said to what extent].

Asbestos Exposures after Bridge Collapse

Aug 31, 2023

Charges brought by a union representing five emergency responders who were exposed to asbestos during life-saving interventions on August 14, 2018, after the collapse of Italy’s Morandi bridge, were dismissed by magistrates who ruled that the priority in the aftermath of the disaster was saving lives and that due to the emergency some rules did not apply. According to the Genoa Prosecutor: “the [environmental] checks never revealed asbestos levels beyond the risk thresholds.” See: Per amianto sotto il Morandi nessun reato, priorità salvare vite [For asbestos under Morandi no crime, priority to save lives].

Asbestos Remediation and Redevelopment

Aug 25, 2023

The widespread use of asbestos in building materials in Italy, before this practice was banned in 1992, has left the country with a deadly legacy of toxic buildings. According to technical expert Giuseppe Celeste (General Manager of Recikla): “The removal of asbestos is an opportunity to redevelop the entire property or building from a structural point of view, but also from an energy point of view. It means taking advantage of concessions, optimizing the opportunity that the State offers starting from the reclamation of asbestos.” See: Recikla, Bari: “la bonifica dell’amianto è un iter oculato e delicato ma anche l’occasione per la riqualificazione del nostro patrimonio edilizio” [Recikla, Bari: “asbestos remediation is a prudent and delicate process but also an opportunity for the redevelopment of our building heritage”].

Funding Asbestos Remediation

Aug 23, 2023

Italian campaigners have called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Minister of Environment Gilberto Pichetto to ensure that funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Italy (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza per l'Italia /PNRR) are used to decontaminate brownfield sites and waste land contaminated with asbestos. The number of asbestos cancers and diseases is increasing in the city of Aprilia which is the location of many abandoned and toxic landfills, such as the Via Corta which was seized by officials in 2017; as of now, it has not been secured or remediated. See: PNRR: i Comuni devono utilizzare i fondi per la bonifica amianto dei siti dismessi [PNRR: municipalities must use funds for asbestos remediation of brownfield sites].

Asbestos in Schools

Aug 23, 2023

With pupils in Sicily getting ready to return to school next month, the article cited below makes timely reading. Schools on the island have many problems, including failure to comply with national earthquake guidance as well as the continued presence of asbestos in 9% of its schools. According to local politicians, attempts are being made to access funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Italy (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza per l'Italia) to decontaminate and modernize the schools. See: Dalle norme antisismiche all’amianto: I punti deboli delle scuole Siciliane [From earthquake standards to asbestos: the weak points of Sicilian schools].

Asbestos Eradication: Too Slow

Aug 9, 2023

Despite actions taken by the EU to increase asbestos protections for workers, citizens’ groups in Italy are complaining about the glacial speed of eradicating the hazard from the built environment. According to Italian researchers, 2,400 schools, 500,000 kilometers of pipes, 1,500 libraries, 500 hospitals and numerous cultural buildings are contaminated with asbestos. There are no laws mandating that asbestos be removed from public or private buildings. See: Bonifiche a rilento e scarsi controlli. Così l'amianto può uccidere ancora [Slow reclamation and poor controls. So asbestos can kill again].

New Asbestos Outreach Project

Aug 9, 2023

From September 2023, former asbestos workers from La Spezia, in Italy’s Liguria Region, will be eligible for free medical examinations after the regional council gave its approval to a new health surveillance protocol. Local politicians acknowledged the support for this project of the local asbestos victims’ association, medical experts from the Regional General Health Department and Liguria’s Councilor for Health Angelo Gratarola. See: Visite gratuite per chi lavorava con l'amianto a La Spezia: novità dalla Regione Liguria [Free visits for those who worked with asbestos in La Spezia: news from the Liguria Region].

New Technology to Survey Asbestos Roofs

Aug 7, 2023

On August 3 & 4, 2023, ultralight and remote-controlled drones operated by a specialist company conducted aerial surveys of San Donato, a commune in the Italian City of Milan, to record the presence of asbestos roofing and explore the potential for the use of solar technology. The data accumulated as a result of the survey will allow the municipal authorities to optimize the implementation of environmental protective measures such as the eradication of asbestos building materials. See: Due droni su San Donato A caccia di aree inquinate [Two drones over San Donato Hunting for polluted areas].

Post-Tornado Asbestos Collection

Aug 4, 2023

The widespread destruction caused by a tornado in Ravenna, Italy in July created mountains of building debris, some of which contained asbestos. As of August 1, 2023, it is possible for affected property owners to arrange collections of the waste by Hera S.p.A. a utility company based in Bologna. Until the toxic debris has been collected, Ravenna’s Mayor de Pascale advised citizens to “secure the area … [and] keep the ground where the fragments are located wet or, if that’s not possible, provide cover for them…” See: Ravenna in Comune: L’amianto è un problema anche quando non è sbriciolato [Ravenna in Comune: Asbestos is a problem even when it has not crumbled].

Another Asbestos Tragedy in Bari

Aug 4, 2023

Members of the Fibronit Citizen Committee are mourning the loss of another Bari resident who died from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma, having lived close to the Fibronit asbestos factory all her life. Honoring all the town’s asbestos dead, plans for a Park of Rebirth on the area of the former Fibronit factory are proceeding. The work on this 42,500+ meters square public green space will begin in 2024. Construction should take two years and the new facilities will include: a museum, exhibition space and recreational areas. See: Bari, la Fibronit uccide ancora: ennesima vittima dell’ex fabbrica di amianto [Bari, Fibronit kills again: yet another victim of the former asbestos factory].

The Long Tail of Asbestos Liabilities

Aug 3, 2023

Accounts released on June 26, 2023 for Italy’s Fincantieri S.p.A – the largest shipbuilder in Europe – showed in the half-year results that the company’s financial position was still being negatively impacted by asbestos claims, with the sum of €33 million (US$36.2m) deducted for asbestos litigation costs and compensation payments. Asbestos claims against the company have been brought by former employees for many years and continue, as shown by a verdict issued by the Court of Ancona on July 20 ordering the company to compensate the family of a worker who died as a result of toxic exposures at one of its shipyards. See: Fincantieri ancora in rosso per le cause legate all’amianto [Fincantieri still in the red over asbestos-related liabilities].

Supreme Court Issues Victim’s Verdict

Aug 3, 2023

Italy’s Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the family of a worker who had been denied compensation because of his smoking history. The claimant contracted lung cancer having been exposed to asbestos at the Rome Centocelle roiling stock workshops operated by Cotral S.p.A.; he died aged 37 in 1994. The Supreme Court found that the lower court had ignored the synergistic interaction of smoking and asbestos exposures which increased the risk of contracting lung cancer. See: Amianto killer: la Cassazione accoglie il ricorso dei familiari di un lavoratore ‘fumatore’ di Cotral S.p.A. deceduto a 37 anni per un cancro al polmone [Killer asbestos: the Cassation upholds the appeal of the family members of a 'smoker' worker of Cotral S.p.A. who died aged 37 of lung cancer].

Climate Changes & Asbestos

Aug 1, 2023

An alert issued by AfeVA Emilia Romagna, an asbestos victims’ group in Bologna, highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos debris in the aftermath of recent storms in the Romagna region. The Group’s press release urged “the Region and local administrations not to undermine the importance of the asbestos issue which continues to produce suffering and death even in our region. If anything, we must take a cue from the disasters that have occurred recently such as the earthquake and the flood and from the effects of climate change in general, in order not to waste any more time and go as quickly as possible towards mapping the asbestos in the area and a plan for its removal…” See: Cambiamenti climatici: intervenire sull’amianto presente è una priorità per la tutela della salute dei cittadini [Asbestos: Whirlwind in Romagna].

Asbestos in Ministry’s Naval Base

Jul 26, 2023

In a Genoa Court, JudgeAlberto La Mantia awarded the family of civilian worker €700,000 (US$778,685) compensation – to be paid by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), which had failed to provide equipment to prevent asbestos exposures at the military arsenal of La Spezia naval base in the Liguria region of Italy. The deceased had worked for the MoD from 1958 until his retirement in 1994. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and died shortly afterwards. Amongst those compensated were the widow, two children and a nephew. At this point, it is not known whether the MoD will appeal the verdict. See: Morì a causa dell’amianto Risarcita di 700mila euro la famiglia di un operaio [Family of worker who died because of asbestos awarded 700 thousand euros compensation].

Asbestos at the Shipyards

Jul 26, 2023

Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri S.p.A. was ordered by the Court of Ancona, Italy to pay a total of €639,000 (US$711,000) in compensation to the widow, two children and four grandchildren of a carpenter who died in 2017 from asbestosis as a result of workplace asbestos exposures over more than 30 years. The company had denied all the charges. The widow will also receive, in addition to a pension from the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work, a survivor's pension from the Asbestos Victims Fund. See: Amianto, condannata Fincantieri a risarcire i familiari del carpentiere morto [Asbestos, Fincantieri sentenced to compensate the family members of the dead carpenter].

Female Asbestos Victims

Jul 25, 2023

An article by the Italian asbestos victims’ group Contramianto Associazione Esposti Amianto E Altri Rischi-Onlus (The Antiasbestos and Asbestos-Exposed Association) highlighted two cases of local women who contracted pleural mesothelioma from domestic exposures to asbestos. Both of the patients were from Taranto and both of them washed their husbands’ asbestos-contaminated work clothes. See: Così l’amianto colpisce anche figlie e mogli degli operai [So asbestos also affects the daughters and wives of workers].

Asbestos in Social Housing

Jul 21, 2023

A high-profile campaign was launched last week to force action by local authorities over asbestos contamination of social housing in Milan. In 2018 it was discovered that asbestos material was present “from the floors to the cellars and even in the drainage pipes of the toilets and in the air circulating underground.” The buildings, which are more than 40 years old, are in very bad repair. In the last five years, no work has been taken to quantify the problem or eradicate the hazard. See: Amianto negli stabili popolari Milano: nessuna bonifica in 5 anni / Cittadini abbandonati dal Comune [Asbestos in public buildings [housing] in Milan: no reclamation in 5 years / Citizens abandoned by the Municipality].

Victims’ Verdicts at Appeal Court

Jul 18, 2023

On July 13, 2023 the Rome Appeal Court issued verdicts supporting claims by asbestos victims against Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) and ordered that compensation be paid to asbestos victims who, as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos, had contracted pleural plaques and asbestosis. On multiple occasions, INAIL had previously rejected their applications. See: INAIL condannata a riconoscere le malattie professionali causate dall’esposizione all’amianto di due ex lavoratori di Cotral S.p.A. e di Alitalia S.p.A. [INAIL ordered to recognize the occupational diseases caused by the exposure to asbestos of two former workers of Cotral S.p.A. and of Alitalia S.p.A.].

Asbestos Outreach Program in Sardinia

Jul 14, 2023

An asbestos outreach initiative in Cagliari has been launched to achieve early diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases in high-risk populations such as people who had worked with asbestos. Forty-eight people made up the initial cohort of those examined for early markers of disease by the medical team working with researcher Dr Roberto Cherchi at the Arnas Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari. The program will be replicated at the Tata Memorial Hospital in India in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cagliari. See: Test sanitari su ex esposti all'amianto per prevenire malattie [Health tests on former asbestos-exposed to prevent disease].

Supreme Court’s Victim’s Verdcit

Jul 13, 2023

Italy’s Supreme Court confirmed a ruling by a Venice Court that the 2006 lung cancer death of sailor Giovanni Di Martino had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos, even though the deceased had been a smoker; Admiral Agostino Di Donna and the Ministry of Defence had appealed the Venice verdict. It is the first time that a high-ranking officer of the Navy has been convicted of manslaughter in relation to asbestos exposure in the Navy. See: Amianto, Marina bis: Cassazione conferma condanna Ammiraglio Di Donna e Marina Militare [Asbestos, Marina bis: Cassation confirms sentence of Admiral Di Donna and Navy].

Asbestos on the Railways

Jul 10, 2023

A letter written by four former employees of Italy’s State Railways to the country’s President Sergio Mattarella urged him to intervene in their long running battle for asbestos justice. Even though a criminal trial five years ago found executives of the State Railways guilty of failing to protect workers from asbestos exposures, no compensation has been received by the injured. The authors of the letter told Mattarella that they were victims of 40-years of state crimes and had “been abandoned by the institutions to suffer a silent death and the loss of our dignity as workers and citizens.” See: Amianto, ex dipendenti di Isochimica chiedono aiuto a Mattarella [Asbestos, former Isochimica employees ask Mattarella for help].

Asbestos and the Police

Jul 6, 2023

The Rome base for the first Trevi police group was evacuated last week after the discovery of asbestos-containing material underneath the vinyl flooring. After the three-floor building in Greca Street was sealed off by order of Commander Angeloni, staff were relocated to the former canteen of police Headquarters, in Consolazione Street. See: L’amianto sfratta i vigili dal comando in centro a Roma: “Alto rischio di tumori” [Asbestos evicts the police from command [base] in center of Rome: “High risk of tumors”].

Asbestos in the Navy

Jun 29, 2023

The Court of Rome ordered the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €950,000 euros (US$ 1,041,000) to family members of electrician and diver Salvatore Carollo who died in 2019, aged 63, from pleural mesothelioma. The deceased had been exposed to high concentrations of asbestos dust during his service with the Italian Navy from 1972 to 1978. See: Amianto nelle navi della Marina Militare: la Difesa condannata a risarcire i familiari di un elettricista morto [Asbestos in the ships of the Navy: Defense ordered to compensate Carollo's family members].

Saying No to Asbestos Dump!

Jun 22, 2023

Earlier this week, the Regional Administrative Court for Piedmont (TAR) upheld an appeal by the Italian cities of Santhià and Carisio objecting to plans to build an asbestos landfill in the city of Salussola, about 6 miles away from the towns. The ruling was warmly received by local communities with Santhià’s Mayor Angela Ariotti telling reporters: “Needless to say how happy this news makes us. It is the result of much, much work carried out in recent years. We fought hard and with determination, but today I am happy to say that in the future there will be no asbestos dumps on our territory.” See: Il Tar blocca la discarica di amianto di Salussola [The TAR blocks the Salussola asbestos landfill].

Asbestos Victim’s Ruling in Florence

Jun 19, 2023

Last week, the Florence Court of Appeal increased the amount of compensation awarded by a first instance court in Livorno to the relatives of a factory worker from €570,000 to €690,000 (US$755,000). The Appeal Court rejected the arguments of the defendant’s lawyers who denied that the Solvay company was responsible for the 2010 lung cancer death of Romano Posarelli, aged 67. Mr. Posarelli had worked as a boilermaker in Solvay’s factory in Rosignano from 1974 to 1993. See: Amianto, Solvay condannata per la morte di un operaio: 690mila euro il risarcimento alla famiglia di Posarelli [Asbestos, Solvay sentenced for the death of a worker: 690 thousand euros compensation to the Posarelli family].

Analysis of Court Ruling

Jun 16, 2023

A week after a landmark judgment was handed down by the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy, victims’ campaigner Bruno Pesce analyzed aspects of the verdict in the article cited below. It was, said Pesce, a “very important sentence: the arguments of the defense have essentially all been rejected,…if it were confirmed in the Supreme Court it would have enormous relevance in Italy and internationally.” See: Sentenza Eternit Bis: «La prima tappa è vinta, ma la strada è lunga» [Eternit Bis ruling: “The first stage is won, but the road is long”].

Restitution from Convicted Felon?

Jun 16, 2023

Commenting on the guilty verdict handed down by a court in Novara, Italy on June 7, 2023, Italian Oncologist Frederic Grosso said: “the massacre caused by asbestos is not over. We will see it for many more decades given the latency times of the disease…Schmidheiny should invest part of his immense wealth in the search for a cure, for example by buying a pharmaceutical company and putting it to work on finding a cure for mesothelioma. Covid has taught us that if we commit everyone to the same goal, the cure is found.” See: L'oncologa Grosso: “La strage dell'amianto sarà lunghissima, il vero risarcimento per i malati è investire in cure” [Oncologist Grosso: “The asbestos massacre will be very long, the real compensation for the sick is to invest in treatment”].

Mesothelioma Research: Update

Jun 12, 2023

Scientists from Italy’s Pascale Cancer Institute of Naples were part of a multinational collaboration which presented the results of its IND.227 study at a Chicago meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology last week. The international phase 3 study explored the use of the immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, in combination with chemotherapy as a new first-line treatment for patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic pleural mesothelioma. See: Da Chicago a Napoli una nuova speranza per i tumori provocati dall'amianto [From Chicago to Naples, a new hope for cancer caused by asbestos].

Asbestos Scandal

Jun 6, 2023

A huge scandal is unfolding in Bari, Italy over the discovery that thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing waste had been used to build roads by two companies. As a result of police investigations and at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s office, two businessmen in the construction sector were indicted for the crimes of environmental pollution, fraud in public supplies and illegal landfill practices. See: Cantiere nuova Poligonale Bari, l'amianto per costruire le strade: scoperta discarica abusiva, interdette due aziende [New Poligonale Bari construction site, asbestos used to build roads: illegal landfill discovered, two companies banned].

Early Retirement for At-risk Worker

Jun 6, 2023

The Labor Section of the Florence Court issued a victim’s ruling in the case of Fabio Pastorelli (56) – who has contracted bilateral pleural thickening and pleural plaques as well as asbestosis. The claimant had worked at power plant construction sites where he was routinely exposed to asbestos. The Italian National Institute of Social Security (INPS) had denied Pastorelli a pension; the Court condemned INPS and ordered that the worker be allowed to take early retirement with full benefits. See: Malato per l'amianto ma costretto a lavorare per anni: il tribunale obbliga l’Inps a mandarlo in pensione [Sick because of asbestos but forced to work for years: the court obliges INPS to allow retirement].

Police Action on Asbestos in Chieti

Jun 2, 2023

Officers of the Environmental Police (NIPAAF) in the city of Francavilla al Mar, Chieti – a commune in central Italy – seized a shed of 5,000 square meters because of the hazard posed by its deteriorating asbestos-cement roof and the 1,300 tonnes of toxic waste dumped inside. The shed is located near the town and the environmental hazard it posed was both illegal and unacceptable, said the authorities. The owner of the company that owned the shed was reported for several crimes, including illegal transport of waste, storage of hazardous material; a fine of €6,000 (US$6,430) was handed down. See: Francavilla, sequestrato un edificio a causa della presenza di coperture in cemento amianto [Francavilla, seized a building due to the presence of asbestos cement roofs].

Guglielmo Cavalli Competition 2022/23

May 31, 2023

On May 24 & 25, the winners of the 2023 competition run by AFeVA (the Association of Asbestos Victims and Family Members) and its partners from Casale Monferrato – the town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic – were announced online. The 135 participants were tasked with comparing the town’s toxic Eternit asbestos-cement factory with the public park which now stands on the remediated site. The purpose of the competition, now in its 30th year, is not only to honor asbestos victims but also to stimulate “civil and social commitment among local students who have paid a heavy price for pollution.” See: Amianto: Afeva Casale premia vincitori del 'Concorso Cavalli' [Asbestos: Afeva Casale awards winners of the ‘Cavalli Competition’].

Appeal Upholds Victim’s Verdict

May 30, 2023

On May 24, 2023, the Florence Court of Appeal of confirmed a lower court’s guilty verdict against the Italian Ministries of the Interior and Defense which had been found to be responsible for asbestos workplace exposures which caused the death from pleural mesothelioma of Antonio Ballini (aged 69). The deceased had served in the Navy from 1965 till 1967, during which time he routinely handled and used products containing asbestos. See: Amianto, ex militare ucciso da mesotelioma: confermata la condanna per i Ministeri [Asbestos, ex soldier killed by mesothelioma: sentence confirmed for Ministries].

D-DAY: June 7, 2023

May 25, 2023

On June 7, 2023, the judgment will be handed down in the long-running criminal trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes (Italy). During the trial, the defense had called for Schmidheiny to be acquitted of all charges; prosecutors had called for a sentence of life imprisonment. The defendant was charged with the voluntary homicide of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato, all of whom died from asbestos-related diseases, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos fibers liberated by the Eternit asbestos-cement factory operated by Schmidheiny. See: Processo Eternit bis: sentenza attesa il 7 giugno [Eternit bis trial: sentence expected on June 7].

Asbestos Eradication in Campania

May 22, 2023

The Vice President of the Campania Region Fulvio Bonavitacola announced at a May 13th conference in Naples that: “we will use the new cycle of European funds to give further impetus to progressing asbestos decontamination throughout the region.” Regional asbestos hotspots include: the former asbestos-cement factory operated by Eternit in Bagnoli, a metallurgical plant owned by Italsider in Fincantieri, engineering and railway stock construction and repair yards in Pozzuoli, Caserta, Castellammare di Stabia, and Santa Maria La Bruna. In 2022, there were 600 asbestos-related deaths in Campania – 100 due to the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: Amianto: Bonavitacola, fondi Ue per decontaminare la Campania [Asbestos: Bonavitacola, EU funds to decontaminate Campania].

Victim’s Verdict in Sicily

May 11, 2023

Earlier this month, the Catania Court of Appeal confirmed guilty verdicts handed down against the Italian Ministries of Defense and the Interior over the 2009 mesothelioma death of Salvatore Arcieri who had been exposed to asbestos on board ships and on land during his naval service. He enlisted aged 16 in 1957; according to his lawyers: he “was employed in the direct handling of asbestos materials, also in the form of sheets and cardboard, present in the protection of firebreaks, floors and motor rooms, with indirect and environmental exposure, in the absence of technical prevention and individual protection.” See: Amianto killer nelle navi della Marina militare. Motorista di Augusta riconosciuto «vittima a metà» [Killer asbestos in Navy ships. Augsburg driver recognized as “half-victim”].

Prison Sentences for Asbestos Crimes

May 11, 2023

On May 2, 2023, the Turin Court of Appeal handed down guilty verdicts on charges of manslaughter to former executives of the Montefibre company Giorgio Mazzanti (one year in prison), Bruno Quaglieri (11 months) and Gianluigi Poletti (11 months); the case concerned asbestos exposures which had led to the death of five workers. The sentences were suspended. Damages of one and a half million euros (US$ 1.68m) were awarded to 40 civil parties in the case including bereaved families. See: Morti per amianto, 3 condanne e risarcimenti da 1,5 milioni di euro al processo Montefibre bis [Deaths from asbestos, 3 sentences and compensation of 1.5 million euros in the Montefibre bis trial].

Asbestos Inconsistencies and Injustice

May 4, 2023

The commentary by veteran judge Roberto Riverso cited below, explores discrepancies in asbestos verdicts in Italy where appellate judges allowed legal loopholes to deprive victims of compensation and benefits owed them under 1992 legislation. Deploring these injustices, Riverso wrote: “it's a scientific certainty that a person who remains exposed to asbestos fibers for a long time, regardless of their number, one or a hundred, and I emphasize regardless, has the ‘probability’ of falling ill with mesothelioma. Once the exposure has been proven, the benefit must be triggered.” See: I decessi per l’amianto “Sostenere la salubrità di un ambiente di lavoro con la statistica è errato” [Deaths from asbestos “Supporting the healthiness of a work environment with statistics is wrong”].

Asbestos Help in Lombardy

May 3, 2023

An asbestos outreach project became operational on April 28, 2023 – International Workers’ Memorial Day – in Brescia, Italy to provide a focal point for historic or current asbestos concerns. The new service, called the Asbestos Desk, is based at the Brescia Chamber of Labor and can be consulted every Wednesday by prior appointment. See: Alla sede della Cgil apre uno sportello per fare consulenza gratuita sull'amianto [At the CGIL headquarters, a counter opens to provide free advice on asbestos].

Mesothelioma in Reggio Emilia

Apr 28, 2023

A report by scientists in the Italian region of Reggio Emilia analyzed data on 328 cases of mesothelioma from the Mesothelioma Registry for Emilia Romagna. One hundred and ninety-two cases were due to occupational asbestos exposures, twenty to family exposures, three to environmental exposures and two to non-occupational exposures. In the cases of 111 mesothelioma patients, the type of toxic exposure experienced had not been identified. The silent epidemic continued to claim lives in Reggio Emilia. Mesothelioma sufferers were urged to come forward to secure support and assistance available from the Government. See: Il killer silenzioso Amianto e tumori, in un anno 19 casi “Un problema taciuto” [The silent killer Asbestos and cancer, 19 cases in one year “A hidden problem”].

Victim’s Victory in Venice

Apr 27, 2023

It was reported on April 20, 2023, that the Court in Venice had issued a verdict ordering the Ministry of Defense (MOD) to recognize the 2016 death of Federico Tisato from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as being occupationally caused; during military service (1965-1971), the deceased was frequently exposed to asbestos contained on board naval ships. Compensation of €1,900/month ($US2,100) was awarded to his widow in addition to a lump sum of €400,000 (US$439,000) in back-dated payments. See: Amianto, la Difesa condannata: il motorista vicentino Federico Tisato è morto vittima del dovere [Asbestos, Defense condemned: Vicenza mechanic Federico Tisato died a victim of duty].

Asbestos Emergency!

Apr 21, 2023

The commentary cited below provided a graphic picture of the serious threat posed by 40 million tons of asbestos and asbestos-containing material remaining in Italy’s infrastructure, with toxic products not yet remediated from schools, hospitals, libraries, homes, industrial structures, aqueducts and elsewhere. Contamination of schools puts the lives of 320,000 pupils and 50,000 staff at risk every day whilst the use of 500,000 km of asbestos pipes for water delivery pollutes domestic water supplies. Plans to carry out asbestos removal projects often remain unimplemented to the detriment of all. See: Amianto: emergenza continua in Italia con 40 milioni di tonnellate ancora da bonificare [Asbestos: emergency continues in Italy with 40 million tons still to be reclaimed].

Asbestos and Laryngeal Cancer

Apr 21, 2023

In what has been dubbed a “landmark judgment,” Italy’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) upheld the appeal by a deceased 68-year old worker that his laryngeal cancer had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Supreme Court, which condemned the former employers, found a causal link between workplace exposures and the cancer despite the fact that the claimant had been a smoker. As a result of the ruling, the defendants will be required to pay an occupational disease pension to surviving family members. See: Amianto: Codacons, Cassazione accoglie ricorso per tumore laringe [Asbestos: Codacons, Cassation upholds appeal for laryngeal cancer].

Fight for Asbestos Justice

Apr 17, 2023

Prostate cancer sufferer Pietro Scialpi believes his cancer was caused by asbestos exposures experienced during his employment by the state-run Italian steel company: Ilva. According to Scialpi: “They monetized the asbestos dust we breathed inside the department, this after an agreement between the unions and the company. They didn't know they were buying our health.” INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – refused to compensate Scialpi, saying that asbestos was not a recognized cause of prostate cancer; medical experts and his attorney disagreed. The claimant was diagnosed with pleural plaques in 2004 and prostate cancer in 2016. See: Monetizzavano le polveri che respiravamo, stavano comprando la nostra salute [They were monetizing the dust we breathed, they were buying our health].

Anger over Asbestos Dumping in Sardinia

Apr 13, 2023

The dumping of asbestos-containing construction rubble by companies from the north of Italy in the south of the country has caused outrage amongst Sardinians. In a top secret operation, ships loaded with the toxic rubble took the waste from Genoa to the Serra Scrieddus landfill near the town of Carbonia, in the south-west of Sardinia. Critics say that this is the largest transfer of asbestos waste ever made in Italy and that these shipments are illegal. The debris was created during construction of the largest infrastructure project in Italy: the Tortona–Genoa high-speed railway line, also known as the Third Pass, will link Genoa to Tortona. See: Navi cariche di amianto da Genova a Carbonia [Ships loaded with asbestos from Genoa to Carbonia].

Uplift in Asbestos Benefits

Apr 11, 2023

An April 4, 2023 circular issued by INAIL – Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – confirmed a 2% increase in pension payments to the families of deceased asbestos victims, starting on April 1, 2023; in addition, mesothelioma patients with non-occupational asbestos exposures (e.g. familial or environmental exposures) or the heirs of people who died from such exposures will now receive a lump sum of €15,000 (US$16,360) instead of €10,000. See: INAIL, maggiorazioni economiche per le vittime da amianto [INAIL, economic increases for asbestos victims].

Criminal Asbestos Trial Ending

Apr 5, 2023

On March 29, 2023, as the long-running criminal trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes (Italy) drew to its close, it was announced that the verdict would be handed down on June 7, 2023. During the March 29 hearing, the defense called for Schmidheiny to be acquitted of all charges; previously, prosecutors had called for a sentence of life imprisonment. The defendant was charged with the voluntary homicide of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato, all of whom died from asbestos-related diseases, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos fibers liberated by the Eternit asbestos-cement factory operated by Schmidheiny. See: Processo Eternit bis: sentenza attesa il 7 giugno [Eternit bis trial: sentence expected on June 7].

Precedent Set in Pisa Court

Mar 23, 2023

A verdict handed down by Labor Judge Rossana Ciccone in the Pisa Court was hailed as historic, due to the acknowledgement that the urinary tract cancer which caused the death of a glassmaker referred to by the initials TC, had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Court ordered the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) – which had initially rejected the family’s claim – to pay compensation of €500,000 ($US540,000). See: L’amianto colpisce le vie urinarie, 500mila euro a un vetraio [Asbestos affects the urinary tract, 500 thousand euros to a glazier].

Rome Court Rejects Company’s Appeal

Mar 22, 2023

The children of Vincenzo Cecchini, who died from lung cancer as a result of occupational asbestos exposures, won their action at the Rome Appeal Court when judges Alberto Celeste, Donatella Casablanca and Olga Pirone rejected an appeal by the deceased’s employer, the transport company Cotral. As a result, compensation of €78,714 (US$84,000) will be paid to sons Claudio and Stefano; the case for Mrs. Cecchini was settled previously. Over decades, Cecchini had worked as a laborer, a line driver, a maintenance man and a heavy goods driver for Cotral. See: Autista Cotral vittima dell’amianto, confermata in Appello la condanna al risarcimento dei figli [Cotral driver victim of asbestos, compensation for children confirmed in appeal].

Tuscany, an Asbestos Hotspot

Mar 22, 2023

Between 1993 and 2018, there were 1,901 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in Tuscany, according to data released earlier this month. In addition, this Region in central Italy has nearly 60,000 tonnes of asbestos waste deposited in landfills, the second highest amount in the country. Every year, thousands of individuals who suffered historic and/or current asbestos exposures in the construction, energy production, transport, shipbuilding, rolling stock and mining sectors are bringing personal injury lawsuits in Tuscany. See: Amianto: 1901 casi di mesotelioma in Toscana dal 1993 al 2018 [Asbestos: 1901 cases of mesothelioma in Tuscany from 1993 to 2018].

Venice Court Verdict

Mar 21, 2023

The Venice Labor Court ordered the Port Authority to pay the daughters of a deceased dock worker €124,000 (US$132,000) for his death which had, the Court ruled, been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos whilst loading and unloading asbestos cargo received at the ports of Marittima and Marghera between the 1950s and mid-1980s. See: Mestre. Morto portuale di tumore: per anni si era occupato di sbarco e imbarco di sacchi di amianto. Risarcite le figlie di 124mila euro [Mestre. Port worker died of cancer: for years he had been involved in the unloading and loading of sacks of asbestos. Compensation of 124 thousand euros for his daughters].

Monterone Asbestos Scare

Mar 15, 2023

Following a complaint submitted by local people, municipal authorities and the police in the Italian town of Monterone took action on allegations regarding an asbestos pipeline. A representative of the local health authority requested the Mayor issue an order that the property owner submit the suspect pipe for testing in an authorized laboratory. The property owner was given a 60-day deadline to “send an analytical certificate of the content of the artefacts…issued by an accredited laboratory… [and] if asbestos content is found, to send a copy of the control, custody and maintenance program adopted.” See: Allarme amianto a Monterone, arriva l’ordinanza sindacale [Asbestos alarm in Monterone, union ordinance arrives].

Asbestos Exposure in the Air Force

Mar 14, 2023

The Milan Court of Appeal issued a plaintiff’s verdict over the mesothelioma death (2012) of a 67-year old member of the Italian Air Force, ordering the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €500,000 (US$527,000) to his widow Graziella. Fabio Fabretti had served in the Air Force from March1965 to April 1966. During his military service, Fabretti was assigned to the operational missile base at Cordovado, where he was involved with the missile program in collaboration with NATO personnel. See: Morte per amianto, la Corte di appello di Milano condanna il ministero della Difesa a risarcire la vedova di un aviere [Death from asbestos, the Milan Court of Appeal orders the Ministry of Defense to compensate the widow of an airman].

Asbestos and Laryngeal Cancer

Mar 14, 2023

A claim has been won for the family of a worker who died aged 68 in 2019 from laryngeal cancer after having been exposed to asbestos during his two years of employment by the Montecatini Edison company, which had operated the aluminium plant in Fusina, Venice. Laryngeal cancer has been recognized by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) as an occupational disease caused by exposures to asbestos. The compensation awarded to the family by the Court was €70,000 (US$74,000). See: Tumore alla laringe, risarcita famiglia di vittima amianto [Laryngeal cancer, asbestos victim's family compensated].

Asbestos Criminal Trial: Novara Update

Mar 13, 2023

As the asbestos criminal trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, charged with 392 counts of voluntary homicide of Italian citizens, draws to a close, Journalist Rocco Zagaria considered the possibility of the defendant once again escaping punishment, even if he was to be found guilty as charged as he has been in multiple jurisdictions. Trade union leaders interviewed for the article expressed concerns over Schmidheiny’s use of successful strategies to evade jail sentences and financial penalties. See: Amianto: processo Eternit bis alle battute finali [Asbestos: Eternit bis trial in the final stages].

Update from Novara

Mar 10, 2023

The article cited below was written by Silvana Mossano, a veteran observer of the criminal trial in the Court of Assizes, Novara against Stephen Schmidheiny. The eight-page text covered proceedings on February 27. Highlighting the unique nature of the asbestos catastrophe which befell Casale Monferrato, Mossano explained the plaintiffs’ arguments, the asbestos contamination both inside and outside the factory, the processes of diagnosing the injured, the causal link between toxic exposures and their cancers, the state-of-the art of asbestos research and the motivation/intent of the accused. See: Legali di parte civile: «Schmidheiny sapeva quello che stava facendo e ha deciso il destino dei casalesi» [Civil action lawyers: “Schmidheiny knew what he was doing and decided the fate of the Casalesi [Casale inhabitants]”].

Public Protest over Plans for Toxic Waste

Mar 9, 2023

A public demonstration on March 4, 2023 took place in the Italian commune of Pontedera in Tuscany to voice the concerns of local people over the Region’s plans to re-open the Grillaia landfill for the disposal of hazardous waste, including asbestos debris. Grassroots citizens’ groups, environmental campaigners and representatives of political parties took part in the event. Demonstrators called on the Region to withdraw its plans and return the asbestos waste which has been arriving over recent weeks for dumping to its original location. See: Discarica dei veleni, rabbia in Valdera per dire no all’amianto (rissa politica compresa) [Poison dump, anger in Valdera for saying no to asbestos (including political brawl)].

Police Asbestos Eradication Order

Mar 9, 2023

During routine asbestos monitoring operations, members of the Municipal Police of Capaccio Paestum, a commune in the province of Salerno in south-western Italy, identified a city center building with damaged asbestos material. To prevent toxic exposures to the public, the owners of the premises were ordered to hire specialist contractors to remediate the property by removing and disposing of the damaged asbestos tiles. See: Amianto in uno stabile nel centro di Capaccio Paestum. Ordinata la bonifica dell’area [Asbestos in a building in the center of Capaccio Paestum. Reclamation of the area ordered].

Lazio Court Issues Victim’s Verdict

Mar 8, 2023

The Italian Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance, (INAIL) was ordered to pay €200,000 (US$213,400) to the widow of Mario Nicoletti, a worker from the Lazio region of central Italy, who died (2016) from mesothelioma having been occupationally exposed to asbestos at various places of employment, including construction worksites and a hospital. INAIL rejected the initial application for compensation and several other motions regarding this case before the Court of Rieti finally issued a ruling in favor of the victim’s family. See: Operaio morì per un mesotelioma causato da esposizione all’amianto: Inail condannata a risarcire la vedova [Worker died of mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos: Inail ordered to compensate the widow].

Research Update

Mar 7 2023

A seminar held in the Italian town of Monfalcone last week heard updates from Italian asbestos cancer researchers. “We have not yet finished paying for this tragedy,” said Mayor Annamaria Cisint “but we look to the future by aiming to totally dispose of asbestos thanks to the resources that the Region and the Municipality provide.” Leading medical experts presented data on the specifics of ongoing research projects regarding a variety of cancers linked to asbestos exposures including mesothelioma, laryngeal and ovarian cancer. See: A Monfalcone fatti passi avanti contro l'amianto, «oggi si vive di più» [In Monfalcone progress has been made against asbestos, “today we live longer”].

Colon Cancer and asbestos Exposure

Mar 3, 2023

On February 22, 2023, Judge Alfonsina Manfredini of the Court of Lucca, Italy issued a historic ruling, finding that the death from colon cancer of a retired 72-year old pipe welder had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Judge ordered Inail – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – to recognize the disease as occupationally caused, backdate the compensation payments to 2018 (when the case was filed), and pay interest and all the claimant’s legal costs. See: Tumore al colon dopo anni di esposizione all’amianto per lavoro: il tribunale condanna Inail a indennizzare l’operaio [Colon cancer after years of exposure to asbestos at work: the court orders Inail to compensate worker].

Asbestos in the Army

Feb 24, 2023

A verdict handed down by the Court of Rome ordered the Ministry of Defence to pay €600,000 (US$640,000) to the widow and children of Lieutenant Leopoldo Di Vico who died in 2015 aged 58 from asbestos cancer. The deceased had served as a mechanic in the armoured division of the Italian Army. During his military career he had been exposed to a cocktail of toxins including asbestos, depleted uranium and heavy metals. See: Amianto killer: il Tribunale di Roma condanna La Difesa a risarcire con 600 mila euro la famiglia di Leopoldo Di Vico [Killer asbestos: the Court of Rome orders [Ministry of] Defence to compensate Leopoldo Di Vico's family with 600 thousand euros].

Billionaire Jail Sentence!

Feb 20, 2023

On February 16, 2023, the Turin Court of Appeal upheld the sentence handed down to Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny who was convicted of the aggravated manslaughter in 2008 of a worker from his company’s Piedmont asbestos-cement factory. Schmidheiny’s lawyers said they would appeal. Schmidheiny has been tried in multiple Italian courts over asbestos deaths of thousands of workers and members of the public. Proceedings which began on June 9, 2021 will, it’s believed, soon be ended in a case at the Novara Court of Assizes where Schmidheiny was charged with the deaths of 392 people. See: Amianto e cancro, confermata la condanna all'imprenditore svizzero [Asbestos and cancer, the sentence of the Swiss entrepreneur confirmed].

Asbestos Trial: Update

Feb 13, 2023

A significant landmark was reached last week in the trial against Swiss asbestos entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny who is charged with voluntary homicide over the deaths of hundreds of asbestos factory workers and members of the public. At to the end of the presentation of evidence by both parties, the public prosecutor asked the Court of Assizes to hand down a life sentence. Closing statements by both parties are pending. The final verdict is not expected for some months. See: Eternit Bis, chiesto l’ergastolo per l’imprenditore svizzero Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis, life sentence requested for the Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny].

A Toxic Legacy, A Potent Threat

Feb 13, 2023

Although Italy banned the mining, processing and use of asbestos in 1992, the legacy left from production at its asbestos mines of 3.8 million tonnes of fiber during the 20th century continues to pose a health threat to citizens. The Ministry of the Environment has identified 11 superfund sites contaminated with asbestos; throughout the national infrastructure asbestos material has been identified at 107,000+ sites. Work to develop and implement measures to remediate contamination in the built and natural environments is being carried out by the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in collaboration with government, technical and academic partners. See: Siti Contaminati da Amianto [Sites contaminated by Asbestos].

Supreme Court Victory

Feb. 6, 2023

The Labor Section of Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued a victims’ verdict allowing 11 asbestos claimants to submit applications for early retirement and/or government benefits even though they had missed government deadlines. The plaintiffs had worked for 10 to 20 years in a shipyard where they had been routinely exposed to asbestos. Two lower courts had rejected the arguments advanced by the victims’ legal team. The case will now be returned to Rome’s Court of Appeal for further consideration. See: La Cassazione apre nuovi scenari per la maggiorazione per amianto della pensione [The Cassation opens up new scenarios for increased pension for asbestos [exposure]].

Supreme Court Ruling for Victim

Jan 27, 2023

On January 25, 2023, it was announced that Italy’s Supreme Court had passed a historic sentence that confirmed the liability of the multinational Solvay Chemicals as per a verdict by the Florence Court of Appeal. It is the first judgment against Solvay; a worker, who contracted pleural plaques and pleural thickening from asbestos exposures at the company’s Rosignano plant, will receive ~€3,000 (US$3,260). Commenting on the case, one expert said: “This sentence is historic because Solvay has not only always denied the use of asbestos… but has continued to deny the rights of those exposed who have contracted asbestos-related diseases.” See: Danni da amianto, “sentenza storica” Cassazione condanna Solvay [Damages from asbestos “historic sentence” from Court of Cassation condemns Solvay].

Asbestos Hazard at the Port of Taranto

Jan 25, 2023

A ship – the Vittorio Veneto – which had been decommissioned by the Italian Navy in 2007 and abandoned at the port of Taranto in 2013 continues to pose an imminent threat to public safety due to the presence of asbestos-containing material on board. An investigating judge has ruled that even though no harmful incident has occurred, the abandonment of the ship is an environmental disaster due to: “its proximity to the city centre, exposure to bad weather, the corrosive action of sea water, the ascertained state of opening of the ventilation hatches and the massive presence of asbestos (both inside and outside the boat)…” See: Taranto, la nave Vittorio Veneto carica di amianto al porto è un rischio [Taranto, the Vittorio Veneto ship loaded with asbestos at the port is a risk].

Asbestos Eradication in Piedmont

Jan 19, 2023

On January 16, 2023, Regional Councilor Mattteo Marnati announced that funds of €208,000 (US$226,000) had been allocated for the replacement of pipes and insulation in the heating systems of three buildings in Vercelli as part of the region’s Zero Asbestos Program. “These are,” said Marnati “small interventions because much has already been done to remove asbestos from public buildings. However, the effort of the Region and local authorities is aimed precisely at operating in a targeted and punctual way.” See: Amianto zero: dalla Regione 208mila euro per Rosa Stampa, Agrario e Provincia [Zero asbestos: 208 thousand euros from the Region for Rosa Stampa, Agrario and the Province].

Financial Support for Asbestos Removal

Jan 13, 2023

A municipal scheme offered to homeowners in the Italian town of Chioggia, part of the Metropolitan City of Venice, was, said Councilor for the Environment of the Municipality of Chioggia Serena De Perini: “an opportunity… to be seized to dispose of asbestos in complete safety, also taking advantage of an economic incentive.” A subsidy of €250 (US$270) will be paid by the Council towards the cost of each contract. Up to 1,000 kilograms of manufactured asbestos products can be removed under the scheme or 75 square meters of slabs. See: Amianto in abitazioni civili, Veritas offre l’opportunità di smaltirlo in sicurezza [Asbestos in civilian homes, Veritas offers the opportunity to dispose of it safely].

Verdict Upheld Smoker’s Asbestos Claim

Jan 11, 2023

Despite a history of tobacco use, a labor judge in the Civil Court of Rome issued a claimant’s verdict in an asbestos case brought by a former employee of the Cotral transport company. The Lazio company was ordered to pay compensation of €157,000 (US$169,000) to the children of a driver/laborer who died aged 59 from asbestos-related lung cancer. The Court found that his smoking did not bar the claim but reinforced it, as asbestos exposure multiplied the hazard posed by smoking. See: Morì a causa dell’amianto, condannata compagnia di trasporti [Death from asbestos, transport company condemned].

Asbestos Benefits’ Increase

Jan 9, 2023

The Italian Government’s budget for the financial year 2023 and the multi-year budget for the three-year period starting this year increased the amount of benefits paid by INAIL– Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance – to asbestos victims. As of January 1, 2023, there was a 2% uplift in monthly payments; in addition, one-off INAIL benefits to mesothelioma sufferers increased from €10,000 (US$10,653) to €15,000. New benefits were introduced for workers exposed to asbestos who had worked in the railway rolling stock production sector. See: Fondo Vittime Amianto, cosa dice la Legge di Bilancio 2023 [Asbestos Victims Fund, what the 2023 Budget Law says].

Asbestos Removal Stops Traffic

Dec 1, 2022

The Mont Blanc highway tunnel connecting France and Italy will be closed for three months a year over the next 18 years to allow asbestos-containing material to be removed. The closure of the tunnel will impact adversely on both tourism and business. Trained operatives working for specialist asbestos removal companies will be tasked with remediating the tunnel. In both Italy and France, thousands of people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto nel traforo del Monte Bianco: chiuderà 3 mesi l’anno [Asbestos in the Mont Blanc tunnel: it will close 3 months a year].

Asbestos in Schools

Nov 29, 2022

The Bologna Court of Appeal ruled that the Ministry of Education and not the Municipality of Bologna, the owner of the school, was liable for the 2017 mesothelioma death of a teacher who had been exposed to asbestos in the school where she had taught from 1981 until 1990. Judicial proceedings which had been launched before her death finally resulted in a judicial verdict awarding compensation of 930,000 euros (US$965,100) to the deceased’s children. See: Morta per l’amianto nella scuola. Una sentenza di condanna del Ministero che fa discutere [Death due to asbestos [exposure] in school. Controversy over sentence imposed on Ministry].

Asbestos Fibers in Drinking Water

Oct 26, 2022

New tests have established that asbestos fibers were present in water which flowed through 28 aqueducts between the Italian cities of Modena and Bologna. The contamination originated from the pipes used to deliver the water which were made of asbestos-cement. The ingestion of these fibers could cause cancers of the biliary tract. According to Giovanni Brandi, Associate Professor in Medical Oncology at the University of Bologna: “we are increasingly convinced of the non-innocence of asbestos fibers ingested in water.” See: Monitoraggio amianto, fibre ancora presenti in 28 acquedotti tra Modena e Bologna [Monitoring of asbestos, fibers still present in 28 aqueducts between Modena and Bologna].

Victim’s Verdict in Sicily

Oct 24, 2022

The Palermo Court of Appeal upheld a verdict ordering Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) to pay compensation to the family of a worker who had died of lung cancer after having being exposed to asbestos at his workplace over a period of 36 years. INAIL’s lawyers had argued that the victim's smoking history and not hazardous working conditions had caused his illness. The legal battle to achieve this positive outcome had taken six years. See: Operaio morto per amianto, l’Inail condannata a risarcire la moglie [Inail ordered to compensate wife of worker who died due to asbestos].

Asbestos Death & the Railways

Oct 21, 2022

Another worker from the railway workshop (OGR) in Bologna has died from mesothelioma, nine months after he had been diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer. Eighty-four year old Nino Dall'Olio had been exposed to asbestos during his employment as a sheet metal body builder. Commenting on this tragedy, Simonetta Saliera, former President of Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna, said that Dall'Olio's death was “a new piece in a tragedy that reminds us every day of the importance of always fighting for workers' rights and health in the workplace.” See: La strage dell’amianto: morto un altro ex operaio Ogr [The massacre of asbestos: another former OGR worker dies].

Calls for Asbestos Archive

Oct 19, 2022

With more than 5,000 deaths from asbestos-related diseases in the Piedmont region to date, Italian scientists are calling for a centralized effort to collate data and documents and establish an asbestos archive for researchers. According to author Alberto Gaino: “It is widely believed that asbestos is a residual phenomenon, but it is still destined to worsen. Although it has been banned, disposal and reclamation is slow and it is expected that until the end of this century it will be a problem.” See: Amianto, incubo infinito 300 tumori l’anno e picco ancora lontano [Asbestos, an endless nightmare of 300 cancers a year and a distant peak].

Asbestos in Drinking Water

Oct 17, 2022

A brief global review by Italian researchers from the University of Bologna published this month examining state-of-the-art knowledge about the asbestos hazard in drinking water concluded that: “the issue of asbestos in the water remains open and that it has been closed too quickly, not applying (imprudently) a precautionary principle. The resolution of the European Parliament of 14th March 2013, which urges the EU to monitor asbestos in drinking water and the potential health risks, has however shown that politics (at least for once) has proven more sensitive than academics in protecting public health.” See: Is drinking water safe? A neglected source of asbestos fibres.

Mesothelioma Treatment: Update

Oct 15, 2022

The article cited below was published online on October 8, 2022 in the Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment by Italian researchers. The paper considered the revolution in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): “In the last years, the therapeutic scenario of different tumor types, including MPM, has dramatically changed due to immune checkpoint inhibition. The promising results of this approach have promoted new efforts into clinical research, and many trials investigating novel therapeutic combinations are currently ongoing.” See: Immunotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a long story ended in success.

Asbestos Outreach Project

Oct 8, 2022

In Italy, as in other countries, rates of asbestos cancer and respiratory diseases vary from region to region. The port city of La Spezia in the Liguria Region is an asbestos hotspot. In 2018, an agreement was signed between the Government and the Region to implement a health surveillance protocol for at-risk workers. Unfortunately, during the Covid pandemic, this program was suspended. The Regional Coordination Committee has committed this month to restarting this vital program as a matter of urgency. See: Sorveglianza ex esposti amianto, Medusei: “Soglia di attenzione resti alta e si riattivi il protocollo sanitario” [Surveillance of those who have been exposed to asbestos, [Medusei?]: "Attention threshold remains high and the health protocol is reactivated”].

Asbestos on the Railways

Oct 8 2022

A paper published in the October 2022 issue of the Journal of Occupational Medicine by Italian researchers reconstructed the levels of asbestos exposure for a cohort of railway rolling stock workers in the absence of historical environmental monitoring data. The job/exposure matrix levels were calculated based on company production and asbestos consumption data. The cohort was composed of operatives who had applied sprayed asbestos insulation between 1956 and 1979 in railway workshops. Thirty workers and one family member with mesothelioma were identified. See: Past Asbestos Exposure in Rolling Stock Manufacturing in the Absence of Environmental Monitoring: An Original Method.

Asbestos Exposure in the Navy

Oct 6, 2022

After years of judicial setbacks, it was announced last week that the Court of Torre Annunziata had condemned Italy’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior for their responsibility for the 2017 mesothelioma death of 69-year-old naval engineer Mario La Rocca. The verdict recognized that his fatal cancer had been caused by daily toxic exposures during his military service and awarded his widow a monthly pension as well as a lump sum payment of €350,000 (US$343,000). See: Amianto killer sulle navi, ministeri Difesa e Interno condannati per la morte di Mario La Rocca [Killer asbestos on ships, defense and interior ministries condemned for the death of Mario La Rocca].

Posthumous Legal Victory

Sep 28, 2022

In a decision handed down by Judge Beatrice Marrani of the Court of Velletri, Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) was ordered to compensate the family of forklift driver Giovanni Panariello for his cancer death in 2017 after it had been proved that his demise at aged 66 had been caused by occupational asbestos exposures. The deceased had removed asbestos from railway carriages. The amount awarded included a lump sum of €110,000 (US$ 106,500) plus a widow's pension of €2,000 a month. See: Operaio muore di mesotelioma: rimuoveva amianto dalle carrozze ferroviarie [Worker dies of mesothelioma: he removed asbestos from railway carriages].

Resumption of Asbestos Murder Trial

Sep 28, 2022

On September 21, 2022, criminal proceedings against asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny resumed in the Court of Novara, Italy after the long summer break in proceedings. Hours were spent in discussing basic facts such as: when the “guilty workplace exposures” of the 392 victims took place, the nature and symptoms of mesothelioma and how individual cases of mesothelioma were diagnosed. Defendants’ witnesses extrapolated on their views regarding the body’s ability to clear asbestos fibers from the lungs. See: All’Eternit Bis sull’amianto «c’è un’evidente incertezza» [At the Eternit Bis asbestos trial “there is a clear uncertainty”].

Long Tail Asbestos Legacy

Sep 26, 2022

Despite having been banned in Italy for 30 years, the widespread historic use of asbestos remains a serious public and occupational health hazard. The commentary cited below considered the multiplicity of issues generated by the contamination, including: ongoing deadly human exposures; the national epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and cancers; the slow process of asbestos remediation of the built environment; alternatives for asbestos disposal; and other issues. See: Edifici contaminate In Italia il problema dell’amianto rimane irrisolto [Contaminated buildings in Italy – the asbestos problem remains unresolved].

Asbestos in City Hall

Sep 14, 2022

On September 12, 2022, news was reported of an unwelcomed discovery in the town hall of the Italian city of Modena. The cost of removing asbestos in the tiles and adhesives on the second and third floors of the building will be €240,000 (US$243,000). The work must be done now, said a City Council resolution passed last week, because the flooring showed “conspicuous signs of deterioration, such as breakages and detachment of tiles or marked signs of abrasion…” See: Modena, pavimenti in amianto in municipio: rimozione costa 240mila euro [Modena, asbestos floors in the town hall: removal will cost 240 thousand euros].

Victim’s Verdict for Toxic Naval Exposure

Sep 5. 2022

On August 30, 2022, news was released of a decision by Italian Judge Claudio Patruno which awarded €1.3 million (US$1.3m) to the family of engineer Camillo Limatola, who died in 2013 aged 59 from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma, after having been hazardously exposed during his service in the Navy between 1973 and 1978. According to the Judge: “from the documents produced it emerged that, both in the environments in which Limatola worked and on board the ships in which he was embarked, asbestos was present and frequent…” See: Amianto, il ministero della Difesa condannato a risarcire con 1,3 milioni di euro i familiari di un militare morto per mesothelioma [ordered to compensate the family members of a soldier who died of mesothelioma with 1.3 million euros].

Decades of Asbestos Injuries and Deaths

Aug 18, 2022

The length and breadth of Italy’s national asbestos tragedy are the subject for author Raffaella Tallarico in the article cited below. The sad plight of members of the public who had the misfortune to be born in Casale Monferrato as well as asbestos workers from the town’s asbestos-cement factory are considered within the context of the national epidemic of asbestos-related cancers and diseases. Between 1993 and 2018, there were 31,572 mesothelioma cases diagnosed of which 56% of patients lived in Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna. Like Casale, the town of Broni is an asbestos hotspot due to the historic operations of the Fibronit asbestos factory. See: Trent’anni senza Eternit, ma di amianto ci si ammala ancora [Thirty years without Eternit, but we still get sick from asbestos].

Mesothelioma on the Italian Railways

Aug 11, 2022

Last week, a Court in Velletri – a commune in the Metropolitan City of Rome – issued a victim’s verdict when it awarded the widow of train driver Maurizio Di Meo a lump sum of €80,000 (US$ 82,000) plus a monthly pension of €1,600. Mr. Di Meo died in 2018 from the cancer mesothelioma due to workplace asbestos exposures. The deceased, who was from the town of Colleferro, had been employed by the State Railways; he was only 60 years old when he died. The compensation will be paid by the National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance [Istituto nazionale per l'assicurazione contro gli infortuni sul lavoro (INAIL)]. See: Macchinista delle Ferrovie morto a causa dell'amianto. L'Inail pagherà [Railroad driver died due to asbestos [exposure]. Inail will pay].

Court Issues Victim’s Verdict

Aug 3, 2022

On August 1, 2022, a court in Grosseto, Tuscany Italy handed down a plaintiff’s verdict when it ordered Italy’s Interior and Defense Ministries to pay compensation of €400,000 (US$ 410,000) to the family of Antonio Ballini who had been exposed to asbestos whilst in the Italian Navy from 1965 to 1968; he died in 2014 aged 69 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. His widow will also receive a lifetime pension of €1,900/ month. See: Amianto, ministeri dell'Interno e della Difesa risarciranno vedova di un militare della Marina [Asbestos, interior and defense ministries will compensate widow of a navy soldier].

Asbestos Research Program

Aug 2, 2022

A scientific project entitled: Asbestos-Related Respiratory Diseases in [Italian] Industrial Areas is recruiting subjects to participate in this 3-year research program, the purpose of which is to establish the effects of occupational asbestos exposures and to identify early markers of disease in at-risk subjects. This is a joint study headed by Dr Roberto Cherchi from Cagliari, Italy and Professor Pierluigi Cocco, Manchester, UK working in collaboration with the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (AIEA). See: Si cercano volontari per un nuovo studio sulle esposizioni all’amianto [Volunteers are sought for a new study on asbestos exposures].

Asbestos Exposure in the Navy

Jul 29, 2022

This week news was circulated that the Labor Court of La Spezia. a port city in Liguria, Italy, had condemned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and ordered it to pay interim compensation of €100,000 (US$102,000) to the family of a civilian employee of the Navy who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in October 2017. The Judge ruled that the MoD had not taken measures to safeguard the workforce from exposures to asbestos. A hearing in September 2022 at a court in Genoa will finalize the total compensation due to the plaintiffs; this sum could exceed a million euros. See: Morte da amianto per mesotelioma, condannato il Ministero della Difesa [Death from mesothelioma caused by asbestos, Ministry of Defense sentenced].

Asbestos Conference in Rome

Jul 26, 2022

On July 26, 2022 a conference is being held in Rome to consider Italy’s asbestos legacy, 30 years after the country had banned the use of all types of asbestos. Amongst the speakers will be leading medical experts, researchers, technical experts and politicians who will reflect on progress made in eradicating the hazard and the multitude of challenges remaining. The presence of asbestos-containing material in deteriorating building stock, the asbestos contamination found in soil and rural areas will also be discussed. See: Amianto, ambiente, salute: l’analisi della situazione a Roma Capitale d’Europa [In Rome, an analysis of the situation regarding asbestos, the environment, and health].

Asbestos Hazard for Firefighters

Jul 22, 2022

The commentary cited below explained key elements of a July 18, 2022 publication by Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) entitled: Fire and explosion risk in construction. Prevention and emergency procedures. The widespread use of asbestos building material in Italy during the 21st century meant that the majority of the national infrastructure remains contaminated. The focus of the INAIL document was on measures needed to prevent or minimize asbestos exposures during or after conflagrations, such as access to asbestos building audits and the use of specialist clothing, personal protective equipment and state-of-the-art safety protocols. See: Edilizia: la gestione degli incendi in presenza di amianto [Construction: fire management in the presence of asbestos].

Asbestos Precedent Set in Italy

Jul 21, 2022

A hurdle was overcome in Italy last week with a Court of Appeal ruling which accepted that a psychological injury had been sustained due to the fear of contracting an asbestos-related disease. Claimant Claudio Visintin had been routinely exposed to asbestos whilst employed as a docker in the Port of Trieste from 1970 till 1981; as a result of these exposures, he contracted pleural plaques. His application for compensation for this condition was denied in 2015. Since then, his psychological state had deteriorated and he was diagnosed with PTSD. See: Trieste: Tribunale accoglie appello di Visintin colpito da disturbo psichiatrico per esposizione ad amianto [Trieste: Court accepts Visintin's appeal of suffering from psychiatric disorder due to exposure to asbestos].

Navy Goes Greenish!

Jul 21, 2022

A spokesperson for the Italian Navy last week announced that the infamous asbestos roofing at the Navy’s warehouses in Marola, La Spezia will be remediated and replaced by solar panels as part of a drive for sustainability. The presence of the deteriorating Eternit asbestos-cement roofing at the maritime base has long been a bone of contention with local people. Removal work will begin with the remediation of building 166. The decontamination is part of a logistical upgrade and development project in the Marola area. See: La Spezia, dove c'è l'amianto la Marina installerà pannelli solari [La Spezia, where there is asbestos, the Navy will install solar panels].

Hired Gun Goes to Novara

Jul 18, 2022

On July 11, 2022 a US defendant expert gave evidence at the criminal trial in Novara, Italy of Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny. As would be expected, the testimony of Gary Marsh was in direct contrast to that of other experts. The prosecutors laboriously extracted admissions from Marsh that he had testified on behalf of US defendants including Monsanta, pharmaceutical corporations as well as the American Chemistry Council. Marsh argued that in asbestos cases what mattered was “the time from the first exposure (or first exposures) to the fiber” and not cumulative exposures. See: Esperto Usa sulla diffusione di fibre: gli usi impropri di amianto in città più colpevoli della fabbrica Eternit [US expert on the spread of fibres: misuse of asbestos in the city more culpable than the Eternit factory].

Calls for National Asbestos Commission

Jul 13, 2022

On June 15, 2022, the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament, approved a bill to establish a National Committee of Inquiry on Asbestos. The first signatory of the bill Deputy Federico Fornaro urged colleagues to support the draft legislation saying: “It is important that the political forces unanimously agree on the establishment of a commission of inquiry on asbestos and on the remediation of contaminated sites. The battle against asbestos is a battle that continues today.” See: A Roma, Fornaro: «Servono risorse per eliminare l’amianto in Italia» [In Rome, Fornaro: “Resources are needed to eliminate asbestos in Italy”].

Victory for Power Station Worker

Jul 1, 2022

This week, a court in Florence issued a victim’s verdict when it awarded the bereaved family of 77-year old electrician Ronaldo Cerri €1 million+ (US$1,042,693+) in compensation for his death in 2016 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The court found that his employer Enel had been grossly negligent in having failed to protect workers at the Marzocco power plants in Livorno from exposures to asbestos. From 1966 to 1986, Mr. Cerri had maintained the plants’ asbestos-insulated turbines. See: Operaio vittima dell’amianto: lavorava nella centrale del Marzocco, Enel condannata per 1 milione di euro [Worker victim of asbestos: he worked in the Marzocco plant, Enel ordered to pay 1 million euros].

Landmark Ruling in Venice

Jun 27, 2022

On June 22, 2022, a verdict from the Court of Appeal in Venice confirmed the responsibility of four Admirals from the Italian Navy for having caused the asbestos-related deaths of six soldiers. Whilst the sentences were light, one or two years in jail, the defendants were also ordered to compensate the bereaved families, pay court costs and pay compensation to the civil parties in this trial, including the Association of Democratic Medicine and the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. The Venice ruling overturned a first instance decision by the Padua Court. See: Vittime amianto Marina Militare, sentenza storica: scatta la condanna [Military asbestos victims, historic sentence: the sentence is confirmed].

Update from Novara Trial

Jun 23, 2022

On June 22, 2022, asbestos technical expert Andrea D'Anna testified at the asbestos criminal trial of Stephan Schmidheiny in the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy. According to his evidence, the majority of environmental asbestos exposures in the town of Casale Monferrato resulted “from the erosion of the roofs, the re-suspension of the dust in open attics. paved courtyards and streets due to the mechanical action of crumbling.” Asbestos emissions from the Eternit factory in the town were, he said, very low. The next hearing in this trial will be on July 11, 2022. See: Eternit Bis: «L’amianto in centro? Non solo per la fabbrica» [Eternit Bis: “Asbestos in the center? Not just the factory”].

Victim’s Verdict in La Spezia

Jun 13, 2022

After two years of litigation, a Labor Court in La Spezia, Italy delivered a verdict against the Ministry of Defense (MoD); the court found that the MoD had negligently exposed a civilian worker at the Maricommi naval base to asbestos as a result of which he contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and died in 2017. From 1958 to 1994 the deceased had worked as a handyman and was routinely handling asbestos-containing materials installed on electrical panels, boilers and other equipment. The MoD was ordered to pay the family of the deceased the sum of €100,000 (US$105,220). See: Morto per amianto nel 2017, Ministero della Difesa condannato a risarcire la famiglia [Died of asbestos in 2017, Ministry of Defense sentenced to compensate his family].

Swearing during Papal Audience

Jun 10, 2022

Wearing t-shirts with a swear word, 30 members of an Italian choir performed for Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square, Rome this week. The members of the choir are from the Italian province of Alexandria, in the Piedmont region, which is a hotspot for a deadly cancer (mesothelioma) caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was widely used throughout Italy until it was banned in 1992. Italy’s biggest asbestos-cement factory was located in Casale Monferrato, Piedmont; as a result of occupational and environmental exposures, local people as well as workers from the Eternit company’s plant have died. See: The F-word appears at a papal audience, but for a good cause.

Victim’s Appeal Succeeds!

Jun 3, 2022

On June 1, 2022, it was reported that an appeal on behalf of the family of a deceased steelworker had succeeded. The Court in Taranto, Italy ruled that the decedent’s former employers Telecom Italia Spa and Fintecna Spa were “jointly and severally” liable to pay compensation for the 67-year old worker’s death from pleural mesothelioma, as they had failed to protect him from workplace exposures to asbestos. See: Morte da amianto: scatta la condanna [Death from asbestos: the sentence is confirmed].

Update: Novara Asbestos Trial

Jun 3, 2022

On May 30, 2022, the cross-examinations by the public prosecutors took place of three defence expert witnesses in the case against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny accused of causing the asbestos deaths of 392 people from the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. During the next hearing in the Assize Court in Novara on June 22, 2022, defence witnesses occupational physician Mauro Danna and epidemiologist Emeritus Professor Gary Marsh (US) will give evidence. See: Il patologo della difesa: «Quei 392 mesoteliomi? Alcuni certi, alcuni possibili. Magari erano altri tumori» [Defense pathologist: “Those 392 mesotheliomas? Some certain, some possible. Maybe it was other tumors”].

Asbestos Removal Scam, Police Action

May 27, 2022

A police raid took place in Broni, Italy this week over allegations that a contractor which had been paid €8 million (US$8.6m) by the Ministry of the Environment and the Lombardy Region to reclaim the contaminated site of an old asbestos-cement factory had been guilty of fraud and crimes against the environment for having failed to fulfil the reclamation contract. According to the Pavia public prosecutor Fabio Napoleone: “an articulated system of fraud in public supplies and provision of services had been committed for the benefit of the companies involved.” See: Ex Fibronit Broni, truffa nella bonifica dall’amianto: sequestrata un’area di 140 mila metri quadrati [Former Fibronit Broni, asbestos reclamation scam: an area of 140 thousand square meters seized].

A Toxic National Legacy

May 25, 2022

The commentary below examined the deadly asbestos legacy of Italy, a country which had not only been one of Europe’s biggest asbestos users but also a significant producer of the deadly fiber. Since Italy banned asbestos in 1992, many regulations and guidelines have been introduced to protect workers and citizens from toxic exposures. Thirty years after asbestos was banned, asbestos material remains within the national infrastructure with asbestos roofing produced by Eternit of particular concern. See: Bonifica dall’amianto e rimozione Eternit, perché è necessario [Remediation of asbestos and Eternit removal, because it is necessary].

Defence Stage of Schmidheiny Criminal Trial

May 25, 2022

On May 16, 2022, the Assizes Court in Novara, Italy heard evidence from defence witnesses who argued that Stephan Schmidheiny – who stands accused of having caused the deaths of 392 Italians from the town of Casale Monferrato (CM) – had introduced measures to protect workers in the Eternit CM factory from hazardous exposures to asbestos. According to one witness “all the data show a drastic decrease in the levels of exposure (to asbestos) in line with the improvements introduced at the Eternit plant in the period 1973-1982.” The next two hearings were scheduled for May 23 and May 30, 2022. See: I consulenti della difesa insistono: «Schmidheiny migliorò molto le condizioni di lavoro all’Eternit» [Defense consultants insist: “Schmidheiny greatly improved working conditions in Eternit”].

Asbestos Eradication Program: Too Slow!

May 18, 2022

The eradication of asbestos contamination in Italy’s built environment is not going to plan, with only 25% of the toxic material removed despite the availability of government funds specifically earmarked for this work. Eight million euros (US$8.4m) remain unspent in a fund set up under article 56 of law 221 of 2015 to cover the cost of asbestos removal from public buildings. According to the article cited below, there are more than 50,744 public buildings in Italy which still have asbestos roofs. See: Il problema dell’amianto in Italia è ancora lontano dall’essere risolto [The asbestos problem in Italy is still far from being solved].

Compensation for Welder’s Family

May 16, 2022

On May 6, 2022. a labor judge in the town of Massa, central Italy ordered the employer of a deceased welder to pay compensation of €1,146,296 (US$1.2m) to his family. The worker, who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, had been employed by the Nuovo Pignone company at its Massa plant from 1965 to 1986 during which time he was routinely exposed to asbestos “to an extent exceeding the regulatory limit.” The judge dismissed arguments advanced by the company’s lawyers claiming working conditions were within permissible exposure limits and that the deceased had been a smoker. See: Amianto: Morte di un Operaio Saldatore, Nuovo Pignone Condannato a Risarcire oltre un Milione alla Famiglia [Asbestos: Death of a Welder, Company Sentenced to Pay over a Million to the Family].

Asbestos Removal Industry Guidelines

May 9, 2022

A document published last week by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), a public entity tasked with protecting workers’ health, considered subjects of importance during complex and protracted projects to remediate asbestos-contaminated sites. Topics covered included the roles and responsibilities during asbestos remediation of clients, duty holders, asbestos coordinators, contractors, subcontractors and on-site technical directors. See: Amianto: le figure professionali connesse alle attività di bonifica [Asbestos: the professional figures connected to reclamation activities].

Asbestos Legacy: Death and Contamination

May 4, 2022

The multiplicity of tragedies caused by decades of asbestos production and consumption in Italy continue apace with 4,000 asbestos deaths every year, and large swathes of land and the built environment contaminated by a known carcinogen. At the current rate of remediation, it will take 70 years before the asbestos hazard is eradicated from the country; the lack of capacity for asbestos waste must, say campaigners, be addressed. A new medical outreach program in Sardinia has begun to identify at-risk workers in order to facilitate an earlier diagnosis of asbestos cancer. See: Amianto: Cnaa, subito smaltimenti e bonifiche [Asbestos: CNAA (National Coordination [Federation] of Asbestos Associations), immediate disposal and reclamation].

Asbestos Demo in Bologna

May 3, 2022

On the afternoon of April 28, International Workers Memorial Day, bereaved family members, asbestos victims and trade unionists mounted a demonstration in Bologna to highlight the deadly cost paid by workers from the large Railway Repair Workshops (OGR) for their employment; to date, 300 OGR workers have died from asbestos-related diseases. Speakers addressing the public rally decried the fact that 30 years after Italy had banned asbestos, people continue to die from toxic workplace exposures, with many deaths going unacknowledged and uncompensated. See: Amianto killer, sindacati e lavoratori Ogr tornano in piazza: “Giustizia per le vittime” [Killer asbestos, trade unions and Ogr workers return to the streets: “Justice for the victims”].

Safeguarding Italians from Toxic Exposures

Apr 29, 2022

Marking the 30th anniversary of Italy’s ban on asbestos, journalist Rosy Battaglia asked how much had been achieved in the country’s quest to address its toxic asbestos legacy. Whilst some remediation of the infrastructure has been carried out, the majority of the toxic products remain in place and thousands of people continue to die from toxic workplace and environmental exposures every year. The lethal effects of the toxic legacy continues to be underestimated by national, regional and local authorities. See: Perché sull'amianto in Italia siamo tornati all'anno zero [We are back to the year zero on asbestos in Italy].

Increase Asbestos Landfill Capacity

Apr 29, 2022

Eighty medical, scientific and technical experts have signed a petition calling on the Italian Government to increase the capacity for asbestos landfill in order to prevent wide-scale fly-tipping of asbestos waste which has become an endemic problem throughout the country. The lack of regulated asbestos dumpsites had, agreed the petitioners, hampered efforts to remediate an infrastructure which still contained a multitude of asbestos-containing products. See: 80 firme di medici del lavoro, igienisti, epidemiologi, tecnici della prevenzione, ingegneri, scienziati: Appello per aprire discariche di cemento amianto [80 signatures of occupational doctors, hygienists, epidemiologists, prevention technicians, engineers, scientists: appeal to open landfills for asbestos cement].

Legal Victory in Florence

Apr 22, 2022

On April 21, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Florence, Italy upheld the verdict of the Court of Grosseto which had condemned the Ministry of Economy and Finance for failing to prevent a former Marshall of the Finance Police from contracting asbestosis due to toxic workplace exposures. The 75-year old claimant will receive €50,000 (US$54,200) for his asbestos-related disability, arrears of €100,000+ ($108,400) and a monthly lifetime pension of €1,500 (US$1,626). Initially the Ministry had recognized the claim but then rejected it, as a result of which the case was brought to the Court of Grosseto. See: Amianto, maresciallo della finanza “vittima del dovere”: risarcimento e vitalizi [Asbestos, finance marshal “victim of duty”: compensation and annuities].

Marking World Earth Day

Apr 19, 2022

April 22, 2022 – World Earth Day – will see students from schools in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato (CM), take part in “flash mob” activities to depict themes including the asbestos legacy in CM, whose residents continue to contract lethal diseases from the exploitation of asbestos at the former Eternit asbestos-cement factory. The plant was closed down in 1986 and the industrial area remediated. On the site of the former factory stands a public park called Eternot; this is where the students will perform throughout the day. The asbestos actions will be in support of litigation in Novara on behalf of 392 CM residents who died from asbestos diseases. See: Un grande flash mob per le vittime dell'amianto e per l'ambiente [A great flash mob for asbestos victims and the environment].

Manslaughter Convictions in Palermo

Apr 14, 2022

Former managers of the Fincantieri Shipbuilding facility in Palermo were given prison sentences by an Italian Court which found them guilty of the manslaughter of 21 workers. The accused, Antonino Cipponeri and Giuseppe Cortesi, were told they must spend 2 years and 8 months and 3 years in prison, respectively, for having failed to take mandatory precautions to protect the workforce from toxic exposures to asbestos and asbestos-containing products used in the shipyard. To secure compensation for their loved ones’ deaths, the surviving families will have to launch a civil action. See: Amianto: condannati ex vertici Fincantieri Palermo [Asbestos: former Fincantieri Palermo leaders sentenced].

Justice in Naples for the Asbestos Dead?

Apr 11, 2022

Last week, the Court of Assizes in Naples sentenced 74-year old Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny to 3 years and 6 months in an Italian prison for the manslaughter of Antonio Balestrieri, an employee from the Eternit asbestos factory in Bagnoli. When charges brought by the Public Prosecutor over six other deaths were ruled to have been time-barred or invalid due to a technicality, family members shouted out “shame.” The verdict is being appealed by both sides. See: Morti da amianto all'Eternit di Bagnoli, una sola condanna per omicidio colposo. I parenti delle vittime: “Vergogna” [Deaths from asbestos in Eternit’s Bagnoli plant, only one conviction for manslaughter. Relatives of the victims: “Shame”].

Confronting Italy’s Asbestos Legacy

Apr 4, 2022

The scathing commentary referenced below, about the betrayal of Italy’s asbestos victims by employers, “partisan consultants,” self-interested professionals and multiple courts, explained how vast financial resources had been disbursed to protect parties responsible for causing a national disaster. The author reported that by the end of the 21st century, asbestos-related diseases will have caused 100,000 deaths in Italy and the expenditure of over 100 billion euros for decontamination work. “At the current disposal rates we will,” he wrote “be an asbestos free country only in the last years of the century.” See: “Il silenzio dell’amianto”: un libro-inchiesta sulla guerra giudiziaria contro le vittime del lavoro [“Asbestos silence”: an investigation of the judicial war against the victims of work].

Report from Novara Asbestos Trial

Mar 25, 2022

The criminal trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, accused of the voluntary murder of 392 Italians, resumed on March 21, with testimony from 15 witnesses called to provide alternative explanations as to how their relatives were killed by asbestos. This ploy is an attempt by the defendant’s legal team to “prove” that it was other asbestos and not that liberated by the operations of the Eternit plant in Casale Monferrato between 1976 and 1986 – when Schmidheiny was in charge – which had caused the fatal illnesses. Did your Mother’s family have an asbestos-cement roof on its chicken coop? garage? shed? The trial continues on March 28. See: Eternit Bis, l’auto blu tutta puntinata di «lentiggini» di polvere [Eternit Bis, the blue car all speckled with “freckles” of dust].

Asbestos Trial: Update

Mar 21, 2022

On March 16, 2022, the defense team for billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny began presenting its case at the murder trial in Novara, Italy; the defendant is accused of causing 392 asbestos cancer deaths in his capacity as the CEO of the Swiss Eternit Group. Twenty relatives were called on to testify about the multiple exposures to asbestos, at work and elsewhere, experienced by the deceased. According to one observer, their evidence revealed “a community massively contaminated and workers grossly exposed without precautions or warnings from management.” The next hearing is on March 21. See: Eternit Bis, «Senza mascherine raschiavano i vetri della fabbrica per eliminare la crosta di polvere» [Eternit Bis, “Without masks they scraped the glass [windows] of the factory to remove encrusted dust”].

Victims Challenge to Yale University

Mar 16, 2022

On March 10, 2022, an Italian victims’ group AFeVA sent a letter to members of a new committee tasked with considering the origins of donations and whether or not the donations made to Yale University were ethical in light of the business activities or political actions of the potential donors. This letter referred to sums provided to Yale by Stephan Schmidheiny, a Swiss asbestos billionaire who is being tried in multiple Italian jurisdictions over the asbestos deaths of workers and members of the public. In 1996, Schmidheiny received from Yale an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for promoting “stewardship of the global environment.” AFeVA is urging Yale to rescind this honor. See: Letter from AFeVA to Yale.

Asbestos in Schools

Mar 15, 2022

The commentary on Italy’s asbestos legacy cited below pointed out that the widespread presence of toxic products throughout the educational infrastructure continued to endanger the lives of all school users including teachers, staff and children. Although Law 257/92 banned the use of asbestos in Italy in 1992, remediation efforts have been slow as a result of which the built and natural environment remain contaminated. Efforts by civil society groups to press the Ministry of Education to adopt a 2030 deadline for the eradication of asbestos in schools were ongoing. See: Amianto ed eternit al bando da 30 anni, ma ancora in 2.300 scuole: ogni giorno lo respirano 50mila docenti e Ata e 350mila alunni [Asbestos and eternit banned for 30 years, but still in 2,300 schools: 50 thousand teachers and staff and 350 thousand pupils breathe it every day].

Slow Road to Justice in Naples & Turin

Mar 11, 2022

Asbestos victims in Italy have learned to be patient after decades of investigations and proceedings to hold to account entrepreneurs, company executives and officials whose decisions led to a national epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. This week, court hearings took place in Naples and Turin in criminal trials against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who owned Eternit asbestos factories in both jurisdictions. The biggest ongoing Italian trial against the same defendant is proceeding in the Court of Assizes in Novara where he is accused of the voluntary murder of 392 people. See: “Sapeva dei danni da amianto”. Si riapre il caso Eternit [“He knew about the damage from asbestos.” The Eternit case reopens].

March 3, a day of Mixed Blessings!

Mar 7, 2022

The 93rd birthday of Italian campaigner Romana Blasotti Pavesi and the first hearing at the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny who stands accused of the manslaughter of workers from the Eternit asbestos factory in Cavagnolo took place on the same day, March 3, 2022. The Judge presiding over the proceedings was also a Judge in the landmark 2012 case in which the same defendant was sentenced to 18 years in jail for his role in causing “a permanent wilful environmental disaster.” That verdict was later over-turned by the Supreme Court on a technicality. See: 3 marzo: buon compleanno Romana! E in Appello si discute l’Eternit Bis per Cavagnolo [March 3rd 2022: happy birthday Romana! Appeal Eternit Bis Cavagnolo Manslaughter Trial].

Waiting for Asbestos Justice in Italy

Mar 4, 2022

The latest hearing in the Italian trial of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny heard the Naples Public Prosecutor ask the Naples Court of Assizes to sentence the defendant to 23 years and 11 months for the asbestos deaths of eight workers and members of the public whose exposure to toxic dust produced by the asbestos-cement factory owned by Eternit in Bagnoli caused their deaths. The defendant was charged with the voluntary murder of the deceased. The defence will present its closing arguments on March 23. See: Amianto: pm Napoli, condannate Schmidheiny a 23 anni e 11 mesi [Asbestos: pm Naples, Call for Schmidheiny to be sentenced to 23 years and 11 months].

Railway Repair Shop in Foggia

Feb 28, 2022

The article cited below, which was uploaded on February 22, 2022, detailed news of a legal victory achieved by an Italian family over the mesothelioma death of a worker who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the Railway Workshop in Foggia. Commenting on the outcome of the case. the lawyer representing the family said: “Despite the resistance of the railways… it has been shown that the killer fiber was used in carriages and locomotives, and that those who worked there, unfortunately suffered high exposure.” The Rome Court ordered the state-owned railway holding company to compensate the deceased’s widow and two adult children. See: Foggia, operaio muore per esposizione all’amianto: condanna per Ferrovie dello Stato [Foggia, worker dies from exposure to asbestos: conviction for State Railways].

Asbestos Memorial Day: Update

Feb 22, 2022

On February 17, 2022 Federico Riboldi, the Mayor of the town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic, attended a hearing at the Bureau of the Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Senate of the Italian Republic to consider a motion calling for an annual Memorial Day for Asbestos Victims to be established. Welcoming the proposal, Mayor Riboldi said: “The approval of the bill will be a fitting recognition for the many families who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the killer fiber.” Trade union campaigners and spokespersons for asbestos victims also supported the proposal. See: Un disegno di legge per istituire la Giornata in memoria delle vittime amianto: oggi l’audizione [A bill to establish the Day in memory of asbestos victims: today the hearing].

New: Mesothelioma Data

Feb 21, 2022

The Seventh Report of the Italian Register on Mesotheliomas, published earlier this month by the National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance, reported: “results of the epidemiological surveillance of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma detected by a network of Regional Operational Centers.” Of interest was data regarding occupations and tasks most likely to involve asbestos exposures. Whilst cases in the asbestos-cement, shipbuilding and railway rolling stock sectors fell, the incidence of mesothelioma amongst construction workers rose from 12.1% in 1993-98 to 17.1% in 2013-18. See: RENAM INAIL: Pubblicato il VII rapporto del registro nazionale sui mesoteliomi [RENAM INAIL: The VII report of the national register on mesotheliomas has been published].

Italian Betrayal of Asbestos Victims

Feb 16, 2022

Raffaele Guariniello, a retired public prosecutor, has slammed the Italian justice system, saying that it has systematically failed asbestos victims by acquitting executives and managers who had been responsible for toxic exposures which had resulted in employees, relatives and members of the public contracting deadly cancers and diseases. Guariniello has challenged the Italian Parliament to take measures to hold to account those individuals and entities responsible for the country’s epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto, l’allarme impunità di Guariniello: “Ci sono i morti, ma nessuno è colpevole. Io provai a cambiare le cose, tocca al Parlamento” [Asbestos, Guariniello's alarm over impunity: “There are dead, but no one is guilty. I tried to change things, it's up to Parliament”].

Release of New Asbestos Data

Feb 9, 2022

On February 7, 2022, Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance released two documents supplementing information on the country’s asbestos risk. The first report was a data analysis of compensation paid between 2016 and 2020 by the National Victims’ Fund for asbestos-related diseases. The second document was entitled Recognition and characterization of materials containing asbestos through hyperspectral image analysis which explained the use of one type of spectral imaging to more accurately identify the presence of asbestos in material samples. This technique can be used by a trained operative and does not require an expert analyst thereby reducing operating costs. See: Inail: i dati e le novità sul rischio amianto e le malattie correlate [Inail: data and news on asbestos risk and related diseases].

Mesothelioma Flash Mob!

Feb 9, 2022

Members of an Italian asbestos victims’ association – the Mesothelioma Aid Group – demonstrated in the center of Lecco, Lombardy last week to raise the alarm over the presence of asbestos throughout the national infrastructure. They gathered in the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, outside a building which will become the new town hall, a building contaminated with asbestos. The initiative was a collaboration with students and environmental activists who circulated an “Open Sky” petition calling for measures to improve air quality in the region. One of the demands is for a simplification of bureaucratic procedures for the remediation of asbestos. See: Mobilitazione in piazza contro l’amianto killer [Mobilization in the streets against killer asbestos].

Alert: Asbestos on Sicily!

Feb 7, 2022

Lack of action by successive governments over widespread asbestos contamination in Sicily, which has caused 1,600 deaths since the late 1990s, was condemned last week by environmental activists. There was, they said, no asbestos mapping carried out in Sicily despite the existence of a regional law (2014) mandating this duty. Calling for the implementation of an asbestos information campaign, campaigners said that public administrators, municipal officers and civil servants had received no training for dealing with asbestos. See: Amianto, dopo il piano regionale in Sicilia è cambiato poco. Legambiente: «Poca informazione non favorisce bonifiche» [Asbestos, little has changed since the regional plan in Sicily. Legambiente: “Lack of information does not promote reclamation”].

Family of Electrician Compensated

Feb 4, 2022

Earlier this week, a court in Arezzo, Italy recognized the mesothelioma death in 2017 of a former employee of the railway production company of Società Anonima Costruzioni Ferroviarie e Meccaniche (Anonymous Railway and Mechanical Construction Company [SACFEM]) as having been caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. From 1960-1978, the deceased had worked as an electrician building railway carriages. Labor Judge Giorgio Rispoli awarded the family the sum of €64,000 (US$73,100) compensation and €12,000 (US$13,710) for litigation costs. See: Arezzo, muore di amianto: sentenza del giudice per ex lavoratore Sacfem. Risarcimento ridotto [Arezzo, death from asbestos disease: judge's verdict for former Sacfem worker. Reduced compensation].

Asbestos Convictions in Campania

Feb 2, 2022

On January 28, 2022, the first sentences were handed down to managers of the Isochimica company in Avellino, Southern Italy and officials from the State Railways for failing to protect operatives who had carried out asbestos removal work from 1982 to 1988 on carriages belonging to the Italian State Railways; as a result of this negligence, scores of workers contracted deadly cancers and respiratory diseases. Four defendants – Isochimica’s safety manager Vincenzo Izzo and his deputy Pasquale De Luca, and Aldo Serio and Giovanni Notarangelo, from the railway company – were sentenced to 10 years. See: Amianto all’ex Isochimica di Avellino, dopo 40 anni arrivano 4 condanne a 10 anni e 22 assoluzioni [Asbestos at the former Avellino Isochimica [company], after 40 years there are 4 10-year sentences and 22 acquittals].

Indictment of Ministry of Defense

Jan 31, 2022

After ten years of legal filings and hearings, last week the Lazio Regional Administrative Court ordered Italy’s Ministry of Defense to pay compensation for the asbestos death at aged 46 of Marshal Giuseppe Lazzari. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos whilst serving in the Italian Army from 1992 to 2010, as a result of which he developed mesothelioma. The Ministry had previously rejected a claim brought by his widow and children. See: Amianto: Ministero della Difesa Condonnato al Risarcimento per la Morte del Maresciallo Giuseppe Lazzari [Asbestos: Ministry of Defense Ordered to Pay Compensation for the Death of Marshal Giuseppe Lazzari].

New Asbestos Data from INAIL

Jan 25, 2022

Figures have been released by Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) detailing the scale of the country’s asbestos epidemic during the last few years. The 29-page INAIL file included data regarding asbestos-related diseases recognized by INAIL, annuities for asbestos-related diseases paid by INAIL, the number of professional beneficiaries of the Asbestos Victims Fund and benefits awarded for non-occupational mesotheliomas. According to Table 1, the number of cases of workers with asbestos-related occupational diseases which were recognized by INAIL were: 2016 (1,776), 2017 (1,720), 2018 (1,583), 2019 (1,638) and 2020 (923). See: Pubblicazioni INAIL: Le malattie asbesto-correlate –2021 [INAIL publications: Asbestos-related diseases – 2021].

Florence Court Delivers Justice for Widow

Jan 25, 2022

After more than a decade of legal filings and judicial reversals, on January 11, 2022 asbestos widow Susanna Vannucci triumphed in the case she brought over the 2012 death of her husband Emilio Corbo when the Florence Court of Appeal overturned an unfavorable verdict by the Court of Pistoia. The Florence court ordered INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance – to pay Mrs Vannucci €240,000 (US$271,500) in arrears and a monthly income of €1,800 (US$2,036). See: Il marito fu ucciso dall’amianto Vedova risarcita dopo dieci anni [Husband was killed by asbestos. Widow compensated after ten years].

Eternit Bis Trial: Update

Jan 24, 2022

The trial of Stephen Schmidheiny, accused of causing over 392 asbestos deaths in Italy, continued on January 17, 2022 with the defendant’s legal team cross-examining medical and scientific experts who had categorically linked the operations of Schmidheiny’s asbestos-cement manufacturing processes to occupational and environmental cancers. Case-by-case challenges made by Schmidheiny’s lawyers to the mesothelioma diagnoses were robustly defended by the Public Prosecutors. Due to the rise in Covid cases in Italy, the trial is being suspended until March 16. See: Eternit Bis, il processo riprende il 16 marzo. Ma l’imputato Stephan Schmidheiny non sarà in aula [Eternit Bis, the trial resumes on March 16. But defendant Stephan Schmidheiny will not be in court].

Victim’s Verdict in Naples

Jan 19, 2022

What has been termed “a historic sentence for workers who have been in contact with the killer fiber (asbestos) in shipbuilding over the years,” was handed down recently by Labor Judge Dionigio Verasani of the Torre Annunziata Court in Naples, Italy who ruled that two of the former employers – Fincantieri S.p.A and Sait S.p.A. – of mesothelioma victim Angelo T. were jointly and severally liable for his death from mesothelioma in 2016. The companies were ordered to pay his family compensation of €1 million (US $1.14m). See: Morì a causa dell’amianto, risarcimento di un milione di euro alla famiglia [One million euros in compensation to the family of man whose death was caused by asbestos].

Victims’ Legal Victory in Sicily

Jan 17, 2022

Last week, a labor judge in the Termini Imerese Court in Palermo, Italy issued a verdict supporting asbestos appeals by 21 claimants who had worked for various periods between the 1960s and 1995 at a factory operated by the Matesi di Campofelice SpA company, which later became Filatura di Campofelice SpA. The Judge ruled that the INPS (Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale (National Social Security Institute) must pay pension entitlements in recognition of the fact that the claimants had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. See: Amianto nelle fabbriche siciliane: il Tribunale di Termini Imerese condanna l’INPS [Asbestos in Sicilian factories: the Court of Termini Imerese condemns the INPS].

Rescheduling of Asbestos Trial

Jan 12, 2022

The asbestos trial nicknamed Eternit Bis, which began in in Novara, Italy last year was disrupted earlier this week when one of the six judges was in self-isolation and one of the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses contracted Covid-19. After protracted debate between the Judges and the lawyers, it was decided to delay the January 10 proceedings for one week. On January 17, Prof Irma Dianzani, Dr Pietro Gino Barbieri, Prof Mauro Giulio Papotti, Dr Edoardo Bay and victims’ relatives will give evidence. At that time, another assessment will be made regarding the proposed timetable for the rest of the trial. See: Eternit Bis, incombe la pandemia: udienza il 17, poi stop temporaneo [Eternit Bis, the pandemic is looming: hearing on the 17th, then temporary stop].

Asbestos in Schools

Jan 11, 2022

According to research, 350,000 children and 50,000 teachers are being exposed to asbestos still present in Italian classrooms. On December 20, 2021, a Labor Judge in Bologna ruled that the Ministry of Education was negligent in preventing the asbestos-related death of Professor Olga Mariasofia D’Enilio. The Court ordered the Ministry to pay compensation of €930,358 (~US$1 million) to the teacher’s heirs. On December 13, 2021, a special UN rapporteur expressed concern over Italy’s failure to take measures to stop toxic exposures occurring at contaminated sites and waste dumps and resulting from fibers liberated by asbestos products incorporated within the national infrastructure. See: Amianto, almeno 350 mila bimbi ancora esposti: anche in classe [Asbestos, at least 350,000 children still exposed: even in the classroom].

Asbestos Alert for Construction Workers

Jan 7, 2022

Italian researchers reconfirmed the elevated incidence of the asbestos cancer malignant mesothelioma (MM) amongst construction workers. Of 31,572 patients with MM identified from government data between 1993 to 2018, almost 70% had reported occupational exposure to asbestos. Of these, 21% had worked in the construction sector; the relevant figure for the period 1993-98 was 16% and for the period 2014-18 24%. The authors of the paper cited below concluded that: “There is a need to implement education and training for workers involved in activities such as remedial, maintenance, and building renovations, especially with reference to old buildings.” See: Asbestos Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma in Construction Workers—Epidemiological Remarks by the Italian National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM).

Oscar Peano Mesothelioma Scholarship

Jan 4, 2021

Although it seems strange to find an article about the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the pages of the glossy monthly Vanity Fair Italy, the December issue included an insightful piece about the life and death (2020) of Oscar Peano informed by an interview with his daughter-in-law author Francesca Marson. Oscar had a love of trees, plants and flowers and as the manager of Turin’s public parks used his passion to enhance the lives of the city’s residents. In his memory, his family raised funds to support a scholarship for research into clinical trials for people suffering from pleural mesothelioma. See: Chi era Oscar Peano e perché la sua storia ha ispirato una Borsa di Studio contro il mesotelioma [Who was Oscar Peano and why his story inspired a scholarship for research into the control of mesothelioma].

News from Novara Asbestos Trial

Dec 24, 2021

The Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy heard testimony on December 20, 2021 from medical and scientific experts for the prosecution about hereditary susceptibility to developing asbestos-related diseases: “the genetic factor alone is not enough. Even where there is a hereditary predisposition, if you don't breathe in asbestos fibres you don't develop the disease because exposure to asbestos is what triggers the onset of mesothelioma.” The next hearing in the case against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny will take place on January 10, 2022. See: Mesotelioma: casi di predisposizione ereditaria, ma nessuno si ammala senza esposizione all’amianto [Mesothelioma: cases of hereditary predisposition, but no one gets sick without exposure to asbestos].

Growing Sustainable & Green Technology

Dec 22, 2021

In 2022, the Italian government is introducing new incentives to encourage citizens to replace toxic asbestos-cement roofing with sustainable green technology: solar panels. Accessing the new subsidies and tax bonuses has been streamlined to encourage a wider take-up of the new schemes to grow renewable energy sources in Italy. The initiatives are enshrined in Legislative Decree 199/2021, which transposed the EU Directive 2018/2001/EU on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. See: Pannelli solari al posto dell'amianto: aumenta il bonus per il tetto green [Solar panels instead of asbestos: increase of bonus for green roof].

Update: Asbestos Criminal Trial

Dec 20, 2021

Evidence heard at the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy on December 13, 2021 in the trial against Stephan Schmidheiny included testimony from prosecution witnesses Professor Corrado Magnani, Dr. Dario Mirabelli Massimiliano Bugiani, Pavilio Piccioni, and Dr Ferruccio Perrelli who highlighted the hundreds of premature deaths caused by toxic exposures to asbestos fibers liberated by the operations of the Eternit asbestos-cement plant in Casale Monferrato. The next hearing on December 20 will feature testimony from Professor Irma Dianzani, and Professor Edoardo Bai, expert witnesses for the prosecution. See: «Senza l’Eternit non ci sarebbero stati a Casale tutti quei mesoteliomi» [“Without the Eternit Plant we wouldn’t have had all those mesotheliomas in Casale”].

Raising Asbestos Awareness in Italy

Dec 17, 2021

A civil society initiative launched in 2019 continues to raise asbestos awareness amongst schoolchildren in the Italian region of Monfalcone. In the academic year 2020-21, pupils in 30 classes in local high schools studied asbestos subject matter to educate them about the history of asbestos use, the properties of asbestos and the region’s toxic industrial legacy. A source book used by the students is called “Polvere” (Dust) by Alessandro Morena which relates the experience of the members of an asbestos victims’ group: Associazione Esposti Amianto e del gruppo vedove dell’amianto [The Association of the Asbestos-Exposed and the Asbestos Widows’ Group]. See: L’amianto a scuola Riparte il progetto “Te lo racconto io” rivolto agli student [Asbestos at school The “I'll tell you about it” project for students starts again].

Laryngeal Cancer Cause: Asbestos Exposure

Dec 14, 2021

Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) has issued a ruling in case no. 38862/2021 accepting a claimant’s demand for recognition of the fact that he contracted laryngeal cancer as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. Lower courts, including the Court of Appeal, had rejected his claim. The favorable ruling by the Supreme Court means that the litigant will be paid benefits by INAIL, Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work. See: Carcinoma alla laringe per esposizione ad amianto, si alla rendita INAIL [Laryngeal cancer due to exposure to asbestos, yes to INAIL annuity].

Update from Novara Trial

Dec 10, 2021

Evidence presented by expert witness including Drs. Gino Barbieri and Dr. Mauro Giulio Papotti on December 6, 2021 in the trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny detailed the evolution of knowledge about the causal link between asbestos exposure and the cancer mesothelioma. The medical records of 30 of the 392 deceased individuals on whose behalf this case was brought by the Public Prosecutors were examined in detail during the day’s proceedings. Each of the deceased had lost, on average, 30 years of life due to his/her cancer. See: Morti anzitempo: il mesotelioma ha soffocato la speranza di vita anche con un anticipo di 30 anni [Early deaths: mesothelioma reduced life expectancy by up to 30 years: stories of women and men].

Asbestos Cancer: A Family Affair

Dec 10, 2021

A court award of €43,000 (US$48,660) for the widow of a worker who had been employed at the Port of Venice, Italy is being appealed by her lawyer Enrico Cornelio who stated that this was a “derisory” sum. Having suffered the loss of her husband, who died from asbestos cancer seven years ago, the claimant is herself now suffering from the same cancer. It is alleged that whilst laundering his contaminated work clothes, she was exposed to asbestos fibers and, as a consequence, contracted cancer. See: Venezia, risarcita la moglie di un morto d’amianto. Lavorava al porto [Venice, the wife of an asbestos dead worker compensated. He worked at the port].

Judicial Betrayal in Ravenna

Dec 6, 2021

Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) rejected allegations that asbestos deaths at the Ravenna petrochemical plant had been the result of criminal actions, according to a verdict handed down last week. Twenty-five former managers and executives of the company which had operated the industrial site between the 1960s and 2012 had been indicted by the public prosecutors over 95 asbestos deaths. Only six of the defendants – one of whom was deceased – were found guilty in the second degree of negligence in relation to a single case of pulmonary asbestosis. See: Ravenna, morti d’amianto al petrolchimico, la Cassazione: nessun colpevole [Asbestos deaths at Ravenna petrochemicals, Cassation (verdict): not guilty].

November 29 Hearing at Asbestos Trial

Dec 6, 2021

Evidence submitted to the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy on November 29, 2021 by expert witnesses explained and quantified Italy’s “red zones,” areas with high incidences of mortality from asbestos-related diseases. Epidemiologists and medical professionals including Dr. Massimo Capra Marzani, Professor Corrado Magnani and Dr. Dario Mirabelli explained the causation of mesothelioma by reference to types and sites of asbestos exposure, induction, latency/preclinical phase and disease manifestation. See: Mesotelioma, come si «insedia» il tumore dopo l’esposizione all’amianto [Mesothelioma, how the tumor “develops” after exposure to asbestos].

Estimates of Asbestos-related Lung Cancer

Dec 1, 2021

Research regarding the number of asbestos-related cases of lung cancer which occurred in various Italian occupational sectors found that the risk was higher for men then women, with the highest figures amongst construction workers who had 2.8 lung cancer deaths to every one mesothelioma death. The scientists estimated that there were 3,814 cases of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure between 2010 and 2015 in Italy. The co-authors of this paper stressed the importance of better information and prevention strategies, improved health surveillance of workers and a more responsive legal protocol for identifying claims. See: L'impatto dell'esposizione occupazionale ad amianto sul tumore del polmone in Italia [The impact of occupational exposure to asbestos on lung cancer in Italy].

Asbestos Dumpsites Full in Italy!

Nov 29, 2021

A persistent problem throughout Italy is the lack of sites for legally disposing of asbestos waste. This issue was raised last week by regional councillor Emanuele Zanon, the former mayor of Cavasso Nuovo. According to Zanon: “All the disposal plants are practically closed and companies are forced to turn to Norway, with skyrocketing costs…The problem is that in Italy there are hardly any sites available to accommodate these materials.” The lack of availability of affordable dump sites will, Zanon warned, lead to illegal and dangerous fly-tipping. See: Emergenza amianto, Zanon lancia l'allarme [Asbestos emergency, Zanon raises the alarm].

Asbestos Trial: Update from Novara

Nov 25, 2021

Testimony heard previously during the criminal trial in Novara, Italy over 392 asbestos deaths that occurred in Casale Monferrato confirmed that: “All 392 persons named in the charges listed against the defendants in the Eternit Bis trial died of mesothelioma, caused by the asbestos fibres they breathed in.” On November 22, 2021, lawyers defending Swiss asbestos tycoon Stephan Schmidheiny – who is charged with voluntary manslaughter – cross-examined prosecution expert medical witnesses about measures used to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased. The next hearing is November 29. See: Difesa al contrattacco: «Mesoteliomi certi solo se confermati da analisi immunoistochimiche» [Defense against the counterattack: “Mesotheliomas are certain only if confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses”].

Death at the Opera House

Nov 24, 2021

The famous Italian Opera House La Scala claimed another victim with the death on November 19, 2021 of 83-year old electrician and sound engineer Franco Colombo who succumbed to mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. In 2019, Mr. Colombo had testified for the prosecution at a trial over asbestos deaths of La Scala colleagues. His is the 14th asbestos death of technicians, singers, musicians, workers and maintenance workers who had worked at the opera house. To date, no one has been held accountable. See: Amianto, morto l’ex fonico della Scala [Asbestos, former La Scala sound engineer has died].

Asbestos Trial: Update from Novara

Nov 22, 2021

The latest court hearing in the case against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny over the asbestos deaths of 392 people in the town of Casale Monferrato took place at the Court of Assizes in Novara on November 15, 2021. During the session, bereaved relatives as well as medical and epidemiological experts gave evidence over the catastrophic results of asbestos contamination caused by operations at Schmidheiny’s asbestos-cement factory. At the next hearing on November 22, the plaintiffs’ and defendant’s lawyers will cross-examine the five consultants who testified on November 15. See: «E’ il mesotelioma la causa di tutte quelle 392 morti»: parlano i consulenti della procura [“Mesothelioma is the cause of all those 392 deaths”: the prosecutor's office consultants speak].

Victim’s Verdict in Pisa

Nov 18, 2021

The Italian Ministry of Defense has been ordered by a court in Pisa to pay compensation for the asbestos cancer death in 2003 of Francesco Volterrani who was exposed to asbestos insulation on naval ships and in suits which he wore whilst performing emergency drills from 1965 till 1993 when he retired. This verdict was hard-fought by the Ministry of Defense which is facing many more such claims from families of thousands of other servicemen who died after exposure to asbestos in the Italian Navy. See: Pisa, morì per l’amianto: ministero condannato al risarcimento danni [Pisa, died of asbestos: ministry ordered to pay damages].

Heartache and Grief: Another Day in Court

Nov 15, 2021

The article cited below continued the coverage of the asbestos trial of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny in the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy with information about the testimony provided on November 8 by bereaved relatives who described, in heart-rending detail, the suffering of mothers, fathers and husbands killed by asbestos exposures. The defendant has been charged in absentia with the voluntary manslaughter of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato who were exposed to asbestos liberated by the operations of his factory. The next hearing has been scheduled for November 15. See: Le storie d’amianto raccontate da quelle voci pacate che urlano come il tuono in un temporale d’agosto [The stories of asbestos told by those quiet voices that scream like thunder in an August storm].

Vindication of Asbestos Whistle Blower

Nov 12, 2021

On October 28, 2021, the Italian Supreme Court confirmed a verdict of the Court of Appeal of Reggio Calabria which had upheld the right of railway worker Antonino Pulitanò to issue an asbestos alert over toxic exposures in the maintenance and inspection department of Trenitalia’s railway plant in Reggio Calabria. Trade unionist Pulitanò had endured disciplinary sanctions which led inevitably to his dismissal from his job for his whistleblowing activities. See: Ferrovie, operaio licenziato per aver denunciato la presenza di amianto vince in Cassazione [Railways, worker sacked for having reported the presence of asbestos wins in the Supreme Court].

Asbestos Compensation and Benefits in Italy

Nov 12, 2021

The text of the article cited below recaps benefits available to Italian asbestos victims from a fund established by Law 244/2007 and regulated by Ministerial Decree 30/2011. The Asbestos Victims Fund provides additional financial compensation for pensioners with asbestos exposure-related illnesses and, in the event of death, for their surviving relatives. To obtain these benefits, claimants must apply to the Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro [the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work/ INAIL]. See: Fondo Vittime per l’Amianto: cos’è, come funziona e gli ultimi aggiornamenti [Victims Fund for Asbestos: what it is, how it works and the latest updates].

Remove Asbestos, Save the Planet!

Nov 8, 2021

The publication on November 2, 2021 of the paper cited below could not have been more timely, coinciding as it did with COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Co-authors Alessia Angelini and Stefano Silvestri showed how tax incentives to encourage the removal of asbestos-cement roofing in Italy would benefit the economy by generating tens of thousands of new jobs, the population by preventing exposures to a known carcinogen cancer, and the planet by replacing asbestos-cement roofing with safer and better performing material which would result in energy savings. See: Asbestos Removal Acceleration for New Jobs and Fossil Fuel Use Reduction for Public Health and Climate Readiness: A Contribution to the Revival of the Italian Economy Post-COVID-19.

State Accepts Asbestos Liabilities

Nov 3, 2021

A flood of claims for asbestos-related deaths of dock workers at the Port of Trieste has forced the Italian Government to take action and allocate €20 million (US$23m) over two years for total compensation payments for these claims. Since 2005, 44 asbestos claims against the Port Authority have been upheld; it has been estimated that the 14 cases which remain pending could cost €5m to settle. As 2,000 dockers had been employed at the Port between the 1960s and 1990s, there could be many more claims to come. See: Portuali vittime dell’amianto fondo risarcimenti da 5 milioni [ Compensation fund of 5 million for port asbestos victims].

Guilty of Asbestos Manslaughter!

Oct 27, 2021

Last week, the Court of Appeal in Lecce, Italy sentenced former company directors Sergio Noce and Attilio Angelini to one year and ten months of imprisonment for the manslaughter of six workers who had died from asbestos-related diseases caused by toxic occupational exposures. Sergio Noce, now 84, was a director between 1982 and 1984 of Italsider, Italy’s largest steel producer. Attilio Angelini was employed as a company manager between 1984 and 1987. Both sentences were suspended. Before this ruling, other verdicts in this case had been issued and cancelled by the Court of Cassation and the Court of Appeal. See: Ex Italsider, morti per amianto: condannati due ex dirigenti [Former Italsider, dead of asbestos: two former executives sentenced].

Legal Win for Bereaved Family

Oct 25, 2021

Last week Dr. Tania De Antoniis, a Judge of the Court of Ancona Labor and Social Security Section issued a victim’s verdict over the mesothelioma cancer death in 2017 of a worker who had been employed building ovens over a thirty year period. For decades, asbestos-containing products had been used to insulate the ovens. The Judge dismissed the arguments advanced by the defendant who had asserted that the death had been caused by environmental not occupational exposures to asbestos, awarding the family €900,000 (US$1 million). See: Amianto killer, risarcimento da 900 mila euro [Asbestos killer, compensation of 900 thousand euros].

Asbestos Alert in Italy!

Oct 20, 2021

This month, an initiative has been launched by trade unions and business groups in Italy to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst workers in the construction, renovation and demolition sectors. Both hard and virtual copies of the brochure entitled “Asbestos Eye” are being circulated to provide updated information on procedures required to protect workers from toxic exposures. According to Giacomo Meloni, President of one of the project’s sponsoring partners: “When in doubt about whether asbestos is present at a worksite. it is better to stop and have the experts verify” the situation rather than take any risks. See: Confartigianato Sardegna: un opuscolo contro il rischio amianto [Confartigianato Sardegna: a brochure on how to avoid asbestos risks].

Victims’ Verdict in Bari

Oct 18, 2021

Earlier this month (October 2021), Italian Judge Agnese Angiuli of the Bari Court, Labor Section issued victims’ verdicts which recognized the right of two former Alitalia employees to retire early and receive an uplift in pension payments because of their occupational exposure to asbestos at the Naples and Bari-Palese airports for more than 25 years. See: Dipendenti ex Alitalia Esposti ad Amianto all’Aeroporto Capodichino di Napoli: Il Tribunale Condenna INPS al Prepensionamento [Former Alitalia Employees Exposed to Asbestos at Naples Capodichino Airport: The Court Instructs INPS to allow early retirement].

Government Asbestos Payments Increase

Oct 12, 2021

An announcement on September 27, 2021, clarified changes that will be made on January 1, 2022 to compensation payments to Italian asbestos victims by the National Institute for Insurance against Occupational Accidents and Diseases (INAIL). The changes include a monthly increase equivalent to 15% of the retirement pension and one-off payments of €10,000 to mesothelioma patients or surviving relatives as long as applications for this benefit were made within three years of when the condition was diagnosed. See: L'indennità per le vittime di amianto diventa mensile [Compensation for asbestos victims goes monthly].

New Asbestos Victims’ Outreach Project

Sep 23, 2021

Earlier this week, the Emilia Romagna branch of the Italian asbestos victims’ group AFeVA announced plans to open a bureau in Rimini on October 4, 2021 to provide on-the-spot information and support for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases and people who have concerns about toxic exposures. Other AFeVA Emilia Romagna branches are already up and running in the Italian cities of Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Rubiera, Ravenna, Faenza, Ferrara and Rovigo. See: AFeVA ER Sportelli Amianto: apre lo sportello amianto di Rimini [AFeVA ER Asbestos branches: opens the asbestos branch in Rimini].

Asbestos Exposure at the Laundry

Sep 21, 2021

An Italian lawsuit on behalf of a woman who had contracted mesothelioma after decades of asbestos exposure at a dry-cleaning establishment has succeeded. After attempts to gain recognition of her disease as occupationally-caused had been unsuccessful in 2017, the action was launched. On September 8, 2021, the Court of Bologna officially recognized the professional nature of the claimant’s disease and ordered INAIL, a government agency, to backdate to 2017 her occupational pension. See: AFeVA Bologna – Riconoscimento Malattia Professionale per Mesotelioma in ex lavoratrice stiratrice in un lavasecco industrial dal 1953 al 1962 [AFeVA Bologna – Recognition of mesothelioma as occupational disease in worker employed from 1953 to 1962 at dry cleaning workshop].

Asbestos Trial: Update

Sep 20, 2021

Witnesses for the prosecution scheduled to testify at the Italian trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on September 17, 2021 included the President of the Piedmont Region Alberto Cirio, trade unionist and ban asbestos campaigner Bruno Pesce and Giuliana Busto, the President of Casale Monferrato’s asbestos victims’ group: AFeVA. On Monday, the Mayor of the town of Casale Monferrato Federico Riboldi, architect Piercarla Coggiola and Giovanna Patrucco are scheduled to testify. See: Eternit Bis: nelle testimonianze in aula rivivono i morti d'amianto [Eternit Bis: in the testimony in the courtroom the dead of asbestos come back to life].

Inequitable Ruling by Rome Tribunal

Sep 15, 2021

According to the article cited below, the Regional Administrative Court of Rome recently issued a verdict agreeing with the family of a non-commissioned Army officer who died from cancer in 2013 that his illness had been caused by “prolonged exposure to asbestos.” The soldier had enlisted in the Italian army in 1988 and served in military campaigns in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Bosnia, where asbestos was used in armored vehicles, helicopters and elsewhere. He did not receive any warning about the hazard posed by asbestos exposure. Despite acknowledging the cause of his death, the Judges did not award the family compensation. See: <“Innumerevoli missioni in teatri bellici, maresciallo ucciso dall’amianto” [“Countless missions in war theaters, marshall killed by asbestos”].

Asbestos Trial over Underground Deaths

Sep 15, 2021

On September 10, 2021, the trial over asbestos-related deaths of six workers from the company which operated the underground transport system in Milan began in the Milan Court of Appeal. The deceased, who had succumbed to their injuries between 2009 and 2015, had been occupationally exposed to asbestos in subway tunnels and in railway carriages. The former manager of the transport company Elio Gambini stands accused of manslaughter, having been acquitted in the first instance by Judge Maria Idra Gurgo di Castelmenandro. See: Amianto nella metropolitana milanese, processo verso l'epilogo [Asbestos in the Milanese underground, epilogue trial].

Plans for Asbestos Waste Site Abandoned!

Aug 16, 2021

On August 10, 2021, the guardians of the Cava Vailata site, formerly intended to be developed as an asbestos landfill by the TEAM SpA company which is now in bankruptcy, relinquished the 80,000 square meters property – equivalent to eleven football fields – to the municipality which plans to use it as an urban nature park. Welcoming the news, Treviglio Mayor Juri Imeri said: “A nightmare ends, and forever: no landfill in Treviglio!” See: Addio per sempre alla discarica di amianto, la Cava Vailata diventerà un parco naturalistico [Farewell forever to the asbestos landfill, Cava Vailata will become a nature park].

Sicily’s Plan for Asbestos Eradication

Aug 13, 2021

Last week, a “Plan for the Protection of the Environment, Decontamination, Disposal and Reclamation for Protection against the Asbestos Hazard” was published in the Official Journal of the Sicilian Region. One of the main aims of the initiative was to stop the illegal disposal of asbestos throughout rural areas of Sicily. According to the President of Sicily Nello Musumeci this plan, which was thirty years in the making, will: “bring order to the complex work of total removal of the asbestos present in all public and private buildings on the island.” See: Sicilia, dopo quasi 30 anni esiste un Piano regionale per l’amianto. Musumeci: “Un importante strumento” [Sicily, after almost 30 years there is a regional plan for asbestos. Musumeci: “An important tool”].

Asbestos Action in Umbria: Update

Aug 6, 2021

Conflict in the Umbria Region over asbestos outreach and support work by the regional government continues to rage, with politicians from the Five Star Party making accusations of inaction. Regional Councillor for Health and Welfare Luca Coletto said that despite the pandemic, hundreds of at-risk workers had received medicals, and surveillance and awareness raising activities had been progressed. In addition, Coletto added, thousands of site inspections were carried out and plans advanced for a “new Regional Prevention Plan to be carried out… to update the monitoring of public and private sites in which the presence of asbestos-cement products is found.” See: Amianto, il punto di Coletto: “Non trascuriamo i lavoratori, ecco i dati” [Asbestos, Coletto says: “Let's not neglect the workers, here are the data”].

The Deafening Silence of Asbestos

Aug 4, 2021

The heading above is the title of a new book by Alberto Gaino which documented the appalling repercussions of corporate crimes in Italy, examining, amongst other scandals, the fallout from the country’s mining and consumption of asbestos. Gaino cited documents, explained social and legal developments and considered the multiple issues which led to the catastrophic loss of life due to asbestos exposures in Italian towns like Casale Monferrato, which prohibited the production and marketing of Eternit [asbestos] products on December 3, 1987, 5 years before the Italian government did so. See: Il silenzio “assordante” dell’amianto [The "deafening" silence of asbestos].

Update: Asbestos Trial

Jul 22, 2021

At the July 19, 2021 hearing in the asbestos trial of the Swiss billionaire owner of Eternit, the names of the 392 people who died from, allegedly, inhaling Eternit asbestos were read out. The defendant is charged by prosecutors with manslaughter over the deaths of 63 workers and 320 members of the public from the town of Casale Monferrato in the Piedmont region of Italy. Also read out was a list of proposed witnesses – from a 120-page document – included in which was PM Mario Draghi. During the day, discussions over limiting the number of witnesses to be called took place. See: Processo Eternit-Bis, la Corte d'Assise ammette il premier Draghi tra i testimoni [Eternit-Bis trial, the Court of Assizes admits Prime Minister Draghi among the witnesses].

Asbestos and Liver Cancer!

Jul 19, 2021

Italian researchers will soon publish results of an investigation which confirmed findings in 2013 that linked exposure to asbestos to an increased risk of liver cancer. The original study was undertaken by a team in Bologna led by Professor Giovanni Brandi, who recently said that there was solid evidence: “of a correlation between exposure to asbestos and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and in particular of the liver… We published a retrospective study that highlighted how the possibility of contracting cholangiocarcinoma is 5 times greater for people who have been exposed to asbestos. Furthermore, a prospective study is about to be published…where the risk has increased by even 7 times.” See: L'amianto colpisce anche il fegato [Asbestos also affects the liver].

Justice: Not Seen, Not Heard

Jul 14, 2021

As members of the asbestos victims’ group Afeva settled themselves in the Novara Court of Assizes to witness legal proceedings in the manslaughter trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on July 12, 2021, the President of the Court of Assizes Gianfranco Pezone ordered they be removed, citing Covid regulations. Arguing their case, stalwart Afeva member Bruno Pesce said: “We are few and the room is empty. While we are here, as always, let us stay.” They were ordered to leave the Court. The legal arguments recommenced after they left the chamber. See: I membri di Afeva allontanati dall'aula all'Eternit Bis [Afeva members removed from the Eternit Bis (hearing) courtroom].

Sad Day for Italian Justice

Jul 12, 2021

Late in the evening of July 9, 2021, Criminal Section IV of the Italian Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) confirmed a 2019 verdict of the Milan Court of Appeal acquitting former executives of the manslaughter of 15 employees who had died from asbestos cancer caused by toxic exposures at an Alfa Romeo factory in the municipality of Arese in the Milan Metropolitan area. The defendants had been accused over their failures to adopt precautionary protocols between 1974 and 1996 which would have prevented toxic exposures of members of the workforce. See: Amianto all’Alfa di Arese Tutti assolti [Asbestos (exposures) at Arese Alfa (factory) – All acquitted].

Manslaughter Charges over Asbestos Deaths?

Jul 12, 2021

The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the asbestos cancer deaths of four workers who had been employed at production sites owned by the Iveco company in the city of Bolzano in Italy’s South Tyrol Province. Deputy prosecutor Andrea Sacchetti is in charge of the complex investigation which will involve accumulating data and evidence documenting conditions experienced by the workforce at multiple sites over up to forty years. See: Quattro decessi sospetti per amianto [Four suspected deaths from asbestos].

Milan Court Sanctions MoD

Jul 10, 2021

A victim’s ruling by a Labor Judge in the Court of Milan ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay compensation to the orphaned child of a mesothelioma patient who died in 2017, having been exposed to asbestos whilst on military service in Venice from March 1963 to April 1964. The MoD was ordered to pay a lump sum of €430,000+ (US$509,000) as well as two monthly life-time pensions equalling €1533 (US$1815). See: Amianto, ministero Difesa condannato a risarcire orfana di ex lagunare a Venezia morto per mesotelioma pleurico [Asbestos, Ministry of Defense ordered to compensate orphan of a Venice serviceman who died of pleural mesothelioma].

National Asbestos Cancer Epidemic

Jul 7, 2021

A new paper by Italian researchers analyzed historical asbestos consumption figures in order to construct epidemiological models to forecast the incidence in Italy of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) mortality until 2039. The authors reported that as the economic cost of each case of MPM was as much as €250,000 (US$296,000), the total economic cost of MPM for Italian men during the period 2020–2039 could be as high as €3,875,000,000 (US$4.589bn). The researchers concluded that the Italian MPM epidemic will reach its peak in 2021 with a predicted number of 1122 cases among men. See: Effect of Asbestos Consumption on Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Italy: Forecasts of Mortality up to 2040.

R.I.P. Marco!

Jul 5, 2021

On July 3, 2021, the asbestos victims’ group AFeVA ER in Emilia-Romagna, Italy announced the asbestos cancer death of 60-year-old Marco Valdisserra, a stalwart campaigner for the rights of asbestos victims, a trade unionist and a former worker at Bologna’s railway repair workshop. Like many of his colleagues, Marco had been occupationally exposed to asbestos by his employer for decades. On July 9, Marco would have celebrated his 61st birthday. In the announcement of his death, AFeVA ER expressed its sadness at the fact that Covid restrictions meant that group members were unable to spend time with Marco during his final months. See: Oggi ci ha lasciato Marco Valdisserra [Marco Valdisserra left us today].

Victim’s Verdict for Submariner’s Family

Jun 28, 2021

A verdict by the Civil Court in Rome ordered the Ministry of Defence to pay compensation of €1.5 million (US$1.8m) to the surviving family of a submariner who died from mesothelioma 60 years after he had been exposed to asbestos during military service. This decision was welcomed as a landmark judgment as it affirmed “the principle that conscripts exposed to asbestos on duty in the Navy, as in other Italian armed forces are entitled to compensation for injuries…” See: L’amianto affonda la Marina Militare: il Tribunale di Roma condanna il Ministero della Difesa a pagare 1 milione e mezzo di euro per la morte di un militare [Asbestos sinks the Navy: the Court of Rome orders the Ministry of Defense to pay 1.5 million euros for the death of a soldier].

Mesothelioma Research: Good News

Jun 25, 2021

The mesothelioma epidemic in Italy continues to claim thousands of lives every year with a further 2,000 cases diagnosed in 2020. Areas with elevated incidences of this cancer include Piedmont and especially the Casale Monferrato area, where Europe’s largest asbestos-cement factory was located. Until now, there have been few treatment options for mesothelioma patients but in recent days good news was announced by Italian and British researchers at the Congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology about the use of immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatments to extend survival time and prevent the recurrence of disease. See: Mesotelioma, nuovi spiragli per il «big killer» provocato dall'amianto [Mesothelioma, new glimmers for (confronting) the “big killer” caused by asbestos].

Victim’s Verdict in Liverno

Jun 23, 2021

A Court in Livorno, Italy issued a victim’s verdict over the asbestos death in 2010 of Romano Posarelli, who had worked at the Rosignano plant belonging to the Solvay chemical company from 1974 till 1993. Solvay did not, Labor Judge Sara Maffei found, “even adopt the minimum measures envisaged to combat [toxic] inhalation” nor “informed the workers in relation to the risks and precautions to be taken.” The company was ordered to pay the family €558,000 (US$634,000). See: Amianto, Solvay dovrà risarcire 558mila euro al figlio di un operaio morto per carcinoma. “Danno biologico trasmissibile agli eredi” [Asbestos, Solvay will have to pay 558 thousand euros to the son of a worker who died of carcinoma. “Biological damage that can be transmitted to the heirs”].

Palermo Court Condemns Railway Company

Jun 21, 2021

A Palermo Court issued a victim’s verdict when it ruled that the railway company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. pay compensation to the family of an employee who died in 2008 at the age of 61 from mesothelioma caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Commenting on the verdict, the family’s lawyers said: “We are satisfied with the ruling which confirmed what we have always argued in court, namely that during the 1990s, Ferrovie dello Stato S.p.A. (today Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA) not only did not protect its workers, but also put passengers and all those who lived in those areas in grave danger.” See: Morte da amianto. Ha lavorato alla stazione di Alcamo. Rfi dovrà risarcire la famiglia [Death from asbestos of worker employed at Alcamo station. RFI will have to compensate the family].

Victory for Petrochemical Workers

Jun 18, 2021

With the confirmation of the sentence handed down by the Bari Court of Appeal in case n.250/2021, 11 retired workers of an Italian petrochemical company – Petrochemical Enichem Agricoltura – received recognition of occupational asbestos exposures and, as a result, will be able to access social security benefits as per law Law no. 257 of 1992. To achieve this result has taken over 9 years of litigation. The claimants’ lawyer Angela Nobile said this was a “social and human victory.” See: Esposti all’amianto per decenni, 11 ex dipendenti dell'Enichem vedono riconosciuti i benefici contributivi: “Vittoria sociale e umana” [Exposed to asbestos for decades, 11 former employees of Enichem have their contribution benefits recognized: “Social and human victory”].

Another Railway Death

Jun 16, 2021

This week an Italian court sentenced the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana Spa (Italian Railway Network/RFI) to pay damages exceeding €1 million to the family of a 57-year old railway maintenance mechanic who died of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased began work in 1984 at the large repair workshops in Vicenza and more latterly worked at the vehicle maintenance workshops in Padua; he was exposed to asbestos at both sites and the company was condemned for failing to adopt appropriate measures to safeguard the health of workers. See: Morti da amianto, maxi-risarcimento alla famiglia di un dipendente RFI [Deaths from asbestos, maxi-compensation to the family of an RFI employee].

New Asbestos Criminal Trial

Jun 10, 2021

A historic criminal trial against a former asbestos billionaire began in Italy on June 9, 2021. The case is being heard by the Assize Court of the City of Novara in an auditorium at the University of Novara to accommodate the huge numbers of interested parties including relatives of the deceased. The defendant is facing charges of voluntary homicide with possible wilful misconduct over 392 deaths of workers and members of the public who died from their exposures to Eternit asbestos. See: Vittime dell’amianto, l’università di Novara diventa tribunale per il processo “Eternit bis” [Victims of asbestos, the University of Novara becomes a court for the "Eternit bis" trial].

Eternit Italy: Update

Jun 7, 2021

On June 9, 2021, another civil trial will begin over the behaviour of the Eternit asbestos company which has been convicted in multiple Italian jurisdictions of causing the deaths of workers and members of the public as well as environmental damage. The proceedings will take place at the Court of Assizes in Novara. The commune of Balzola in the Province of Alessandra is one of the civil parties in the trial referred to as Eternit bis. Commenting on the upcoming trial, Balzola’s Mayor Marco Torriano said: “It is a duty and important to stand alongside the victims also in this second trial for the environmental disaster caused by asbestos.” See: Balzola si costituisce parte civile al processo Eternit Bis [Balzola is a civil party in the Eternit Bis trial].

Managing Naturally Occurring Asbestos

Jun 2, 2021

Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) has published a book entitled “Natural asbestos and work environments” which details issues related to the presence of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) in Italy and protocols to safely manage NOA in relation to specific work activities such as the extraction and processing of ornamental stones and crushed stone, excavations for road and railway tunnels, agricultural work, and the removal and disposal/remediation of ballast etc. See: Inail: ambienti di lavoro e rischi dell’amianto di origine naturale [Inail: work environments and risks from asbestos of natural origin].

Bari’s Asbestos Legacy

Jun 1, 2021

The legacy of asbestos use in the Italian city of Bari included toxic workplace exposures: at Fibronit factories, at building sites and in shipyards, according to an interview with specialist lawyer Pierpaolo Petruzzelli. Petruzzelli explained that asbestos was used on ships in cables and circuits, for hot water pipes, on bulkheads and in oil tanks. In the 1970s and 1980s, many Italian seafarers worked for large American companies or companies flying the Liberian or Panamanian flag. Since 2008, Petruzzelli has obtained compensation for 400 asbestos injured maritime workers, mainly from Puglia. See: Amianto, la sfida di un avvocato barese: «Chiedo risarcimenti per chi si è ammalato sulle navi» [Asbestos, the challenge of a lawyer from Bari: “I seek compensation for those who got sick on ships”].

Asbestos Cancer Reduction Program

May 25, 2021

A new medical initiative in the north-west of Italy entitled "Feasibility study for lung cancer screening in subjects exposed to asbestos and tobacco" will examine 13,000 smokers who were exposed to asbestos in the Giuliana Isontina Health Authority, because of their elevated risk of contracting asbestos cancer. The purpose of this program is to achieve a reduction in lung cancer mortality by detecting at an early stage lung lesions using low-dose radiation computed tomography. The budget for the program is €10,000 (US$12,180). See: Screening per esposti ad amianto e fumatori [Screening for asbestos-exposed and smokers].

Unions Mobilize over Toxic Legacy

May 24, 2021

Trade unions on Sicily have denounced continued failures by the authorities to address the industrial and environmental legacy posed by the historic use of asbestos and the dumping of asbestos waste on the island. More than 100 people are dying every year from asbestos-related diseases on Sicily. Reacting to data in the latest issue of the National Mesothelioma Register, the CGIL, CISL and UIL unions have launched a campaign with the slogan “Sicilia Asianto Free!” (Asbestos Free Sicily). The unions are calling for the implementation of a regional asbestos plan to address the multi-faceted challenges posed by the island’s asbestos legacy. See: Amianto, ancora cento morti l’anno in Sicilia. Le proposte di Cgil, Cisl e Uil [Asbestos, one hundred more deaths a year in Sicily. The proposals of CGIL, CISL and UIL].

Asbestos Disposal: Update

May 17, 2021

Disposing of asbestos and asbestos-containing debris is a complicated matter in the Italian Province of Tuscany. An helpful information sheet explains who householders should contact and how the disposal of asbestos waste can be legally accomplished. Answers to the following questions are provided: when is it legal for citizens to remove small amounts of asbestos-cement material; when should a specialist contractor be contacted; what agency is responsible for monitoring the presence of deteriorating ac material. While different areas in Tuscany have different contact points and procedures, the dumping of asbestos waste anywhere in the Province is a serious crime. See: Amianto: chi fa cosa in Toscana [Asbestos: who does what in Tuscany].

Illegal Foundations for Luxury Complex

May 13, 2021

This week, police in the Southern Italian Province of Caserta announced that a building site for luxury apartments had been seized due to the presence of asbestos waste in the structure’s foundation. The discovery led the State Police to seize the property on the orders of the of the Public Prosecutor of Santa Maria Capua Vetere who had authorized sophisticated and technical investigations, including core drilling and analyses carried out through georadar which established the presence of asbestos and asbestos-cement waste in the foundations. See: Amianto interrato nelle fondamenta, sequestrato un complesso di appartamenti di lusso a Marcianise [Asbestos buried in the foundations, a luxury apartment complex in Marcianise seized].

Asbestos Eradication Program

May 12, 2021

Work commissioned by the Province of Ragua to collect and dispose of asbestos-containing waste which had been dumped in the countryside of twelve Italian towns was carried out between the end of April and the first week of May 2021 as per a memorandum of understanding that had been signed by the civic authorities. The operatives contracted for this project collected 8,000 kilograms of toxic waste which will be transferred to an authorized landfill. Some removal work will be continuing in the coming weeks. See: Raccolte Otto Tonnellate di Amianto [Collected Eight Tons of Asbestos].

Cancer Research Update: Hephestin

May 6, 2021

On the eve of the International Day for Asbestos Victims, Violetta Borelli – a researcher from the University of Trieste – provided a progress update to delegates attending a conference in Monfalcone, Italy. With sponsorship from the League Against Caner and the City of Monfalcone, scientists had made a step forward with the identification of a variant of hephestin, a protein responsible for the absorption of iron in the intestine, which was more expressed by people exposed to asbestos but who had not become ill. Borellia explained that the objective of the research was to identify a link between the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases and a genetic predisposition to contract these diseases. See: Amianto, procede la ricerca verso nuove cure [Asbestos, the search for new treatments continues].

Asbestos at the Opera

May 5, 2021

Last week, acquittals were handed down by the Milan Court in a case brought against former directors of La Scala Opera House – Carlo Fontana, Giovanni Traina, Francesco Malgrande and Maria Rosaria Samoggia – who had been charged with the manslaughter of 10 workers who had died from diseases caused by occupational asbestos exposures. Having heard the verdict, victims’ campaigners called out: “Shame, they were killed for the second time.” See: Amianto, assolti i quattro ex dirigenti del Teatro alla Scala imputati per omicidio colposo di dieci operai esposti all’amianto [Asbestos, the four former directors of the Teatro alla Scala accused of the manslaughter of ten workers exposed to asbestos acquitted].

Another Health Disaster in Sardinia

Apr 27, 2021

The legacy posed by asbestos use and dumping in Sardinia has caused thousands of deaths and continues to endanger the lives of the population, according to the Asbestos Exposed Association which has just released a report documenting the “unacceptable” underestimation made by the authorities of the seriousness of the contamination. The facts are startling: despite some remediation, there are still: 18 million square meters of asbestos-containing material, 9,000+ km of asbestos cement water pipes, 2,850 public buildings including schools, hospitals, sports facilities, courthouses, post offices containing asbestos, 1,750 industrial sites, to be reclaimed, etc. See: Sardegna libera dalla minaccia amianto? “Traguardo ancora lontano” [Sardinia free from the asbestos threat? “Milestone still far away”].

Save the Planet and the Workers

Apr 26, 2021

An article about efforts by the European Union to increase protection for workers from asbestos exposures explained that the measures proposed would be implemented as part of the EU’s push for the adoption of green and digital technologies. Italian MEPs, including Elena Lizzi in the Employment and Social Affairs Commission, were supporting these plans in order to protect citizens. “There are,” said Lega “between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths per year in the European Union, and by 2025 there could be a peak in pathologies caused by contact with this material…The European Beating Cancer Plan includes prevention among its pillars, which is fundamental to prevent occupational cancers which cause 52% of deaths at work.” See: Green e digitale per affrontare il problema amianto [Green and digital to tackle the asbestos problem].

Victims’ Verdict in Venice

Apr 26, 2021

Labor Judge Barbara Bortot of the Court of Venice awarded compensation of €853,000 (US$1,032,000) to the family of an Italian port worker who died from asbestos cancer in 2011. This sum is believed to be a record for an occupationally-caused asbestos death of a dockworker. The defendant was the Port System Authority for the Northern Adriatic Sea; the District Attorney of the State of Venice contested the applicants’ claim. See: Amianto, risarcimento record per un portuale morto nel 2011 [Asbestos, record compensation for a docker who died in 2011].

Belice Earthquake Asbestos Remediations

Apr 19, 2021

The sum of €9 million has been allocated by the regional government for eleven projects in the Sicilian cities of Agrigento, Trapani and Palermo to remediate asbestos contamination caused by the Belice earthquake. According to the Mayor of Montevago, Magherita La Rocca Ruvolo the funding will enable: “significant redevelopment and environmental remediation interventions for the disposal of asbestos deriving from dismantling of the slums built after the earthquake that destroyed many towns in the valley in 1968.” See: Amianto, bonifica Belìce, La Rocca Ruvolo, plauso a Musumeci [Asbestos, Belìce reclamation, La Rocca Ruvolo, applause for Musumeci].

Sad Announcement

Apr 8, 2021

On April 2, 2021, respected occupational medicine specialist and civil society activist Dr Angelo Mancini died aged 68 at Novara hospital in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. Dr Mancini had been at the forefront of efforts to reclaim asbestos-contaminated sites in the town and was a key advisor to the Turin public prosecutor who brought the largest asbestos class action against international defendants for the damage their decisions had done to factory workers, family members and local residents in Italian cities. See: Addio ad Angelo Mancini, il trinese pioniere della lotta all'amianto [Farewell to Angelo Mancini, the Trino pioneer in the fight against asbestos].

Milan Court: Victim’s Verdict

Apr 8, 2021

Last week, a court in Milan recognized the culpability of Sacfem – formerly one of the largest employers in Arezzo, eastern Tuscany – and awarded substantial damages (€600,000+/ US$705,000) to the family of a worker who had died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma contracted as a result of occupational exposures to asbestos. Sacfem, which closed 40 years ago, initially specialized in the production of railway carriages and then branched out into the production of building materials, at its height employing 1,000 people. See: Ucciso dall’amianto: maxi-risarcimento a ex operaio Sacfem [Killed by asbestos: maxi-compensation to a former Sacfem worker (subscription site)].

Asbestos in the Air Force

Mar 26, 2021

A court in Treviso, a city in northern Italy, has recognized as occupationally-caused the 2015 asbestos cancer death (from mesothelioma) of a non-commissioned officer who had served as an Air Force engineer for 40 years repairing military aircraft. As a result of this ruling, his widow will be eligible for compensation including a one-off payment plus a monthly pension of €1,600 (US$1,900) as well as other benefits. See: Amianto, sottufficiale morto di cancro riconosciuto “vittima del dovere:” risarcimento e pensione alla moglie [Asbestos, a non-commissioned officer who died of cancer recognized as a “victim of duty:” compensation and pension for his wife].

Mesothelioma Mortality Data 2021

Mar 23, 2021

The accuracy of data released by the Emilia-Romagna Mesothelioma Registry is being questioned by Italian asbestos victims’ campaigners who believe that the impact of Covid-19 may have negatively impacted on the results produced. During the epidemic, patients with the disease may not have been diagnosed and deaths caused by it may not have been recognized. A report on this matter to the Italian asbestos victims’ group AFeVA concluded: “It is therefore appropriate to wait for the conclusion of the COVID-19 affair and greater stabilization of the data to draw more reliable assessments…” See: Casi di Mesotelioma Report aggiornato al 31/12/2020 [Mesothelioma Cases Report updated to 31/12/2020].

Deceleration of Asbestos Remediation

Mar 19, 2021

The former Mayor of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato – at the epicenter of the country’s asbestos scandal – has denounced the lack of progress being made in the remediation of the municipality’s infrastructure. Giorgio Demezzi, who remains a town councillor, said that despite the availability of funding, work had slowed to an unacceptable pace. Supporting Demezzi’s comments Bruno Pesce, from the local asbestos victims’ support group, bemoaned a decrease in public consultation and briefings by town officials over reclamation plans warning that the failure to eradicate asbestos created a public health hazard: “Everyone's health is at stake.” See: “Per Casale restano fermi 33 milioni per le bonifiche dell’amianto” [“For Casale, 33 million remain for asbestos remediation”].

Asbestos Disability Pensions Deadline

Mar 18, 2021

A March 31, 2021 deadline is looming for applicants wishing to submit claims for special social security disability pension benefits due to asbestos-related diseases contracted through occupational exposures in Italy. People whose conditions have been recognized by INAIL [the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work] must file their claims electronically via the portal of the INPS [National Institute of Social Security]. See: Amianto, Domande entro il 31 Marzo per la pensione speciale di inabilità [Asbestos, Applications by March 31 for the special disability pension].

Monument to the Asbestos Dead

Mar 18, 2021

The wording and positioning of a monument to the asbestos fallen have been confirmed by the Association of Families Exposed to Asbestos (AFEA) with the municipality of La Spezia, on the north-western coast of Italy. The inscription on the commemorative plaque will be: “In memory of all the Victims, Workers and Citizens, whose lives ended prematurely because of asbestos.” The monument, which will be made of Carrara marble, will be sited in the Piazza Caduti per la libertà La Spezia [the Square of those who died for Freedom]. See: Vittime dell'amianto, ecco la lapide commemorative [Victims of asbestos, here is the commemorative plaque].

Asbestos Exposé: Sardinia Scandal

Mar 11, 2021

An investigative exposé uploaded to the internet on Sunday March 7, 2021 detailed the clandestine journey of asbestos debris from Northern and Central Italy to Sardinia on the vessel Maria Grazia Onorato which docked on March 4 at the commercial port of Cagliari. The 20,000 tonnes of toxic waste were conveyed along public roads to the Carbonia landfill in open white sacks at the mercy of air currents and movement of the trucks, with no attempts made to protect drivers or bystanders from hazardous exposures. TV cameramen filming the disposal of the waste at the site were threatened. Despite Sardinian regulations banning the export of waste to the island, the dump remains open for business. See: Veleni: sottoterra l'amianto del Nord Italia [Poisons: asbestos underground from Northern Italy].

Another Railway Death!

Mar 11, 2021

The Emilia-Romagna branch of the Italian asbestos victims’ support group AFeVA reported the asbestos cancer death of Mauro Roda on March 4, 2021, four years after his illness had been diagnosed. During his employment in the Electrical Systems Division of the State Railways in Bologna from 1970 to 1996, Mr. Roda had routinely been exposed to asbestos on the equipment and in the tunnels and structures along the railway tracks. As a result, he contracted mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. See: Continua la strage dell’amianto [The asbestos massacre continues].

Asbestos Disposal in Italy

Mar 9, 2021

Under cover of darkness, a ship loaded with hundreds of tonnes of asbestos waste from northern Italy arrived at the Sardinian port of Cagliari on March 4, 2021 with its illegal cargo destined for the Sulcis landfill. There were no inspections at the docks and no measures taken to protect those unloading or transporting the dangerous shipment. The export of the hazardous waste was carried out despite a total ban on importing such material to the island. Commenting on this situation, the author of the article cited below said: “…the Italian waste lobby considers Sardinia a real open-air dump for very dangerous poisons.” See: Amianto killer, nella notte lo sbarco nell'Isola [Asbestos killer, landed under the cover of darkness on island].

Happy Birthday to Asbestos Campaigner!

Mar 8, 2021

AFeVA, the Italian asbestos action group based in Casale Monferrato, marked the 92nd birthday of its honorary President Romana Blasotti Pavesi on March 3. As the President of AFeVA for 30 years, Romana spearheaded a three-pronged strategy calling for remediation, research and restitution, part of which included legal action against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who has been convicted in multiple Italian jurisdictions over his role in Italy’s epidemic of asbestos mortality. (For more about the work of this formidable campaigner see: In Appreciation of Romana Blasotti Pavesia.)
See: Auguri Romana [Greetings Romana].

Asbestos Remediation of Hospitals

Mar 5, 2021

Authorities in the Marche Region, on the east coast of Italy, have allocated €650,000 to remove asbestos from specific sections of designated hospitals in the cities of Petritoli, Montegranaro and Montegiorgio. This work is part of a coordinated program for 21 hospitals and health facilities in the region. Commissioner Baldelli explained that: “the financing of these interventions in the area have been subject to specific priorities and criteria that have taken into consideration health and hospital structures that consider the use of these structures throughout the whole day.” See: Amianto negli ospedali: piano per rimuoverlo [Asbestos in hospitals: plan to remove it].

Deadly Asbestos Legacy

Mar 4, 2021

It has been estimated that 40 million tonnes of asbestos-containing material remain incorporated within the Italian infrastructure – including 2,400 schools used by 350,000 pupils and 50,000 teachers – despite decades of work to address the contamination. In asbestos hotspots – like the Milan suburb of Sesto San Giovanni where two asbestos factories had been located – two members of the local asbestos defence committee were buried in one week. Gianfranco Rizzieri died from the asbestos cancer peritoneal mesothelioma; he had never worked with asbestos but lived near asbestos-processing factories. The other deceased was Franco Zanon, aged 61. See: Sesto, in una settimana due morti d'amianto [Sixth, two asbestos deaths in one week].

Streamlining Social Security Claims Process

Mar 3, 2021

Circular Number 37/2021 dated February 24, 2021 of the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (Italy’s National Institute of Social Security – INPS) concerning social security benefits for asbestos-exposed workers formerly employed in the industrial sector producing railway rolling stock, set out a specific timetable with mandatory deadlines for the processing of claims “to speed up the assessment times connected to the social security benefits.” See: Pensioni, Tempi certi per il riconoscimento dei benefici previdenziali per l'amianto [Pensions, Certain times for the recognition of social security benefits for asbestos].

Asbestos Diseases and Covid-19

Feb 23, 2021

Two opposition politicians from north-eastern Italy are calling for people with asbestos-related diseases to be given priority under the Italian Covid-19 vaccination program due to the fact that the functioning of their lungs was likely to be compromised by the presence of asbestos fibers. In a public statement, Paolo Fogar and Diego Moretti asked Regional health officials to expedite the treatment of this cohort of individuals. See: Priorità a esposti amianto nelle vaccinazioni Covid È la richiesta del Pd [Priority to asbestos exposed in Covid vaccinations This is the request of the Democratic Party].

Asbestos on Trains

Feb 9, 2021

There is an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and death amongst people who worked in the rolling stock industry in Italy, due to the widespread use of asbestos in the construction and repair of railway carriages and engines throughout the 20th century. Although Italy banned asbestos in 1992, toxic products remain in place to this day. Italian trade unions are working with civil society partners to highlight the plight of current as well as former workers who have contracted cancers as a result of occupational asbestos exposures at railway workshops and throughout the transport industry. See: Amianto corre sui binary [Asbestos runs on tracks].

Asbestos Remediation Program

Feb 8, 2021

A €4.7 million (US$5.6m) program financed by the regional council to remediate asbestos contamination of 21 hospitals in Italy’s Marche region – in the central area of the country – has been launched, to safeguard the health of all citizens throughout the territory. Work which will be undertaken includes the removal and disposal of all asbestos-containing material from healthcare facilities. See: Amianto, parte la bonifica delle strutture ospedaliere: «Rispondiamo a un problema annoso» [Asbestos, the remediation of hospitals starts: “We respond to an age-old problem”].

Judicial Bias in Italian Courts?

Feb 4, 2021

In January, the Milan Court of Appeal acquitted managers from the Breda-Ansaldo engineering company of charges related to workplace exposures which led to the asbestos deaths of 12 employees who had worked for the company between the 1970s and mid-1980s. Reasserting its determination to appeal the latest decision, the Committee for the Defense of Health in the Workplace – which had supported the claimants – said the Milan Court had an appalling track record in adjudicating asbestos cases, having acquitted managers from the Enel thermoelectric plant (2015), Pirelli factories in Milan (2017) and from Fiat’s Alfa Romeo factories in Arese, Milan (2019). See: Perché le morti sul lavoro per amianto restano senza giustizia [Asbestos deaths at work remain without justice].

Municipal Asbestos Initiative

Feb 2, 2021

The launch of a new municipal facility to support residents of a town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos scandal was announced this week by mayor Federico Riboldi and councillor Maria Teresa Lombardi. An asbestos help desk, staffed with medical, legal, environmental and technical personnel, will be operational every Thursday from 9 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. beginning on February 4, 2021 at the Casale Monferrato Town Hall, to provide “concrete information on the main problems related to asbestos.” See: Uno Sportello del Centro Regionale Amianto anche in Comune [A branch of the Regional Asbestos Center also in the Municipality].

Asbestos at the Opera

Feb 1, 2021

At a demonstration held outside a Milan courtroom on January 29, workers from La Scala Opera House displayed asbestos-containing samples of products which had been found in the theatre. Inside the building, legal proceedings continued in a case brought against four former managers accused of manslaughter for the asbestos deaths of former workers. Yesterday lawyer Laura Mara told the Court: “the employer was required to know that exposure to asbestos would have exposed workers to diseases such as asbestosis…” Prosecutors are asking that the accused receive prison sentences of between two and a half and seven years. See: “Ecco l’amianto nascosto nel Teatro alla Scala” [“Here is the asbestos hidden in La Scala Theater”].

Victory at Supreme Court!

Jan 29, 2021

The Supreme Court of Italy issued a claimant’s ruling against an appeal brought by a company which sought to reverse a verdict ordering it to pay compensation to the surviving family of a former employee who had died due to lung cancer contracted as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. Arguments cited by the company’s lawyers, including allegations that the claim had been barred by the expiry of the statute of limitations and that the deceased had not direct workplace exposure to asbestos, were rejected by the Court. See: Esposizione ad amianto e termini per l’azione di ristoro iure hereditatis [Exposure to asbestos and refreshment of time limits for actions concerning the rights of heirs].

Marriage of Art and Awareness, Italian-style!

Jan 19, 2021

A five-minute rap, featuring Stefania Crivellari, by the Sicilian artist Picciotto was uploaded to YouTube on January 9, 2021. This piece is a remix of a 2016 work which was, said Picciotto, necessary as the “reclamation of the territory has not been completed and no progress has been made regarding treatment therapies for those who fall ill” (see: Background to 2021 upload). Funds raised by this effort will be donated to a research charity for work on asbestos-related cancers. The narrative of the video accompanying the song included newspaper articles, X-rays, footage of medical personnel, snippets of the “Fuck Cancer Choir,” asbestos warning signs, and other images highlighting Italy’s ongoing asbestos cancer epidemic. See: Ancora Sotto Casa Mia Feat. Picciotto [Still under My House. Picciotto].

Mesothelioma: Update

Jan 18, 2021

An opinion piece in an online Italian newspaper examined the impact of asbestos exposures throughout Italy in interviews with key medical clinicians and researchers, including Drs. Federica Grosso and Stefania Crivellari, and PhD student Simona Martinotti. Dr. Grosso highlighted the ongoing importance of preventing asbestos exposures, stressing the need to remediate contaminated sites. The use of musical therapy for mesothelioma patients and their carers who are part of a specialist cancer choir founded in 2019 has, said Dr. Crivellai, had “positive effects.” See: Saperne di più sull’amianto e il mesotelioma fra ricerca scientifica e musica [Learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma, from scientific research to music].

Union Victory for Railway Workers

Jan 7, 2021

Three hundred and ninety-five asbestos-exposed railway workers from the Italian city of Pistoia will finally be able to retire at the end of a 13-month long legal battle as an amendment to the 2016 budget law – which permitted early retirement by eligible workers who applied prior to December 31, 2020 – was passed by Parliament. The changes to the budget law consisted of six important articles, said trade unions leaders who had been instrumental in achieving this victory. See: Lavoratori esposti all’amianto Via libera alla pensione per 395 [395 workers exposed to asbestos get green light to retirement].

Asbestos Exposure During Childhood

Jan 4, 2021

A paper published in the October-December 2020 issue of the Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita [The Annals of the Higher Institute of Health], which drew on mesothelioma data collected in Italy between 2003 and 2016, showed that 2.5% of all mesothelioma deaths occurred in people aged =50; the authors speculated that these deaths were probably caused by non-occupational exposures to asbestos during childhood. The identification of geographical hotspots of disease was, the researchers said, informative for the implementation of public health and environmental remediation actions. See: Early mortality from malignant mesothelioma in Italy as a proxy of environmental exposure to asbestos in children.

Mesothelioma Scheme: Update

Dec 23, 2020

The Government has announced plans to refinance Italy’s asbestos victims fund with a budget of €39 million for 2021 and, over time, increase the annual budget to €51m/year. As of January 1, 2021, payments to asbestos victims will be increased by 15%; mesothelioma claimants, including those who were exposed to asbestos occupationally, domestically or environmentally, will receive a lump sum payment of €10,000. All applications to this scheme must be submitted within three years of date of diagnosis. See: Fornaro: “15% in più di rendite alle vittime dell'amianto nella legge di bilancio” [Fornaro: “15% more annuities for asbestos victims in the budget law”].

Asbestos Removal Program

Dec 23, 2020

The Regional Council of Lazio, Italy has announced plans to remove asbestos from more than 200 public buildings with a budget of almost €20 million. Work will be carried out throughout the territory and include the remediation of 170 school buildings and 26 hospitals in Rome, Alatri, Monte Romano, Morlupo, Roviano, Tivoli, Fiumiciono and elsewhere. The eradication program is a result of surveys undertaken by the Regional Health Department and the Infrastructure and Mobility Department supported by technical expertise provided by the Regional Asbestos Center. See: Amianto: dalla Regione 19 milioni per rimuoverlo da scuole ed ospedali [Asbestos: 19 million from the Region to remove it from schools and hospitals].

Supporting All Asbestos Victims

Dec 21, 2020

Calls have been made for the extension of an Italian fund – established in 2015 – which provided financial assistance of €5,600 (US$6,860) to mesothelioma sufferers whose toxic exposures to asbestos were non-occupational. The number of people needing this support is substantial: according to mesothelioma data from Emilia Romagna, over the last 10 years there were an average of 148 mesothelioma cases per year, of which 30% were due to non-occupational exposures. The scheme which awarded this benefit is due to close on December 31, 2020. See: Amianto, tutelare tutti i malati di mesotelioma [Asbestos, protect all mesothelioma patients].

Good News, Bad News

Dec 14, 2020

Despite the dismissal of criminal proceedings against executives of the Italian company Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) – Large [Railway] Repair Workshops – who had been charged with negligence which resulted in the asbestos-related deaths of workers at the Bologna OGR facility, civil compensation claims are still proceeding, according to legal experts working for asbestos claimants. See: OGR Bologna: Le cause per danni da amianto in sede civile sono possibili e rafforzate nonostante la sentenza di archiviazione del procedimento penale [OGR Bologna: Lawsuits for asbestos damage in civil courts are possible and reinforced despite the dismissal of the criminal proceedings].

Addressing Italy’s Asbestos Legacy

Dec 8, 2020

A feature length article examined options for decontaminating the Italian infrastructure and environment within a broader discussion of the country’s historic mining and usage of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. During much of the 20th century, Italy was Europe’s second largest asbestos supplier and consumer after the Soviet Union. On average 6,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases and toxic exposures continue even though asbestos was banned in 1992. The author of this text asserted that asbestos remediation tax credits were the only feasible solution to the country’s asbestos problem. See: Credito d’imposta, unica via per una reale bonifica dell’amianto [Tax credit, the only way for a real asbestos remediation].

Another Asbestos Death

Dec 8, 2020

The mesothelioma death on November 29, 2020 of 77- year old Giacomo De Lazzari is being investigated by the public prosecutor in Venice who has opened a case for manslaughter against unknown persons. From 1982 until 2005 Mr. De Lazzari had worked as a foreman for a sub-contractor at the Porto Marghera Petrochemical plant. Many of his colleagues – who had also contracted the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma – predeceased him. See: Amianto, la procura apre un fascicolo sulla morte di un ex operaio del Petrolchimico [Asbestos, the prosecutor opens a file on the death of a former Petrochemical worker].

Asbestos Trial in Milan

Nov 30, 2020

On November 27, 2020 Maurizio Ascione, the Public Prosecutor trying a case against executives alleged to have caused the deaths from asbestos-related diseases of La Scala Opera House staff, asked that the four defendants be given prison sentences ranging from 2½ to 7 years. The longest sentence, Ascione said, should be given to Giovanni Traina, who was the theater’s external health and safety consultant. During a preliminary hearing charges against four former Mayors of Milan had been dropped. See: Amianto alla Scala, condannate i manager [Asbestos at La Scala, condemn the managers].

Milan Asbestos Trial

Nov 26, 2020

Legal proceedings brought on behalf of 10 workers from La Scala Opera House are coming to an end in a Milan courtroom. In the dock are four defendants accused of negligence in allowing asbestos exposures of the workers to occur. On November 20, 2020, the final two witnesses for the defence argued that the exposures which caused the workers to contract asbestos-related diseases had taken place outside the Opera House at other workplaces or via an environmental vector such as living in the town of Casale Monferrato, home to Italy’s largest asbestos-cement factory. See: Milano: alle battute finali il processo per i lavoratori morti di amianto alla Scala [Milan: the trial for dead asbestos workers at La Scala is in the final stages].

Asbestos Waste Dump

Nov 23, 2020

A regional plan, 28 years in the making, to dispose of asbestos waste by dumping it in redundant mines in Sicily has been condemned by local politicians with comments such as: “The Region remembers the Enna area only when it comes to making it become the garbage dump of Sicily.” According to the plan, the toxic debris would be deposited in already polluted quarries in Caltanissetta, Catania and other cities. Local opposition is building as civil society groups coalesce to fight the proposal. See: Sicilia, comuni in rivolta per lo smaltimento di amianto nelle miniere mai bonificate: “Non siamo la discarica della Regione” [Sicily, municipalities in revolt over the disposal of asbestos in mines never reclaimed: “We are not the landfill of the Region”].

Asbestos Murder Trial in Novara

Oct 28, 2020

A criminal trial against Stephan Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes in north-west Italy, which had been postponed because of the pandemic, will commence on November 27, 2020. Schmidheiny has been charged with 392 cases of murder of former Eternit workers from the company’s asbestos-cement factory in Casale Monferrato and of local people who died of diseases caused by toxic exposures. The trial could be delayed because of the pandemic. Schmidheiny’s legal team is currently appealing a May 2019 verdict sentencing the defendant to 4 years in prison for the aggravated manslaughter of an Eternit worker from Cavagnolo. See: Stephan Schmidheiny «incurante dell’uomo e dell’ambiente» [Stephan Schmidheiny “heedless of man and the environment”].

Another Avoidable Asbestos Death

Oct 14, 2020

The death of 61-year old Francesco Anzalone brings to 31 the number of former workers of Isochimica di Avellino who died from asbestos-related diseases. Despite his efforts to improve workplace conditions, in the 1980s Mr. Anazlone’s job brought him into daily contact with asbestos insulation on railway carriages being repaired at the Borgo Ferrovia workshops. He died three years after having been diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Muore ex operaio dell'Isochimica di Avellino: 31esima vittima dell'amianto [A former worker of Isochimica di Avellino dies: 31st victim of asbestos].

Justice for Montefibre workers?

Oct 12, 2020

On October 8, 2020 Italy’s Supreme Court overturned a ruling by the Turin Appeal Court which had acquitted former managers of the Montefibre company – that had closed in 1983 – of manslaughter, over asbestos deaths of employees. The case against the defendants: Luigi Ceriani, Giorgio Mazzanti, Gianluigi Poletti, Bruno Quaglieri and Carlo Vannini will return to the Turin Appeal Court. See: Amianto. “Sentenza storica Cassazione che ha annullato assoluzione dirigenti Montefibre di Verbania-Pallanza” [Asbestos. “Historical Supreme Court ruling cancels the acquittal of Montefibre executives of Verbania-Pallanza”].

Asbestos Cancer: Another Tragedy

Oct 9, 2020

A press release issued by the asbestos victims’ group (AFeVA) in Emilia Romagna, Italy on October 7, 2020 announced the mesothelioma death of Luciano Tonioni who, like so many AFeVA members, was exposed to asbestos at the Bologna railway repair workshop. Mr. Tonioni, who was diagnosed in January, 2020 aged 76, was a sheet metal worker at the Via Casarini [Casarini Street] workshop from 1972 to l978. His funeral is today (October 9, 2020). See: COMUNICATO STAMPA AFeVA Emilia Romagna [PRESS RELEASE AFeVA Emilia Romagna].

Removal of Asbestos-cement Pipes

Oct 8, 2020

On October 5, 2020, a document was uploaded which provided operating instructions for employers for the safe removal of asbestos-cement underground water pipes in accordance with Italian legislation as per Article 256 of Legislative Decree 81/2008, subsequent amendments and Ministerial Decrees. Italy banned asbestos use in 1992 and has been at the forefront of EU countries working to eradicate the asbestos hazard. See: Le istruzioni per la rimozione di tubazioni in cemento Amianto [Instructions for removing asbestos cement pipes].

Asbestos at the Opera

Sep. 18, 2020

After an eight month suspension in proceedings, a trial has recommenced against defendants accused of negligence in failing to prevent asbestos-related deaths amongst artists and staff employed by La Scale Opera House. Five managers stand accused of manslaughter over the deaths of 12 former employees. According to a leading Italian expert Enzo Merler: “at La Scala, asbestos was widespread, present in the curtain… endangering not only those who worked in the theater but also the public [who were] unaware of the risks.” See: Morti d’amianto alla Scala, l’elenco si allunga [Deaths of asbestos at La Scala, the list gets longer].

Asbestos Crime and Punishment

Aug 20, 2020

After the fire service put out a huge fire at a site in the Fuorigrotta district of Naples last week, agents of the Environmental Protection Department of the Naples Local Police began an investigation to identify the owners of the agricultural land on which the blaze took place and establish how and when banned asbestos-containing material had been dumped in the area. The site of the fire will remain locked down until the owners of the property have been identified and the polluters caught. Severe penalties for criminal incidents such as this can be issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office under the Environmental Code. See: Incendio a Fuorigrotta, a fuoco discarica abusiva di Amianto [Fire in Fuorigrotta, illegal asbestos landfill fire].

Gross Negligence Verdict

Aug 13, 2020

A precedent has been set by a ruling this month handed down by labor judge Giampiero Panico acknowledging the causal link between workplace asbestos exposure and pleural mesothelioma contracted by a maintenance electrician who died from another disease: intestinal perforation. The Judge, who found the Italian Railway Network [Rete Ferroviaria Italiana] which had employed the deceased along the Sestri Levante to La Spezia railway line from 1963 to 1990 had been guilty of gross negligence and awarded the family €40,000. See: Sassi con amianto, ferrovie condannate [Stones with asbestos, railway condemned].

Piedmont Asbestos Eradication Program

Aug10, 2020

On August 6, 2020, the Piedmont Regional Bulletin included news from the Councillor for the Environment of the Piedmont Region of a €1.1 million allocation for the remediation of asbestos-containing material in schools and hospitals. Successful applicants can claim the costs for 100% of reclamation work including removal, transport and disposal. The deadline for the submission of claims to the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Energy and Territory is October 30, 2020. See: Oltre un milione di euro per la bonifica di manufatti contenenti amianto in scuole e ospedali [Over one million euros for the remediation of artifacts containing asbestos in schools and hospitals].

Asbestos Legacy

Jul 15, 2020

The illegal disposal of asbestos-containing debris continues to pose a serious problem to the citizens and authorities in Italy. The Guardia di Finanza – an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance – recently announced that it had identified twelve sites where tonnes of hazardous waste – including asbestos debris – had been found. It was established that the toxic site where the waste was found was owned by the town of Scanzano in Southern Italy. The Guardia have tasked the town with the remediation of the area. See: Guardia di Finanza: sequestrati dodici siti con tonnellate di amianto abbandonato [Guardia di Finanza: twelve sites seized with tons of abandoned asbestos].

Asbestos Hunger Strike

Jul 9, 2020

A sit-in by workers mounting a hunger strike began on July 6, 2020 in front of the town hall of Priolo Gargallo, a city on the island of Syracuse, southern Italy. During their employment by the Belleli company, the protestors had all been exposed to asbestos. An adverse July 4, 2020 verdict by the Catania Court of Appeal nullified a decision which had recognized social security rights and benefits for ten people who had worked at the asbestos-contaminated site. A spokesman for the demonstrators called for a ministerial act to administratively recognize workers' rights. See: Priolo, sit in e sciopero della fame di 10 lavoratori esposti ad Amianto [Priolo, sit-in and hunger strike of 10 workers exposed to asbestos].

Asbestos Remediation Program

Jun 29, 2020

Officials in Sardinia are calling on Gianni Lampis, the Regional Environmental Minister for Sardinia, to press the Italian government for the release of funds allocated for the removal and disposal of asbestos from public buildings such as schools and hospitals. The total amount earmarked for this work was €385 million, of which €35m was for asbestos remediation in Sardinia. As all the work funded under this program must be completed by December 31, 2025, Lampis has been asked to press the government to release these funds. See: Rimozione dell’amianto da scuole e ospedali: fondi ancora bloccati [Asbestos removal from schools and hospitals: funds still blocked].

Asbestos Remediation Program

Jun 23, 2020

On June 11, 2020 the council of the Italian town of Siena, in collaboration with a privately-owned company: SEI Toscana, launched a “stop asbestos” service to progress the eradication of asbestos in the municipality; asbestos remediation has been designated a high priority objective by the regional authorities in Tuscany. Individuals can access the service for the collection of asbestos-cement material from their homes in Siena for an initial payment of €57; additional charges may be imposed. This initiative was designed to prevent the illegal dumping of asbestos waste in rural areas. See: “Stop Amianto,” il Comune di Siena aderisce al servizio opzionale [“Stop asbestos,” the Municipality of Siena implements an optional service].

MoD Guilty!

Jun 19, 2020

On June 11, the Civil Court in Rome ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay €627,000 (US$705,414) to the family of a military worker who died from mesothelioma as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. The deceased had served for 17 years on naval ships as a motor engineer and was routinely exposed to asbestos-containing insulation in engine rooms and elsewhere. The verdict condemned the MoD with the Judge ruling that despite the “incontrovertible evidence about the harmfulness of asbestos” the MoD had not acted to protect employees from potentially fatal exposures. See: Morti d’amianto e navi militari: condannato il Ministero della Difesa [Asbestos deaths and military ships: Ministry of Defense sentenced].

Claiming Asbestos Compensation

Jun 18, 2020

Research was conducted in Italy to establish the process by which mesothelioma sufferers filed claims for compensation and the key factors which determined whether claims were made. Data sourced from national registries and the Italian national insurance institute relating to 5,000+ people diagnosed with mesothelioma between 2010 and 2015 established that 66.2% of those eligible made claims. The co-authors of this paper concluded that there was “a need to enforce policies for improving awareness of the occupational origin for mesothelioma cases.” See: Predictors of filing claims and receiving compensation in malignant mesothelioma patients.

Victim’s Verdict in Rome

Jun 12, 2020

Cotral SpA, the company which runs public transport services in the Lazio region of Italy, was ordered by a court in Rome to pay compensation of €294,000 to the surviving family of a worker who died in 2011 from asbestos cancer. The deceased, who had routinely experienced occupational exposure to asbestos, had worked as a laborer for Cotral SpA from 1981 to 1992 maintaining the escalators of Rome’s subway system and working in the bus depot or mechanical workshop. See: Amianto, Cotral condannata per la morte per tumore di un manovale [Asbestos, Cotral reponsible for the death of a laborer from cancer].

Firefighters and Asbestos

Jun 12, 2020

In a landmark judgment by the Court of Trieste, the causation of the 2008 death of a firefighter was recognized as occupational and the Ministry of the Interior was condemned for negligence in failing to prevent toxic exposures to asbestos of personnel from the Fire Department. The Ministry initially denied that the firefighter had died from occupational asbestos exposure. Over a career of 34 years, the fireman had used asbestos gloves and overalls. The deceased’s family will receive a life-time monthly allowance of ~€1,500 and a lump sum of €228,000. See: Vigile del Fuoco morto per amianto, Tribunale di Trieste condanna il Ministero dell’Interno [Firefighter who died of asbestos, Court of Trieste condemns the Ministry of the Interior].

Asbestos Remediation Fund

Jun 8, 2020

A program has been set up by the Development and Cohesion Fund of Italy’s Ministry of the Environment with an allocation of €10 million to remediate asbestos in dozens of school buildings and hospitals throughout the Region of Tuscany. To date, detailed plans have been drawn up to undertake work on 18 hospitals at a cost of €7,440,000 and 54 schools at a cost of €2,630,000. Work has already begun on some of the contaminated structures under the supervision of the regional authorities. See: Amianto, 10 milioni per interventi di bonifica in scuole e ospedali [Asbestos, 10 million for remediation in schools and hospitals].

Asbestos in Schools

May 18, 2020

The Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna has prioritized asbestos decontamination of schools, having already spent €30 million on remediation work. A new allocation of ~€9m has been made to pay 100% of the costs for the removal and disposal of asbestos from any schools in the region which are still affected. Public bodies owning school buildings which contain asbestos-cement products are asked to apply for funding between May 19 and June 22, 2020 by sending an email to the regional authorities; further information can be obtained from the Emilia-Romagna Region webpage: Asbestos removal and disposal in schools. See also notification: Amianto, la Regione investe altri 9 milioni di euro per mettere in sicurezza le scuole [Asbestos, the Region invests another 9 million euros to secure schools].

Asbestos Remediation Program

May 14, 2020

Sums of up to €15,000 can be obtained for the removal and disposal of roofing and materials containing asbestos by building owners under a scheme being run by the Italian Municipality of Capri. Applications must be submitted by July 31 and the remediation work carried out by October 31. Only companies registered as specialists on the National Register of Environmental Managers will be approved to undertake the work. Applications for projects close to sensitive sites such as kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, social and welfare reception centers, hospitals and sports facilities will be prioritized. See: Contributi fino a 15mila euro per la rimozione dell’amianto [Contributions of up to 15 thousand euros for the removal of asbestos].

Sardinia’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy

May 11, 2020

Members of an association representing asbestos victims in Sardinia have urged regional leaders, politicians and councillors in the Oristano region of Sardinia to use the coronavirus emergency as an “opportunity to plan and urgently implement an extraordinary environmental remediation plan, which includes the remediation of buildings with the presence of asbestos and remediation of illegal landfills located…” to address the toxic legacy which persists in the aftermath of decades of asbestos manufacturing and use on Sardinia. The goal would be to remediate all asbestos on the island by 2030. See: C’è un’altra emergenza, l’amianto: Regione, è ora di farla sparire [There is another emergency, asbestos: Region, it's time to make it disappear].

Asbestos Remediation Program

May 7, 2020

Up to 80% of the asbestos contamination incorporated within the infrastructure on Sicily is located in residential properties. According to preliminary work undertaken by the island’s authorities, 1,500 sites have already been identified including homes, schools and workplaces. The sum of €385 million was allocated in 2016 for a remediation program which would be carried out by 2025; in the first instance, asbestos removal work was undertaken in public buildings, schools and hospitals. All work is strictly supervised and conducted to the highest of standards to protect occupational and public health. See: Amianto, quell’emergenza sanitaria da cui la Sicilia non è mai uscita [Asbestos, Sicily’s ongoing health emergency].

Inspiration for Climate Change Activism?

May 6, 2020

A recent blog describes meetings in Casale Monferrato – the town at the epicentre of Italy’s asbestos epidemic – addressing the issue of the global climate emergency. The town has suffered huge loss of life from asbestos cancer, but local people have fought back with great resolution to achieve declared objectives concerning “medical research, remediation and justice.” The resilience shown by these people and their willingness to interact with other groups and institutions to a common end could serve as inspiration for activists confronting the looming global climatic catastrophe. See: Amianto, nell’Aula di Casale Monferrato ci riuniamo per parlare di clima. E coltivare la resilienza che ha battuto Eternit [Asbestos, in a room in Casale Monferrato we meet to talk about the climate. And to cultivate the resilience that beat Eternit].

Aerial Mapping of Asbestos Roofing

May 4, 2020

During the first week of May, drone technology was used by the authorities of the Italian city of Cinisello Balsamo, 10 kilometres northeast of Milan city center, to create an aerial map for the monitoring and registration of asbestos cement surfaces. Flying at an altitude of 100 meters, the drone’s operators were able to capitalize on the clear skies resulting from the country’s lockdown to identify buildings most at-risk. According to one of the technicians: “The optical system of the drone, through spectrometric analysis, not only identifies the presence of asbestos-cement roofing, but also the level of degradation, divided into three categories.” See: Drone in volo a scovare l’amianto [Drone in flight to find asbestos].

World Asbestos Victims Day

Apr 29, 2020

In Italy, a country where around 6,000 people die every year from asbestos diseases, April 28 is a day of mourning for the asbestos dead, as it is worldwide. In former times, people would gather at events held throughout the country. On April 28, 2020, Roberto Morassut, Undersecretary for the Environment for Rome’s municipal authority, remembered the victims and reviewed progress which had been made in addressing Italy’s asbestos legacy. He admitted that despite all the work that had been done and the money expended there was still an unacceptable 40 million tons of toxic material in Italy. See: 28 aprile, un giorno per ricordare le vittime dell’amianto [April 28, a day to remember asbestos victims].

Regional Asbestos Remediation Subsidies

Apr 22, 2020

The council of the Marche Region of eastern Italy and the President of the Environment Commission Andrea Biancani this week endorsed a law to provide financial support for citizens to remove and dispose of asbestos-containing material from private homes. This measure was, the President noted: “further evidence of the attention that the Region pays to the environment, the countryside and public health issues.” The maximum amount of the grants is €2,000 each; the total allocation made by the region for the 2020 phase of this program is €200,000. See: Biancani: “approvata la legge che favorisce gli interventi di rimozione e smaltimento dell'amianto” [Biancani: “approved the law that favors asbestos removal and disposal”].

Supreme Court Victim’s Verdict

Apr 16, 2020

On April 15, 2020, the fourth criminal section of Italy’s Supreme Court filed a verdict in case 12151/20; the Court convicted the defendant, a former employer, of manslaughter over occupational asbestos exposure, albeit at “very low doses” which led to the demise from pleural mesothelioma of a worker who had been employed in dismantling railway carriages. The first judgment in this case had been handed down by the Court of Vercelli and was subsequently confirmed by the Turin Court of Appeal. See: Sentenza: l’amianto è cancerogeno anche a dosi minime; condannato datore di lavoro [Judgment: asbestos is carcinogenic even at minimal doses; convicted employer].

Victim’s Verdict in Naples

Apr 9, 2020

The Labor Court of Naples awarded the family of a deceased worker from Fincantieri S.p.A. – an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy – the sum of €1.5m after a 2½ year investigation found that Lorenzo Irace had died as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. The former electrician had worked in ships’ engine rooms and, due to the company’s negligence, had been exposed to asbestos, which led to his contracting the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. It is not yet known whether Fincantieri will appeal the judgment. See: Fincantieri, risarcimento milionario agli eredi del dipendente morto: «Ucciso dall'amianto» [Fincantieri, over a million in compensation to the heirs of dead employee: “Killed by asbestos”].

Asbestos Victims at High Risk

Mar 31, 2020

CONTRAMIANTO, an Italian association representing asbestos victims in the southern Italian town of Taranto, has issued an alert about the high level of risk posed by the Coronavirus to those suffering from asbestos-related cancers and diseases. In their press release, the association explained that the majority of the injured have respiratory problems or immune deficiencies which compromised their ability to fight the virus: “We believe it is essential that specific health recommendations are issued for the ex-asbestos-exposed patients who are certainly fragile and therefore more attackable by the Coronavirus…” See: Covid-19, malati ex esposti amianto più a rischio [Covid-19, asbestos patients at high risk].

Italian Police Raid

Mar 9, 2020

On March 4, 2020, members of a police task force raided a landfill and quarry operated by Bianchi Srl, a company specializing in excavation, earthmoving, recycling of special waste and remediation of contaminated sites in Trentino, northern Italy. Large quantities of asbestos-contaminated waste, which had been intended for resale as raw material for various construction purposes such as roadworks and landfill, were recovered. See: Rifiuti contaminati da amianto miscelati e rivenduti per fare fondi stradali e opere edilizie: maxi sequestro alla Bianchi di Isera [Asbestos contaminated waste mixed and resold for road surfaces and building work: large seizure at Bianchi di Isera].

Asbestos at the Opera

Feb 26, 2020

As the manslaughter trial of five theatre managers was due to recommence in Milan, unions and workers’ groups presented a dossier of material to reporters detailing the presence of asbestos in La Scala and the actions they had taken to try and prevent toxic exposures. The defendants have been charged over the asbestos-related deaths of nine workers – including technicians, singers, musicians, choristers and conductors – which, allegedly, resulted from hazardous exposures experienced at the world famous Opera House. See: Milano, morti per amianto alla Scala: “Bonifica fatta grazie ai lavoratori” [Milan, asbestos deaths at La Scala: “Reclamation done thanks to workers”].

Court Upholds Compensation Award

Feb 21, 2020

On February 13, 2020, the Florence Court of Appeal upheld a December 2019 ruling by a court in Grosseto, Italy which had recognized the occupational nature of the asbestos-related illness contracted by a soldier, and awarded him benefits including a life-time pension and a one-off lump sum compensation payment. The lower court’s verdict had been appealed by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. The claimant, who had served in the military for 33 years as a motor engineer and chief mechanic, contracted asbestosis as a result of workplace asbestos exposure. See: Amianto: militare GdF malato, giudici ‘Mef paghi vitalizio’ [Asbestos: sick GdF soldier, ‘Mef pay annuity’ judges rule].

Mesothelioma Compensation

Feb 19, 2020

The Italian Parliament has initially approved moves to increase payouts for mesothelioma victims with non-occupational asbestos exposures who were diagnosed since 2015 (or their heirs) from €5,600 to €10,000 by way of a one-off compensation payment. A draft amendment to implement this measure is progressing through legislative channels. After the Second World War, Italy was Europe largest consumer of asbestos; millions of tonnes of asbestos-containing material remains in Italian public buildings, factories and homes. See; Amianto, vittoria delle vittime: 4 milioni di euro per i malati di mesothelioma [Asbestos, victims' victory: 4 million euros for mesothelioma patients].

Asbestos in Schools

Feb 18, 2020

During Parliamentary question time last week, Italy’s Minister of the Environment acknowledged that “asbestos is an extremely significant problem for our country.” He announced that €385 million had been allocated for the remediation of schools and hospitals; at this time, asbestos contamination is present in 2,400 schools. Overseeing this project will be a working group whose chair is retired Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello who led efforts in Turin to bring to justice former asbestos company director Stephan Schmidheiny. See: Amianto, 32 milioni di tonnellate di materiale cancerogeno ancora da smaltire [Asbestos, 32 million tons of carcinogenic material still to be disposed of].

Disappearing Funds?

Feb 17, 2020

Officials in Piedmont, north-western Italy have denounced the disappearance of €14 million of Italian government funding which had, supposedly, been allocated to continue remediation work in the area surrounding the site of Europe’s largest asbestos mine: Balangero. According to Matteo Marnati, regional councillor for the environment, reclamation work at Balangero has stopped due to the shortage of money. Piedmont has the highest number of deaths caused by the asbestos cancer mesothelioma of all the Italian regions. See: Amianto, non ci sono i soldi per le bonifiche: mai arrivati 14 milioni [Asbestos, there is no money for reclamation: 14 million never arrived].

MoD Condemned

Feb 3, 2020

A Labor Court in the southern Italian city of Taranto condemned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) for failing to protect a worker from hazardous exposure to asbestos contained in the insulation of electrical equipment as a result of which he died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The deceased was a civilian electrician who had worked for the Italian Navy from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. The family of the electrician was awarded €500,000 in compensation. See: Taranto, operaio morì di mesotelioma per colpa dell'amianto: 500mila euro agli eredi [Taranto, worker died of mesothelioma due to asbestos: 500 thousand euros to the heirs].

Asbestos Cancer Mortality

Jan 27, 2020

Researchers in Italy analyzed data on the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) between 1970 and 2014 (28,907 deaths were observed) and estimated the future MPM burden to “help to rationally program interventions devoted to the care of MPM patients, remediation of asbestos-contaminated sites, and compensation for occupational MPMs.” During this period, the number of deaths increased constantly but the researchers expect mortality to peak at ~7000 per annum: “The MPM epidemic in Italy is far from being concluded despite the national ban implemented in 1992, and the peak is expected in 2020–2024, in both sexes.” See: Predictions of Mortality from Pleural Mesothelioma in Italy After the Ban of Asbestos Use.

Asbestos Industrial Legacy

Jan 24, 2020

On January 18, there was a manifestation of community solidarity when students, teachers, parents and citizens joined representatives of asbestos victims’ groups, trade unions and other associations, to unveil a mural aimed at raising awareness of the legacy of asbestos exposures at the Bologna railway repair shops operated by the Officine Grandi Riparazioni Bologna (OGR). The artwork – which consisted of four colorful panels – was created by students from the De Andrè school and was sited in via Casarini, opposite the former OGR plant. To date, 300 deaths from asbestos-related diseases have been recorded amongst workers from the OGR plant. See: GLI Studenti e l’Amianto in OGR [Students and Asbestos in OGR].

Environmental Asbestos Exposure

Jan 24, 2020

Research by scientists investigating the risks posed by environmental asbestos contamination at sites in the Italian town of Bari substantiated the public health hazard posed by the deterioration of asbestos in situ and the uncontrolled removal of asbestos, both of which were found to raise the concentration of asbestos fibers in urban air. The authors concluded that asbestos roofing at a derelict asbestos-cement factory and on military barracks in Bari had contributed to an increased risk of malignant mesothelioma for the resident population. See: Health impact of exposure to asbestos in polluted area of Southern Italy.

Asbestos Trial Begins

Jan 24, 2020

The preliminary hearing for Eternit Bis [the name used to refer to litigation against Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny in the long-running legal battle to get justice for Italian asbestos victims] has begun in the Northern Italian city of Vercelli. Schmidheiny is charged with the voluntary murder of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato. During early sessions of the proceedings, Schmidheiny’s defense reasserted their argument that the trial was illegitimate on the “ne bis in idem principle” which restricts the possibility of a defendant being prosecuted repeatedly for the same crime. See: Eternit bis: la difesa chiede l’assoluzione [Eternit bis: the defense asks for absolution].

Mesothelioma Hotspots

Dec 11, 2019

Researchers have confirmed the deadly health consequences for people in Lombardy Province of exposure to asbestos liberated during the manufacturing operations of an Italian factory producing asbestos-cement building materials. The plant in question was located in Pavia and was owned by the Fibronit company; it was operational between 1932 and 1993. Research has established that the incidence of malignant mesothelioma was elevated in Broni and Stradella in former workers, their families, and members of the public. See: Impact of an asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence in a community in Italy.

Asbestos at the Opera

Oct 18, 2019

Legal proceedings are ongoing in Milan against five executives from La Scala Opera House on behalf of children whose parents were occupationally exposed to asbestos at the theater and subsequently died from asbestos-related diseases. The 12 deceased named in this lawsuit included Italian conductor and pianist maestro Edoardo Muller (1938-2016), toolmaker and machinist Demetrio Asta and singer Luciana Patelli, who died in 2013 of pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos-containing products were widespread throughout the structure with asbestos gloves being used until 1994, one witness testified. See: Milano, morti per amianto alla Scala: in aula i figli delle vittime [Milan, asbestos deaths at La Scala: children of victims in court].

Asbestos Murder Prosecution

Oct 8, 2019

Legal proceedings are due to start in the long-running attempt by Italian Prosecutors to hold former asbestos magnate Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to account for the thousands of deaths caused by the operations of his asbestos-cement factories in Italy. The latest case is being heard in Vercelli, a city in Piedmont, northern Italy. The legal action – regarding the asbestos deaths of 392 citizens of the town of Casale Monferrato – involves 400 civil parties. Schmidheiny stands accused of “voluntary homicide.” The request for a trial was lodged by public prosecutors Francesco Alvino and Roberta Brera and the Turin prosecutor Gianfranco Colace. See: Amianto Killer/ Processo Eternit Bis a Vercelli [Killer asbestos/ Eternit Bis Trial in Vercelli].

Asbestos in Rolling Stock

Oct 4, 2019

Forty years after the closure of the Sacfem company –which operated facilities in Arezzo, Italy that produced railway cars – its successor-in-interest (the Bastogi company) was condemned by a court for negligence which allowed workplace asbestos exposures to take place. These exposures caused the death of a worker whose family was awarded €750,000 (~$824,500). Because of the long latency period of asbestos diseases, deaths due to exposures at the Sacfem facility have only started occurring in recent years. See: Sacfem: ucciso dall'amianto, alla famiglia assegnati 750 mila euro [Sacfem: killed by asbestos, the family assigned 750 thousand euros].

State Condemned!

Oct 1, 2019

The Turin Court of Appeal ruled that as the pleural mesothelioma death of former sailor Salvatore Carminisi in 2009 had been caused by workplace exposure to asbestos in the engine room of the Amerigo Vespucci ship (1971-73), the Italian State was liable to pay damages for his death for having failed to implement measures to protect his health. The Court ordered the State to pay a one-off lump sum of €200,000 to Mr. Carminisi's wife and daughter as well as a lifetime pension of €1000 to the wife and €500 to the daughter. See: Amianto sulla Vespucci, lo Stato deve risarcire i familiari di un marinaio [Asbestos on the Vespucci, the State must compensate the relatives of a sailor].

High Cost of Past Asbestos Use

Sep 24, 2019

In a letter to the editor uploaded to the website of Italy’s Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (National Associated Press Agency), Alessandro Miani, the President of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, highlighted the fallout from the country’s ongoing asbestos epidemic which is killing 6,000 people every year. Miani explained that: “Exposure to asbestos, in fact, causes lung cancer (pleural mesothelioma), laryngeal and ovarian cancer, as well as conditions of pulmonary fibrosis.” Furthermore, Miani pointed out: “In Italy… there are 96,000 sites contaminated with asbestos.” See: Amianto, in Italia fa 6mila morti l'anno [Asbestos, in Italy it causes 6 thousand deaths a year].

Asbestos Remediation Initiative

Sep 23, 2019

A service became operation on September 20, 2019 in the Figline and Incisa areas of metropolitan Florence following new guidelines adopted by the Region of Tuscany to facilitate the removal and disposal of modest quantities of asbestos-containing material from domestic users. For a fee of €48, an asbestos removal kit can be purchased containing everything needed for householders to safely carry out the removal of small amounts of asbestos products from their premises. Once removed and packaged as per specifications, the material will be collected by the contractor. See: Kit per la rimozione dell'amianto per le utenze domestiche: la consegna ora anche al depositoalla Massa [Kit for asbestos removal for domestic users: delivery now also to the warehouse at Massa].

Sicily’s Asbestos Legacy

Sep 18, 2019

A recent regional asbestos hearing was told that progress to manage asbestos contamination in Sicily was almost non-existent and that at least one million cubic meters of asbestos [sic] remained in the environment and 330+ schools were still contaminated with asbestos material. Only 2% of asbestos illegally dumped in Sicily every year was removed and only 5% of Sicilian municipalities had prepared mandatory municipal asbestos audits. There are still no authorized landfills for asbestos disposal in Sicily. The hearing was warned of the dire consequences of the overwhelming failure to implement Sicily’s asbestos plan. See: In Sicilia 330 scuole a rischio amianto, 1 milione di metri cubi da smaltire [In Sicily 330 schools at risk of asbestos, 1 million cubic meters [sic] to be disposed of].

Asbestos Remediation Initiative

Sep 2, 2019

From September 2 to December 2, 2019, residents of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano in Northern Italy could be entitled to reimbursements of up to 70% of the cost of asbestos removal and disposal work incurred during remediation work on residential properties up to a maximum of €10,000. Alternatively, eligible residents could claim 50% of the costs incurred as a tax deduction. Information about this scheme can be obtained online or via a telephone hotline. See: Incentivi Provincia per bonifica da amianto: dal 2 settembre nuove richieste di contributo [Province incentives for asbestos removal: from 2 September new requests for contributions].

Government U-Turn Welcomed

Jul 18, 2019

A press release by an Italian association representing asbestos victims (AFeVA) on July 15, 2019 welcomed the repeal of provisions in law 145/2018 which had penalized workers in receipt of compensation for accidents or industrial disease; the contentious rules had recouped monies previously paid by INAIL from sums received in an annuity, lump sum payment or reimbursement of expenses. See: Danno Differenziale: con la legge 58/2019 abrogate le norme penalizzanti per il lavoratore previste dalla legge 145/2018 [Differential Damage: with law 58/2019, the penalizing rules for workers laid down by law 145/2018 are repealed].

Peritoneal mesothelioma in Lombardy

Jul 16, 2019

In a newly published paper, Italian scientists have reported on their study of data from peritoneal mesothelioma (PeM) patients in the Lombardy region of Italy in the British Medical Journal. PeM cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 were identified using data sourced from the regional mesothelioma registry. The authors concluded: “Using two different methods of exposure assessment we provided evidence of a clear association between asbestos exposure and PeM risk in the general population.” See: Peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos exposure: a population-based case–control study in Lombardy, Italy.

Environmental Asbestos Hazard

Jul 15, 2019

At a hearing in Rome last week convened by Minister of Health Dr. Giulia Grillo, campaigners from Casale Monferrato documented the human cost of asbestos exposures, noting that 4,000 Italians died every year from asbestos-related diseases; 1,200 of these deaths were caused by mesothelioma. With 30 million tonnes of asbestos still in the country’s infrastructure and environment, more deaths – many of which from non-occupational exposures – will occur. In other words, it is as if an entire municipality is being killed off every year. See: Milioni di tonnellate nell'ambiente… l'Italia sepolta dall'amianto. I numeri da brivido [Millions of tons in the environment… Italy buried by asbestos. The shocking numbers].

Asbestos Dumping in Sicily

Jul 9, 2019

According to an online article, the illegal dumping of toxic waste is common throughout Sicily. In March, 2018, lawyer Aldo Ganci reported the illegal dumping of asbestos waste in the Sorciaro district of Priolo Gargallo, a commune in Syracuse, to Francesco Paolo Giordano, the Public Prosecutor of Syracuse. Despite Ganci’s report, the evidence he provided and the photographs of the debris he submitted, to date nothing has been done to remediate the site. See: Priolo. Discariche abusive amianto e rifiuti pericolosi, Aldo Ganci: “Purtroppo, le denunce finiscono nel nulla [Priolo. Asbestos illegal dumping and hazardous waste, Aldo Ganci: “Unfortunately, the complaints end up in nothing”].

City Asbestos Removal

Jul 4, 2019

On July 1, 2019, the Italian Municipality of Cascina activated a free service to enable citizens to dispose of small amounts of asbestos-containing material from panels, slabs, tanks and chimneys at the Navacchio landfill without the use of specialized removal or disposal companies, provided that strict procedures are followed; this service can be accessed three times a year. Disposal of friable asbestos products such as pipe and boiler insulation, gaskets, ceiling insulation, asbestos dust, and asbestos-cardboard panels is not permitted under the scheme. See: Amianto: via libera allo smaltimento fai-da-te [Asbestos: green light for DIY disposal].

Another Asbestos Murder Trial!

Jun 26, 2019

On June 25, 2019, an appeal made on May 31, 2019 on behalf of defendant Stephan Schmidheiny was rejected by the Second Court of Assizes of Naples. Schmidheiny was accused of the voluntary murder of 8 people who died from exposure to his company’s asbestos; 6 of them were employees of the Eternit plant in Bagnoli and 2 were family members. The legal proceedings in Naples have now officially begun before Judge Alfonso Barbarano. The next hearing will be on September 27, 2019 and will feature the testimony of two prosecution engineers. See: Amianto, la Corte di Assise respinge la richiesta di proscioglimento per l'ex Ad Eternit [Asbestos, the Court of Auditors rejects the request for acquittal for the former Eternit CEO].

National Asbestos Initiative

Jun 25, 2019

A working group has been coalesced by the Italian Government to bring the country’s asbestos laws under the supervision of a single entity, working under the Ministry of Environment. The members of the asbestos commission include: retired Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, Ezio Bonanni, Giampiero Cardillo and Franco Maroni of the Casale Monferrato asbestos victims’ group (AFeVA); the members of a technical committee which was also created include Professor of Epidemiology Pietro Comba, industrial hygienist Stefano Silvestri and Giordano Bruno, Supreme Court Justice. See: Decreto Ministeriale [Ministerial Decree].

Supreme Court Asbestos Verdict

Jun 10, 2019

Last week it was announced that the Labor Section of Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) had confirmed a 2014 Court of Appeal sentence condemning Rete Ferroviaria Italian SPA (RFI) – a state-owned holding company of the Italian railway – for exposures which caused the mesothelioma death of a mechanic who had repaired asbestos-insulated railway carriages. It has been estimated that 3,000 people have died from asbestos-related diseases due to exposures working for the State Railways or living near to RFI premises. See: Amianto, la Cassazione conferma la condanna a Rete Ferroviaria Italiana [Asbestos, the Supreme Court confirms the sentencing of Italian Railway Network].

Asbestos Crime but No Punishment

May 30, 2019

Legal loopholes that prevent social movements and prosecutors from achieving convictions of corporate executives for industrial health and safety crimes are considered in this paper within a framework examining multiple Italian trials of asbestos businessman Stephan Schmidheiny. They include: the practice of collective corporate decision-making; the difficulty in establishing links between industrial hazard and responsibility or intention; the need to prove causation for each victim on an individual rather than a statistical basis. See: How to Judge Safety Crime: Lessons From the Eternit Asbestos Maxi-Trials.

Asbestos Homicide Trial

May 3, 2019

On April 30, 2019, the investigative phase was concluded in the Turin trial of a Swiss billionaire charged with the deaths of 392 people – some former Eternit workers, some who never worked for the company – from the town of Casale Monferrato and its surrounding regions. In the 1970s-80s, Stephan Schmidheiny was in charge of the Casale factory which produced asbestos-cement building material. The preliminary hearing magistrate has not yet been appointed and the hearing is not expected to commence until September 2019. See: Eternit Bis, Schmidheiny a processo per la morte di 400 persone a Casale e dintorni [Eternit Bis, Schmidheiny on trial for the deaths of 400 people in Casale and surroundings].

Asbestos Trial in Naples

Apr 15, 2019

On April 12, 2019, Public Prosecutors Giuliana Giuliano and Anna Frasca began a trial at the Court of Assizes of Naples in which a Swiss billionaire – Stephan Schmidheiny – faced murder charges over eight asbestos cancer deaths which occurred between 2000 and 2009 due to workplace exposures at Eternit factories in southern Italy. A similar trial in Turin against the same defendant charged with two asbestos deaths is about to conclude; a verdict is expected soon. See: Eternit, l’amianto killer a Bagnoli: comincerà domani il processo al magnate svizzero, accusato di 8 decessi [Eternit, the asbestos killer in Bagnoli: the trial of the Swiss magnate will start tomorrow, accused of 8 deaths].

Asbestos at Steel Plant

Apr 15, 2019

Representatives of the Fiom CGIL trade union submitted a complaint to Italy’s Ministry of Environment about the presence of 3,750 tons of asbestos – 95% of which is friable – at the Taranto steel plant, Europe’s largest producer of steel. Fiom is calling on the authorities to speed up plans for remediation which, according to a schedule of works, is not expected to be achieved until 2023. The Union claims not to have received any plans for an asbestos removal program for the plant from the company which owns the site in southern Italy. See: “Nell'ex Ilva di Taranto 3.750 tonnellate di Amianto”: denuncia Fiom al ministero dell'Ambiente [“In the former Taranto Ilva 3,750 tons of asbestos”: Fiom complaint to the Ministry of Environment].

Academic Asbestos Papers

Apr 12, 2019

The five academic papers written in English which are contained in a 31-page monographic section of the current issue of the Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità [Annals of the Higher Institute of Health] – an Italian peer-reviewed scientific journal about public health – cover a range of asbestos-related topics including: the integration of epidemiological and social sciences research in the study of communities affected by asbestos exposure, communication and health education in at-risk communities in Italy, and narrating and remembering the experiences of affected communities in Italy. See: Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vol 55, No 1 (2019).

Asbestos in Schools

Apr 3, 2019

On April 2, 2019, the Lombardy Councillor for Education Melania Rizzoli informed the Regional Council that asbestos was present in 1,127 schools in the region. Although €5 million had been allocated in the region’s 2019 budget for remediation work, the problem of asbestos in schools is a national one and should be attracting funding from the Italian Government, she told the Council. Forty-five buildings were designated as high priority due to the amount and friability of asbestos products on those sites. See: Amianto: in Lombardia presente in oltre mille istituti [Asbestos: in Lombardy present in over a thousand institutions].

Asbestos Manslaughter Convictions

Mar 25, 2019

The Milan Court of Appeals confirmed the guilt of two former managers of the Fibronit di Broni company in a case first heard by a court in Pavia. Michele Cardinale and Lorenzo Mo had been convicted of the manslaughter of 27 Fibronit workers and residents who lived near the site of the company’s factory. The Court of Appeals reduced their prison sentences from 4 years to 3 years and eight months for Cardinale (74) and from 3 years and 4 months to three years for 70-year old Mo. See: Voghera, pene ridotte ai manager Fibronit [Voghera, penalties reduced for Fibronit managers].

Asbestos in Bridge’s Rubble

Mar 20, 2019

After traces of asbestos were found on samples taken of debris from the Morandi Bridge – which collapsed in Genoa in August 2018 killing 43 people – plans to use explosives to demolish the remaining structure have been abandoned. A request from trade unionists has asked the public prosecutor to investigate the presence of asbestos on the site. Concern has been raised by the fire brigade about the hazard posed by the asbestos to first responders in the aftermath of the bridge’s collapse last year. See: Ponte Morandi, anche dai vigili del fuoco un esposto sulla presenza di Amianto [Ponte Morandi, also from the fire brigade a statement on the presence of asbestos].

Asbestos at Dry Dock

Feb 5, 2019

Judge Alberto La Mantia from the second civil section of the Court of Genoa, Italy has awarded the sum of €670,000 in a civil case against the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to the wife and two children of a worker from the naval military arsenal at La Spezia who died in 2012 (aged 62) from mesothelioma contracted from occupational exposure to asbestos. The deceased had worked as a carpenter at the MoD’s dry dock in La Spezia from 1967 to 1994. The Judge ruled that the MoD had been negligent in failing to prevent toxic workplace exposures. See: Amianto, ministero condannato [Asbestos, ministry condemned].

Italy’s Asbestos Legacy

Feb 4, 2019

In Casale Monferrato, the town at the center of Italy’s asbestos scandal, one person is diagnosed every week with the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The hospice which provides caring for the injured is at the heart of the community and undertakes outreach work with schools and the public to ensure that the history of industrial abuse caused by the operations of the Eternit asbestos-cement factory remains part of the daily discourse. This article highlights the work of healthcare and other professionals who provide the care and outlines plans to increase the services on offer and the compensation to the victims. See: Reportage. A Casale Monferrato, tra gli “angeli” dell'amianto [Reportage. In Casale Monferrato, among the "angels" of asbestos].

Asbestos Mortality in Italy

Feb 4, 2019

A paper published in December 2018 was based on a retrospective study of 188 subjects who died from asbestos-related diseases in Italy in 2000-2017; most of the deceased had worked and/or lived in Broni, Italy, where the Fibronit company operated a large asbestos-cement factory from 1932 until 1993. Amongst the asbestos-exposed factory workers, most of whom were men, the majority died from mesothelioma although some died from asbestosis; however, each of the 73 women, whose exposures were either environmental or via household contact, died from mesothelioma. See: Impact of asbestos on public health: a retrospective study on a series of subjects with occupational and non-occupational exposure to asbestos during the activity of Fibronit plant (Broni, Italy).

Asbestos Manslaughter Trial

Jan 29, 2019

On April 12, 2019, the latest of several Italian trials against international asbestos businessmen is due to commence in a court in Naples. Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny is facing charges of manslaughter over cancer deaths of six former workers from the Eternit factory in Bagnoli, Naples and two relatives who were exposed to the company’s asbestos. He will be tried in the Naples Court of Assizes which consists of two professional judges and six lay judges. The Court has jurisdiction to judge crimes with a maximum penalty of at least 24 years imprisonment such as terrorism and murder. See: Eternit ex-CEO indicted in asbestos-linked deaths.

Mesothelioma Discovery

Jan 25, 2019

According to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, researchers at the University of Turin working in collaboration with other scientists have identified new molecules that inhibit the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma tumor cells. In addition to blocking the progression of the tumor, these molecules can enhance the anti-tumor action of chemotherapy drugs such as pemetrexed in the treatment of this asbestos-related cancer. See: Amianto, scoperte molecole contro il mesotelioma pleurico [Asbestos, discovery of molecules that inhibit pleural mesothelioma].

Asbestos Documentary

Jan 23, 2019

On January 19, 2019, a documentary film entitled “The revenge of Casale Monferrato” was shown in the city of Lamezia Terme in southern Italy. Present at the screening was director Rosy Battaglia, who said: “With this documentary we want to trigger a discussion in order to mobilize public awareness and consider what needs to be done to change things.” “Asbestos”, she said “is a problem that concerns the whole of Italy, as well as Calabria.” See: Lamezia, Docu-inchiesta "La rivincita di Casale Monferrato": città liberata dall'amianto. Dati ancora allarmanti in Calabria [Lamezia, Docu-investigation "The revenge of Casale Monferrato": city liberated from asbestos. Still alarming data in Calabria].

Remembering the Asbestos Fallen

Jan 21, 2019

At a high profile ceremony attended by many local and regional dignitaries, Giovanni Bellistri, the mayor of the town of Terruggia in the Italian Piedmont region, inaugurated Memory Park (“Parco della Memoria”) in Casale Monferrato, the iconic town at the center of Italy’s asbestos scandal. Unveiled during the ceremony was a stele commemorating the people whose lives had been lost to asbestos-related diseases. During his remarks, Mayor Bellistri pointed out that more people in the region had died from asbestos than had been killed [from the region] during the first and second world wars. See: Terruggia Monf. Inaugurato “Parco della Memoria” [Terruggia Monf. Inaugurated “Memory Park”].

Asbestos Deaths: Homicide Charges

Jan 18, 2019

Turin public prosecutor Gianfranco Colace is calling for Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to be jailed for seven years for the aggravated culpable homicide of a former worker and a member of the public, both of whom were poisoned by asbestos dust from the Eternit factory in Cavagnolo (Turin), Italy. The maximum sentence is being sought, explained lawyer Laura D’Amico, because, it is alleged, Schmidheiny violated occupational health and safety rules and because he knew that by doing so there could be grave consequences for people exposed to the company’s asbestos. See: Stephan Schmidheiny merita la pena massima [Stephan Schmidheiny deserves the maximum penalty].

Asbestos in the Navy

Jan 16, 2019

In Italy, a tidal wave of outrage has greeted the acquittal, after more than ten years of legal proceedings, of eight retired admirals – former heads of the naval squad, maritime health care, naval arms management – charged with manslaughter over hundreds of asbestos deaths of sailors and civilian personnel. The ruling by Judge Chiara Bitoz of the Padua court found that as the causal link between exposure and pathology had not been scientifically proven, the criminal charges of manslaughter were vacated. See: Navi della Marina imbottite di amianto, centinaia di militari morti: “Siamo carne da macello” [Navy ships filled with asbestos, hundreds of dead soldiers: “We were meat for slaughter”].

Government’s Asbestos Liability

Jan 7, 2019

The president of the Sardinian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Giampaolo Lilliu has condemned the Italian Government for its failure to allocate funds in the 2019 national budget for asbestos remediation of public buildings. The situation is, said Lilliu, particularly grave in Sardinia where many sports facilities, schools, hospitals and public offices are contaminated with asbestos-containing products; furthermore, he pointed out, 9,000 kilometers of asbestos-containing water pipes are still in use. See: Amianto, ex esposti sardi contro governo: “Reato ambientale” [Asbestos, exposed Sardinians against the government: “Environmental crime”].

Deaths in Shipyards

Jan 3, 2019

Italian researchers who studied data from a cohort of 3,984 Genoa shipyard workers employed between 1960 and 1981 recorded an excess cancer mortality including deaths caused by pleural mesothelioma and cancers of the larynx and of the lung, all of which can be caused by exposure to asbestos (90 out of the 399 lung cancer deaths were attributed to asbestos exposure). The scientists, who concluded that the “long follow-up period of our study allowed the detection of a substantial disease burden following asbestos exposure,” called for the implementation of a worldwide asbestos ban. See: Mortality among workers exposed to asbestos at the shipyard of Genoa, Italy: a 55 years follow-up.

Asbestos-Free Water System

Dec 5, 2018

Work to remediate the water delivery system of the Italian municipality of Terranuova has been completed after two years and €200,000 expenditure. All the asbestos-cement (ac) pipes formerly used to deliver water have been replaced by cast iron alternatives. According to Mayor Sergio Chienni, the ac pipes had constituted only 1.5% of the total network and with the completion of replacement work in the commune of Ciuffenna, the water system in Terranuova is now asbestos free. See: Rinnovata la rete idrica: via le tubazioni in cemento amianto. Sostituite con quelle in ghisa [Water network renewed: asbestos cement pipes replaced with cast iron ones].

Revoke Honor for Asbestos Billionaire!

Nov 19, 2018

The Mayor of an Italian town has once again called for Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to be stripped of an honorary degree bestowed upon him by Yale University for his “alleged” role in the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians. Although the Court of Cassation overturned an 18 year prison sentence handed down by a Turin court for Schmidheiny’s responsibility for crimes committed by asbestos factories in Italy, the fact of the matter is that thousands have died and continue to die as a result of the operations of the Eternit asbestos group in Italy and around the world wrote Mayor Titti Palazzetti. See: Il sindaco di Casale riscrive a Yale: “Laurea a Schmidheiny è indegna, va revocata” [The mayor of Casale rewrites to Yale: “Degree to Schmidheiny is unworthy, it should be revoked”].

Book Launch!

Oct 29, 2018

The launch of the book by Marci Grasso and Marcello Zinola entitled “The Silent Massacre,” will take place on October 29 in the San Salvatore Hall of the University of Genoa; the book is about the ten year battle to obtain justice for workers injured by asbestos in Genoa. The authors detail their investigation of documents and interviews with victims, family members, trade unionists and labor leaders. See: “La strage silenziosa,” lunedì la presentazione del libro sull'amianto [“The silent massacre,” a book on asbestos to be launched on Monday].

Remediation of Aqueduct

Oct 29, 2018

Monitoring carried out by the Tuscan Water Authority of water delivered via the 2,000 kilometer of pipes in the aqueduct system has revealed high levels of asbestos fibers in the water; up to 59 samples taken from 33 municipalities were contaminated. Local councillors are calling for the replacement of asbestos pipework and a regional study on the effects on human health of asbestos carried in water. See: Trovate fibre di amianto nell'acqua che passa nei tubi dell'acquedotto [Asbestos fibers found in the water that passes into the aqueduct pipes].

Asbestos Maritime Hazard

Oct 24, 2018

In agreement with Vincenzo Iaccarino, the Mayor of Piano di Sorrento, Naples, a special service is being set up to offer advice to seamen exposed to asbestos due to the maritime risks they faced. Sixteen hundred Italian sailors are believed to have died from asbestos-related diseases. A conference on this subject was held on October 20, 2018 in Villa Fondi at which it was announced that an asbestos counter will be opened by a law firm specializing in these types of cases to offer advice to high-risk individuals in Piano di Sorrento. See: E’ strage di marittimi: sono 1600 le vittime dell’amianto [The slaughter of seamen: there are 1600 victims of asbestos].

Incentives for Replacing Asbestos Roofs

Sep 18, 2018

New legislation is being drafted in Italy which will provide financial incentives for replacing asbestos roofing with photovoltaic systems. According to the draft bill, which awaits approval by the Ministry of the Environment, eligibility will be dependent on installing solar panels after asbestos roofing has been removed. A budget of €250,000,000 has been approved for this initiative. Priority will be given to applications for work on schools, hospitals, other public buildings and other buildings open to the public. See: In arrivo il “bonus Amianto” [The “asbestos bonus” is coming].

Green Remediation Initiative

Aug 6, 2018

On August 2, 2018, Gianna Girotto, the President of the Italian Senate’s Industry Commission confirmed the government’s plans to restore tax incentives for the replacement of asbestos-cement roofing by the installation of photovoltaic panels to produce renewable energy. This announcement was made as a delegation of campaigners presented Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa with the #BastaAmianto petition signed by 55,000 Italians. In Italy there are between 1 and 2.5 billion square meters of asbestos-cement roofing on sheds, public and private buildings and other structures. See: Decreto rinnovabili, ci sarà un bonus amianto per il fotovoltaico [Renewable Decree, there will be an asbestos bonus for photovoltaics].

Sicily’s Asbestos Epidemic

Aug 1, 2018

Former Eternit worker Maria Imbesi has become the 150th person from the same factory to die from an asbestos disease; at the age of 82 years old, she succumbed to asbestosis as did her husband some years previously. She had worked on the production line at the Sacelit asbestos-cement plant in Sicily – known locally as the “factory of death” – for nearly three years; the factory manufactured asbestos pipes, flues, tank lids and other building products. She had been diagnosed with asbestosis in 2001. See: Amianto: 150esimo morto alla ex Sacelit [Asbestos: 150th death at the former Sacelit].

Learning the Asbestos Lesson

Jun 21, 2018

A review of the epidemiology substantiating the outbreak of the deadly mesothelioma epidemic in the area of Casale Monferrato, in the Piedmont Region of Italy, the location of the Eternit asbestos-cement factory, has been undertaken by Italian researchers. The authors conclude that: “The experience of Casale Monferrato represents a lesson in several terms, from the epidemiological surveillance to the health care of the victims and the relationship between epidemiologists, victims, their relatives and residents in contaminated areas.” See: Mesothelioma in Italy: the Casale Monferrato model to a national epidemiological surveillance system.

National Asbestos Legacy

Jun 21, 2018

Despite adopting a ban on the use of asbestos in 1992, Italy continues to pay dearly for its industrial asbestos past. In 2017, there were 6,000 asbestos-related deaths – of which 1,800 were caused by the cancer mesothelioma – with the peak in the national epidemic not expected until 2030. The presence of 40 million tonnes of asbestos incorporated within the national infrastructure remains a clear and present danger to the health of both workers and members of the public. It is believed that a million private and public buildings, including 2,400 schools, 250 hospitals and 1,000 libraries and cultural sites, are contaminated. See: Amianto: 6.000 morti e 40 milioni di tonnellate da bonificare [Asbestos: 6,000 dead and 40 million tons to be reclaimed].

Mesothelioma at the Opera

Jun 19, 2018

Second only to Maria Callas, legendary Italian opera singer Edith Martelli has died from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure at La Scala and other opera houses; she sang in Madrid, New York, Berlin, Salzburg and Tokyo. When she was diagnosed 14 years ago, she was given a prognosis of just 12 months. Commenting on the toxic exposures she received, her son Antonio said that his mother “had unknowingly and systematically” inhaled the invisible asbestos fibers contained in stage equipment, curtains, etc. which were found in the 1980s in theaters, including La Scala. See: Legnano, Edith Martelli è morta per l’amianto respirato alla Scala [Legnano, Edith Martelli died of asbestos breathed at La Scala].

Asbestos Cancer Incidence Study

Jun 18, 2018

The cancer incidence of a cohort of ~2,500 asbestos-exposed men from Northeast Italy was compared to that of the general population from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Amongst the former group, there was an “excess in the incidence of both mesothelioma and lung cancer, showing increasing incidence rates at higher level of asbestos exposure.” The relative incidence of lung cancer was highest among members of the cohort who had worked in shipbuilding between 1974 and 1984. The authors concluded: “Our results confirm that asbestos-related diseases are still a major problem worldwide.” See: Cancer incidence in a cohort of asbestos-exposed workers undergoing health surveillance.

Mesothelioma Biomarkers

Jun 14, 2018

A delay in diagnosing pleural mesothelioma can prevent early treatment and adversely affect the patient’s prognosis. In an attempt to develop mesothelioma biomarkers which could be used for early diagnosis, researchers in Italy have studied serum samples from 30 pleural mesothelioma patients and 30 healthy participants. The scientists found two significant differences; “miRNA-126 was downregulated (the serum contained less of this RNA than normal) and miRNA-197 was upregulated (found in larger than expected amounts) in patients with pleural mesothelioma.” Based on these results, more research will be undertaken. See: Mesothelioma Biomarkers Could Make Early Diagnosis Routine.

Mesothelioma Compensation

Jun 4, 2018

An April 24, 2018 decree of Italy’s Ministry of Labor and Social Policy entitled “Asbestos victims fund – patients with non-professional mesothelioma” provides for a €5,600 payment of compensation to patients or surviving relatives of victims of non-occupational mesothelioma according to a May press release by the asbestos victims group: AFeVA. The provisional three year budget for this program is 5.5 million euro per year for years 2018-2020. See: Decreto Ministero del Lavoro 24 aprile 2018: Fondo vittime amianto – malati di mesotelioma non professionale [Decree of the Ministry of Labor April 24, 2018: Asbestos victims fund – patients with non-professional mesothelioma].

Community Victory over Asbestos Dump

May 23, 2018

In what has been described as a “historic judgment,” the Council of State has accepted an appeal by a local environmental action group which will forestall the construction of an asbestos dumpsite in Lombardy, northern Italy. After previous setbacks, campaigners were celebrating this decision which, they said, confirmed that exhaustive and participatory measures must be followed to safeguard human health and the environment; their appeal had categorized the environmental impact assessment produced by the company behind the scheme as “incomplete, badly deficient.” See: Treviglio, discarica di amianto: stop dal Consiglio di Stato [Treviglio, asbestos dump: stopped by the Council of State].

Victory for Lung Cancer Victim

May 13, 2018

Ten years after his death, the widow of a worker from Central Italy was awarded compensation for his death from pulmonary adenocarcinoma due to occupational asbestos exposure. As part of his duties the deceased, who worked from 1970 to 1992 for a company manufacturing ovens, checked “the quality of the products, breathing asbestos present in the insulation of screws, bolts, seals and panels, which had led him to contract the lung cancer.” Asbestos sheets were cut on-site and placed in the ovens and under cooking plates. See: Rieti, operaio morì per l'amianto Tribunale decide risarcimento alla vedova [Rieti, a worker died of asbestos, Court awards compensation to the widow].

Italy’s Asbestos Challenges

May 1, 2018

On April 28, 2018 Legambiente – Italy’s League for the Environment – highlighted the imminent hazard posed by the asbestos contamination of the country’s infrastructure. A recent investigation has revealed that there are 370,000 structures contaminated with asbestos. According to data from the Institute of Insurance against Work Accidents, between 1998 and 2012 more than 21,460 cases of malignant mesothelioma were reported with an average of more than 6,000 deaths per year; the areas worst affected were Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, Sicily, Campania and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. See: Abogan en Italia por la eliminación del uso del asbestos [Campaigning for asbestos eradication in Italy].

Asbestos Homicide Trials

Apr 29, 2018

The Criminal Court of Naples has ordered Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to answer charges of voluntary homicide over the asbestos deaths of 258 workers from factories throughout Italy including those in Naples, Turin, Reggio Emilia and Vercelli. Schmidheiny was the sole owner and CEO of these plants; it is alleged his failure to take protective measures led to the exposures and subsequent asbestos cancers the deceased contracted. Another manslaughter trial against Schmidheiny started on April 26, 2018 in Turin, four years after public prosecutors filed murder charges against him. See: Stephan Schmidheiny sotto accusa di omicidio volontario [Stephan Schmidheiny on charges of voluntary homicide].

Asbestos Prosecution in Milan

Apr 25, 2018

The Milan Public Prosecutor has brought charges against Elio Gambino, former director of the Azienda Trasporti Milanesi – a transport company in Milan, Italy – over the asbestos-related deaths from mesothelioma of six employees [a bus driver, 2 electricians, an underground railway signalman, a mechanic in charge of bus repairs and a carpenter] and injuries sustained by two others which took place between 2009 and 2015. The accused is charged with the crimes of “inadequate security management” and creating “an environmental emergency” that could affect travellers as well as workers. See: Amianto, pm chiede 6 anni per ex manager Atm: “No misure adeguate” [Asbestos, pm asks for 6 years for former Atm manager: “No adequate measures”].

Tragic Asbestos Decision

Apr 19, 2018

On April 18, 2018, a Turin appeals court dismissed charges against defendants convicted by a lower court over 12 asbestos deaths amongst Olivetti workers employed between the 1960s and 1990s at the company’s factory in Ivrea, northern Italy. Convictions were reversed for Olivetti executives Carlo De Benedetti and his brother Franco De Benedetti, who had been sentenced to prison for manslaughter and personal injury by the first instance court. There is widespread outrage in the town of Ivrea, with the Mayor saying: “This story is an open wound for the city and the territory…” See: Amianto all'Olivetti di Ivrea, assolti tutti i manager [Asbestos at Olivetti, Ivrea, all managers absolved].

Victim’s Verdict

Apr 17, 2018

A Labor Court in Rome, has awarded the estate of a deceased mechanic the sum €236,000 for his occupationally-caused death in 2011 from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The judge condemned Cotral, the regional public transport company of Lazio and Vincenzo Cecchini’s employer, for failing to provide safe working conditions, including protection from asbestos exposures, between December 1981 and December 1992, the period during which the deceased was employed. See: Amianto, Tribunale del lavoro di Roma condanna la Cotral per morte di un meccanico a causa del cancro [Asbestos, Rome Labor Court condemns Cotral for mechanic’s cancer death].

Mesothelioma and Women

Mar 28, 2018

Using mesothelioma data from Italy’s epidemiological surveillance system for 1993 to 2012, scientists studied the occurrence of mesothelioma amongst female cohorts. Their findings highlighted the role of non-occupational exposures, caused by living near asbestos-using factories or washing relatives’ contaminated work clothes, and employment of females in high-risk sectors, including the chemical and plastic industry. The researchers conclude: “Enhancing the awareness of mesothelioma aetiology in women could support the effectiveness of welfare system and prevention policies.” See: The epidemiology of malignant mesothelioma in women: gender differences and modalities of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos at the Opera

Mar 22, 2018

The relatives of deceased performers and tradespeople exposed to asbestos at La Scala opera house demonstrated on March 19 in front of the Milan court building where proceedings continue into the untimely deaths of 10 La Scala workers. The family members were joined at the protest by trade union representatives and members of civil society organizations such as the Committee for the Defence of Health in the Workplace and in the Territory that are civil parties in this case. See: Amianto alla Scala, presidio davanti al Tribunale: “Strage silenziosa continua” [See: Asbestos at La Scala, demonstration in front of the Court: “Silent slaughter continues”].

Asbestos Jail Sentence

Mar 19, 2018

Italy’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) – in what is believed to be the first criminal conviction of its kind, at this level – has upheld the guilty verdict handed down to the owner of an asbestos workshop (operated by his company Effe Erre) for failing to comply with health and safety regulations as a result of which an employee died from an asbestos-related disease; the Court confirmed a one-year jail sentence for the offence. The deceased was a carpenter in the small workshop in Navigli; he died in 2012 of pleural mesothelioma. See: Amianto, prima condanna definitiva a Milano [Asbestos, first final conviction in Milan].

Asbestos Verdict: Italy

Mar 12, 2018

An Italian judge from the Court of Salerno recognized the occupational nature of asbestos exposure experienced by a member of the Italian navy who died from mesothelioma and ruled that he was a “victim of duty.” The judge awarded the late serviceman’s heirs an extra monthly payment from the Ministry of Defense of €500. One legal commentator said that the Court’s judgment was evidence of what a parliamentary commission of inquiry had dubbed “the asbestos massacre of naval personnel.” See: Amianto assassino, ex militare salernitano riconosciuto “vittima del dovere” [Asbestos killer, former Salerno military recognized as “victim of duty”].

Lung Cancer and Asbestos

Jan 11, 2018

A lump sum of €700,000 and a monthly pension of €1,600 has been awarded by a court in Taranto, Italy to the heirs of a non-commissioned naval officer who died in 2008 from lung cancer due to maritime exposure to asbestos on board military vessels. Recognizing the causal link between the lung cancer and the deceased’s occupational asbestos exposure, the court declared that the officer had been a “victim of duty.” See: Taranto: Sottufficiale di Marina morto per amianto, 700mila euro di risarcimento agli eredi [Taranto: non-commissioned officer from Marina died of asbestos, 700 thousand euros compensation to heirs].

Asbestos Alert: Thermos Shock

Jan 8, 2018

Yet more products imported from China to the EU have been found to be contaminated with asbestos according to information supplied by the Italian Ministry of Health which has notified EU authorities. “Termos Porta Pranzo” thermos flasks with a capacity of 0.35 LT, model number 2170297 and bar code 8-029121702978 were found to have asbestos within the double glass casing of the thermos flasks. Diverse reports claim that the toxic fibers were tremolite or chrysotile asbestos. See: Thermos con amianto shock: immediato il ritiro. L’allerta lanciata dal Ministero della salute [Thermos with asbestos shock: immediate withdrawal. Alert launched by the Ministry of Health].

Asbestos Litigation: Update

Dec 17, 2017

A ruling handed down on December 14, 2017 by Italy’s Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) reduced charges faced by Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny from murder to manslaughter. Four legal processes are ongoing against Schmidheiny over 240+ asbestos-related deaths of employees and members of the public. On December 19, 2017 a preliminary hearing will take place in Turin; on February 13, 2018 proceedings will begin in Naples; the dates for trials to commence in Vercelli and Reggio Emilia are not yet known. See: Eternit, in Tribunale i 243 casi di Casale [Eternit, in the Court 243 cases from Casale].

Port Authority Negligent

Dec 4, 2017

Announcements have been made regarding substantial compensation payments awarded by courts to family members of two men who died of mesothelioma due to occupational asbestos exposures experienced whilst employed by the Trieste Port Authority; the Simoni family was awarded €700,000 for the 2013 death of 64-year old Luigi Simioni who had worked at the port loading and unloading asbestos cargo from 1973 onwards; the relatives of port worker Gina Grube received €645,000. See: Amianto:700 mila euro alla famiglia dell'ex dipendente dall'Autorità portuale [Asbestos: 700 thousand euros to the family of a former employee of the Port Authority].

Asbestos Disease and GPs

Nov 17, 2017

A paper uploaded on November 3, 2017 documenting research in the Molise Region highlighted the importance of asbestos awareness amongst Italy’s general practitioners and their role in the surveillance and management of occupational and non-occupational asbestos diseases. The authors concluded that there was a “need to impart… appropriate and standardized information to GPs on environmental and workplace asbestos risks, in order to determine the most suitable support for prevention, early diagnosis and therapy.” See: Asbestos exposures, mesothelioma incidence and mortality, and awareness by general practitioners in the Molise Region, Central Italy.

Banning Asbestos in Italy

Nov 14, 2017

This paper which details the road to Italy’s asbestos ban is part of the 2017 Special Issue: Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The text explains how a major asbestos mining and processing country in the early 20th century transitioned to a leading advocate for national and international prohibitions on asbestos use. The authors highlight the role played by various stakeholders and the importance of integrated environmental health policies and capacity building. See: Asbestos Ban in Italy: A Major Milestone, Not the Final Cut.

Travesty of Justice

Nov 7, 2017

On November 6, 2017, the Bologna Criminal Court absolved two executives of the OGR railway company – Franco Cataoli and Eduardo Cardini – of negligence over four asbestos deaths of workers who had been employed at the company’s railway repair workshops in Bologna during the 1970s and 1980s. A spokesperson for AFeVA, the local asbestos victims association, called the ruling “incomprehensible” and said the association would carefully consider the verdict before deciding whether to appeal. See: Morti per amianto a Bologna, assolti due dirigenti delle Ogr [Two OGR executives absolved in asbestos deaths in Bologna].

EU Support: No to Toxic Dump

Oct 30, 2017

A petition by an Italian community opposed to the development of an asbestos waste dumpsite in Roaschia, Piedmont has been accepted by the European Parliament which is forwarding it to the EU Commission for consideration in 2018. The petition was submitted by Alberto Cirio, an Italian Member of the European Parliament. Commenting on the Parliament’s support, Cirio said: “The fact that it is welcomed makes us optimistic because it is evidence of the import of our concerns.” See: Roaschia, Bruxelles sostiene il “no” alla discarica di Amianto [Roaschia, Brussels supports “no” at the asbestos dump].

Public Health Surveillance

Oct 24, 2017

Coordination amongst medical experts and healthcare institutions in Tuscany has resulted in a pioneering programme operational since April 3, 2017 benefiting more than 5,000 asbestos-exposed workers eligible for free medical healthcare and follow-ups. An explanatory note about this scheme notes that: “The involvement of specific public health services and the cooperation of social stakeholders (unions and asbestos workers associations namely)… are expected to help in enhancing the participation to the programme of all the past asbestos workers.” See: Health surveillance for workers with previous exposure to asbestos: a specific programme developed in Tuscany Region (central Italy).

Asbestos Navy

Oct 18, 2017

A book has just been published in Italian by Lino Lava and Giuseppe Pietrobelli, entitled “Navi d’amianto” (Asbestos navy), detailing the fight against the asbestos enemy present in so many naval machine rooms, vessels and premises. Investigations by the Padua magistrate are soon to commence into 600 asbestos deaths amongst service personnel. Despite the fact that asbestos use has been banned in Italy since 1992, asbestos-contaminated naval ships are still operational and Italian sailors and officers continue to succumb to asbestos-related cancers and illnesses due to on-board exposures. See: Navi d’amianto [Asbestos navy].

Asbestos at Home

Oct 17, 2017

After several setbacks, a judge has given the approval for the Public Prosecutor of Milan to proceed with investigations regarding the 2015 mesothelioma death of Mrs. Paola Corda, a tenant in the Via Rimini Milan apartment complex which was riddled with asbestos. One avenue of enquiry will be asbestos removal work in 2001 which may have liberated fibers into the atmosphere; during the work, tenants were not evacuated. Defendants could face charges of unintentional homicide for failing to protect the residents from asbestos exposures. See: Ona, case popolari di Milano: inquilina muore per mesothelioma [Popular homes in Milan: tenant dies from mesothelioma].

Old Hazard, New Technology

Oct 10, 2017

In a clash of the old and the new, asbestos contamination of a building destined to be the new Apple headquarters in Milan has delayed the opening of the store from December 2017 until the summer of 2018. Asbestos-containing pipes and construction material were found in the building which used to house the Apollo cinema. The new Apple Store, will, its proponents hope “become an open place to meet friends, take a walk and participate in cultural events.” See: Amianto nell’ex cinema Apollo, slitta l’apertura dell’Apple Store di Piazza Liberty a Milano [Asbestos in the former Apollo cinema, delays opening of the Apple Store in Milan’s Liberty Square].

Asbestos and Public Health

Oct 9, 2017

A study to quantify mesothelioma incidence in Italian “national priority” contaminated sites has concluded that: “asbestos pollution is a risk for people living in polluted areas, due to not only occupational exposure in industrial settings with direct use of asbestos but also the presence of asbestos in the environment.” In the study period, an excess of mesothelioma incidence was found in sites with known past history of direct use of asbestos such as Balangero, Casale Monferrato and Broni, in sites with shipyards and harbors (eg, Trieste, La Spezia, Venice, and Leghorn), but also in areas without documented direct use. See: Mesothelioma incidence and asbestos exposure in Italian national priority contaminated sites.

Asbestos: Regional Action

Oct 2, 2017

At the 7th Regional Asbestos Conference organized by the Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG), Italy last week, the President of the region recapped the scope of the council’s program for environmental reclamation and research into the treatment of and support for asbestos victims, highlighting the importance of collaboration amongst administrative and institutional stakeholders. Of the 32 million tonnes of asbestos incorporated within the Italian infrastructure, 1 million tonnes is located in FVG, making it the country’s most contaminated region. See: Amianto: 1,3 milioni di euro stanziati per il 2017 dalla Regione per le bonifiche [Asbestos:1.3 million euros allocated by the Region for 2017 reclamation].

Asbestos Memorial Day?

Sep 18, 2017

The community of Monfalcone, a city at the heart of Italy’s asbestos epidemic, has called on regional authorities to establish a mesothelioma day to raise awareness of asbestos cancer, in proposals submitted to officials of Friuli Venezia Giulia, an autonomous region in north-east Italy. In a bill proposed by the Mayor of Cantieri, April 28 is suggested as a memorial day for asbestos victims to acknowledge the “sacrifice of many Italian workers and their families who unknowingly went to their deaths [because of] breathing asbestos fibers.” See: Si istituisca la giornata nazionale per le vittime dell'amianto [Establishing a National Day for Asbestos Victims].

Asbestos at the Opera

Sep 11, 2017

A hearing took place in the 9th Criminal Court in Milan on September 8, 2017 over asbestos deaths due to exposure at the world famous La Scala opera house. The five defendants included Carlo Fontana, superintendent of La Scala from October 1, 1990 to February 24, 2005. In 2016, former mayors of Milan Carlo Tognoli, Paolo Pillitteri, Giampiero Borghini and Marco Formentini were fined for accidental murder and causing serious injuries by failures to act on the asbestos hazard. The trial will resume on September 26 with hearings set for October 11, November 9 and December 21. See: Amianto alla Scala, un caso di morte prescritto [Asbestos at la Scala, a death prescribed].

Victim’s Victory!

Sep 2, 2017

On August 30, 2017, a Salerno Court concluded that the Ministry of Defense was responsible for the 2013 mesothelioma death of a former sailor who during the 1980s had served on-board two former US submarines purchased by the Italian navy; both of these ships were full of asbestos. The Ministry of Defense and the Navy had both contested claims brought by the deceased’s daughter who was awarded lump sum compensation of €200,000 plus a monthly income of €1,500. This could be the first of many similar claims, said the victorious claimant. See: Morì di amianto, ora lo Stato paga [He died of asbestos, now the state pays].

Deadly Legacy

Aug 24, 2017

A recent report reveals that a number of people between the ages of 50 and 65 have being diagnosed with asbestos diseases following childhood exposures to their parents’ asbestos contaminated work clothes. Research into cases presented at San Polo Hospital, Monfalcone, identified two of mesothelioma and two of pleural plaques in people under 61 years old. In addition, according to Dr. Paolo Barbina, four more cases of mesothelioma have been reported in women who washed their husbands' work clothes. See: L’amianto ora colpisce i figli degli operai [Asbestos now strikes the workers' children].

Update: Asbestos Emergency

Jul 19, 2017

New data published in Italy documents a growth in the volume of asbestos waste generated and a fall in the availability of regulated waste sites resulting in the export of 145,000 tonnes of waste to Germany. At the current rate of remediation, it is estimated that decontamination of the country won’t be achieved until the next century with asbestos-related deaths continuing for a further 130 years. In 2015, 369,000 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste were produced in Italy. See: Amianto, cresce la produzione di rifiuti in Italia ma gli impianti per gestirla sono sempre meno [Asbestos, waste generation in Italy is growing, but the facilities for managing it are getting less and less].

Where is the Justice?

Jun 17, 2017

On June 15, 2017, a Milan court cleared 8 former managers of the Breda Termomeccanica-Ansaldo engineering company of charges related to asbestos deaths of 12 workers at its plant in Milan between the 1970s and 1985. Prosecutors, who accused the defendants of being “gravely culpable,” had asked for sentences of up to 4 years and 11 months. Friends and relatives of the Breda dead voiced their disappointment and held up a banner saying: “Remember all the workers killed in the name of profit.” In February and May, Milan courts acquitted ENEL (National Board of Electricity) and Fiat managers of charges related to 18 occupational asbestos deaths. See: Breda-Ansaldo ex-execs cleared in asbestos trial.

Asbestos Removal Subsidy

Jun 14, 2017

A new scheme has been put in place by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Italy to assist private individuals to remove and dispose of asbestos in residential buildings. A €1,500 grant can be obtained by the owner, co-owner or tenant to enable them to employ a specialist contractor to carry out the work. It is hoped that this scheme will serve as a template for other local governments eager to expurgate asbestos contamination from their infrastructures. See: Friuli Venezia Giulia: aiuti economici ai privati per rimuovere e smaltire l’amianto [Friuli Venezia Giulia: economic aid for private individuals to remove and dispose of asbestos].

Waste Site Controversy

Jun 5, 2017

Last week, a delegation including political and community representatives met with Professor Alberto Montanari to consider options for closing Poiatica, an inactive site where tonnes of earthquake debris, demolition and asbestos waste have been deposited. A campaign called “Stop the Landfill” is engaged in high-profile efforts to address the hazardous source of toxic exposures from the site. A study is due to be completed by the end of June. See: Comitato furibondo «L’amianto è morte»;«La chiusura è finta, vogliono mandarci 800.000 metri cubi» [Furious Committee says:“Asbestos is Death”; “The closure is false, they want to send us 800,000 cubic meters”].

Mesothelioma “Massacre”

May 30, 2017

An Italian Parliamentary body convened to determine the asbestos hazard to service personnel has received a confidential report by Raffaele Guariniello – the retired public prosecutor who became famous during the Turin trial of foreign asbestos entrepreneurs – which documented a vast underestimate of officially recognized mesothelioma deaths amongst the military. The existence of the “hidden massacre” was due to the practice whereby only deaths of serving personnel are included in mortality statistics and not those of retired personnel. See: Amianto killer, la ‘strage nascosta’ tra i militari [Asbestos killer, the ‘hidden massacre’ among the military].

No Asbestos Dumps Here!

May 18, 2017

A judgment handed down by Italy’s Council of State upheld local and environmental objections to the construction by the Mosole Group of asbestos landfills in northern Italy, citing EU regulations. The proposal under consideration included the transfer of 460,000 cubic meters of asbestos between two landfills, to be transported by about 45,000 trucks over a period of ten years beginning in 2018. The dumping of over 80,000 cubic meters of asbestos-containing waste in the region between 2005 and 2006, has been deemed an illegal action by the Council of State. See: Paese, stop alla discarica di Amianto [Region stops asbestos dumping].

Joining Forces: Spain and Italy

May 16, 2017

Last week, a delegation from Cerdanyola del Valles (Barcelona), where the operations of the Uralita asbestos-cement factory exposed generations of workers and local people to deadly asbestos, were warmly received by Mayor Titti Palazzetti of Casale Monferrato and other dignitaries. Mayor Palazzetti told the visitors: “Casale and its story are unique … We have succeeded, thanks to the cohesion between associations, local and national institutions and citizens, to transform our pain into engagement and struggle.” See: Amianto: a Casale Monferrato dalla Spagna per confronto esperienze [Asbestos: the experiences in Casale Monferrato and Spain].

Mesothelioma in Doll Production

May 8, 2017

Italian scientists have published findings based on data from the Province of Brescia Mesothelioma Registry related to 757 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed between 1993 to 2016 that establish that the pleural epithelial mesotheliomas contracted by three women employed by two companies in the doll production industry were caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Analysis of asbestos lung fiber burden enabled the causation of these patients’ diseases to be altered from “unknown” to workplace asbestos exposures. See: Pleural mesothelioma in doll manufacture: possible asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Remediation: Update

Mar 20, 2017

According to Giorgio Demezzi, a former Mayor of Casale Monferrato, to date more than €80m has been allocated by the Italian government for asbestos remediation of the town over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, disputes are ongoing over the administrative processing and bureaucratic dispensation of remediation funds by city hall personnel. The municipality aims to make Casale Monferrato asbestos free by 2020. To that end, work is proceeding, says the current Mayor, at new construction sites. See: I conti dell’amianto in 20 anni: ecco le bonifiche. Finora trasferiti dallo Stato 80 milioni [20 years of asbestos land reclamation has, till now, cost the state 80 million].

Jail for Asbestos Managers

Feb 11, 2017

Two managers of the Italian asbestos-cement company Fibronit which operated a factory in Broni were found guilty of manslaughter by a court in Pavia for asbestos deaths which occurred after 2002 of 20 factory workers and local people. A four-year sentence was handed down to Cardinal Michele, 74, former chief executive with Lorenzo Mo, 70, former factory director, receiving 3 years and 4 months. Fibronit adviser Alvaro Galvani 68 was acquitted. It has been estimated that 4,000 people worked at the plant before the company went bankrupt in 2011. See: Amianto, condannati due ex manager della Fibronit di Broni per omicidio colposo [Two former managers of Broni, Fibronit convicted of manslaughter].

Sicily Fails to Act on Hazard

Feb 8, 2017

A 2014 law passed in Sicily mandated that each of 390 municipal authorities establish an asbestos plan delineating the location of asbestos hotspots. To date, only 16% of municipalities have undertaken work to locate asbestos through information from local people. The law required the identification of buildings containing asbestos products and provided guidelines for preventing hazardous exposures and remediating environmental contamination. A public fund to support asbestos removal work was planned but as few Sicilian authorities complied with the program, these funds have been reallocated. See: Amianto, piano comunale fermo da un anno [Asbestos, a year without a municipal plan].

Asbestos at Car Factory

Jan 23, 2017

Last week a Milan court heard accusations against executives from the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese (Milan) who face charges over asbestos deaths of former employees. Amongst those accused are: Corrado Innocenti, managing director of Alfa Romeo from 1978 to 1985 and Vincent Moro, CEO of Alfa Romeo from 1974 to 1978. The prosecutor told the court that asbestos was “present in the environment and in the machining process” and there had been an “utter lack of caution in the production line even though there was knowledge that asbestos was a dangerous substance…” The case continues. See: Amianto: Alfa, pm “3 anni a ex vertici” [Asbestos: Alfa Romeo, 3 years is the verdict].

Asbestos Scandal and the Third Crossing

Jan 19, 2017

The construction of the high speed railway known simply as the Third Crossing, which is due for completion in 2021 and will link the area around Genoa with the main railway lines in northern Italy and the rest of Europe, has been beset by delays and multiple scandals. The recent publication of wiretaps recording conversations with key supervisory personnel on this project reveals a complete disdain for workers’ health and a dismal failure to acknowledge the asbestos hazard. One of the contract managers has been arrested over his negligence in preventing occupational asbestos exposures. See: Terzo Valico, l’intercettazione: “L’amianto? Tanto la malattia arriva fra 30 anni.” [Third passage, the interception: “Asbestos? Both the disease and train arrive in 30 years”].

Supporting Supreme Court Appeal

Jan 16, 2017

AFeVA, the Italian group representing many asbestos victims from Casale Monferrato and surrounding areas, has welcomed the decision announced this month by the Turin prosecutor to appeal the Supreme Court’s decision which downgraded murder charges against asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to manslaughter. Acknowledging that no results will be available in the short-term, due to the protracted proceedings ahead, AFeVA has pledged to “use this time period to study, together with its legal advisors, new forms of protection for victims and family members” so that justice can be obtained in a “reasonable time.” See: Comunicato AFeVA [AFeVA Press Release].

Appeal of Schmidheiny Verdict

Jan 13, 2017

On January 12, 2017, public prosecutor Gianfranco Colace and Assistant Attorney General Charles Pellicano appealed to the Supreme Court to reverse the November 29 sentence handed down by Judge Federica Bompieri which allocated the Eternit bis proceedings to four different courts and reduced the charges faced by Stephan Schmidheiny from voluntary murder to manslaughter for more than 200 asbestos deaths. The appellants allege that although Schmidheiny was aware of the asbestos hazard, he did not warn Eternit’s workers. See: Il caso Eternit bis finisce in Cassazione, ricorso contro il manager Schmidheiny [Eternit bis back in the Supreme Court with appeal against Schmidheiny].

The Final Insult

Jan 3, 2017

You couldn’t make it up. After 14 years of legal battles, an Italian court has ordered the wife and children of an asbestos victim to return the bulk of the money previously awarded for his death. The verdict supported arguments submitted by The National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work and Occupational Diseases (INAIL) that Mario Barbieri, who had worked from 1966 to 1992 as a crane operator and warehouseman in Carrara at a site where 22 others had died of asbestos cancer, had not been exposed to asbestos at work. The Court had been told that the brakes of the crane were lined with asbestos. See: Morì per amianto, ma l’Inail rivuole i soldi [He died from asbestos, but INAIL wants the money back].

National Asbestos Scandal

Dec 20, 2016

A devastating series of stark black and white images by photographer Cinzia Canneri depicting Italy’s ongoing asbestos epidemic illustrates a new article on the website of the New York Times. The work for this photographic essay took two years, during which Ms. Canneri closely observed the daily reality of the victims and their families. Even as these tragedies continue the courts fail to provide justice. On December 19, 2016, to the shouts of “shame,” a Milan court overturned manslaughter convictions against 9 former Pirelli managers who had been found guilty for asbestos deaths of former Pirelli workers. [see: Milan court acquits 9 ex-Pirelli managers in asbestos case]. See: Deadly Remnants of Asbestos in Italy.

Dark Day for Italian Justice

Dec 6, 2016

On November 29, 2016, the hopes of thousands of Italians were crushed when a Turin Court reduced charges against asbestos defendant Stephan Schmidheiny from murder to manslaughter in legal proceedings referred to as Eternit-bis. Commenting on this verdict, AFeVA, a group representing many victims and family members, expressed deep dissatisfaction saying thousands of claims will now be time barred and the handful of cases that go ahead will be relegated to courts around the country. See: Eternit Bis: è omicidio colposo e di nuovo prescrizione per Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis: Stephan Schmidheiny to face manslaughter not homicide charges].

Assessing Post-earthquake Asbestos Hazard

Oct 19, 2016

In the aftermath of the earthquake which hit central Italy in August, 2016, investigations have been progressing regarding the public health hazard posed by the liberation of asbestos fibers during the disaster. “The earthquake, at worst, produced a pulverization of asbestos cement, contaminating the environment and water. Fibers may also be dispersed from the debris.” Under orders issued by chief prosecutor Michele Renzo, police in the investigative unit were designated to accumulate evidence about the current situation including the risks to emergency personnel as well as to local people. See: Sotto il terremoto, l’amianto [Under the earthquake, asbestos].

Public Outrage over Asbestos Dumpsite

Sep 23, 2016

On the evening of September 21, 2016, hundreds of local people, provincial representatives and campaigners took part in a vigil to manifest widespread opposition to the construction of a new landfill for asbestos-cement waste in Ferrera, a town in the Italian commune of Sannazzaro de Burgondi, 45 km south-west of Milan. The site will be up and running in June 2017. Having created a large “no” out of candles on the piazza, the silent procession took to the streets after which speeches were given outlining legal, political and judicial strategies for forcing closure of the contentious site. See: Settecento fiaccole contro la discarica di amianto [700 torches against plans for asbestos landfill site].

Asbestos Issues on Conference Agenda

Sep 3, 2016

On September 3, 2016, presentations on asbestos-related issues were made during the 28th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology which is taking place from September 1 to 4, 2016 in Rome. Amongst the presentations made today were: Asbestos-related diseases in Parana: The Brazil-Italy project; Malignant mesothelioma in Lazio railroad company workers; A pooled cohort analysis on cancer risk among former asbestos-exposed workers: role of asbestos clearance in explaining long-term mortality trend for pleural cancer; Asbestos – from underrecognized hazards to never-ending controversies on health effects. See: 28th Annual Conference of International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.

Post-Disaster Measures, Italy

Aug 29, 2016

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which hit central Italy last week, news has been circulating of environmental asbestos contamination. One expert said: “Unfortunately, there is, as in all seismic events, a risk [from asbestos] … in homes and industrial buildings built in the second half of the twentieth century.” To protect emergency responders, dust suppression methods must be used and appropriate breathing equipment provided to avoid inhalation of asbestos fibers. See: Terremoto, dopo la morte e il dolore, l'incubo dell'amianto [Earthquake, after the death and pain, the asbestos nightmare].

Monument to Asbestos Tragedy

Aug 23, 2016

On September 10, 2016, the people of Casale Monferrato will inaugurate a green space on the former site of the notorious Eternit asbestos factory. The park, the name of which is Eternot, symbolizes the battle for justice, reclamation and research for a community which has been devastated by asbestos injuries and deaths for several decades. The ceremony will be attended by Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, and Italian Ministers Gian Luca Galletti and Andrea Orlando. Artwork donated by the local victims’ group which pays tribute to activist Romana Pavesi will also be unveiled. See: Amianto, Casale il 10/9 inaugura Eternot [Asbestos, Casale on 10/9 inaugurates Eternot Park].

Palliative Care for Mesothelioma Patients

Aug 21, 2016

The need for palliative care for mesothelioma sufferers was highlighted by an analysis of data from patients admitted to a home palliative care program in Italy. Three quarters of the mesothelioma patients had painful symptoms, with 20 reporting moderate and severe pain despite treatment with medium-high doses of opioids. The most frequent symptoms reported were pain, weakness, poor appetite, poor well-being and dyspnea; the principal site of pain was the chest. The study concludes that palliative care should be integrated at an early stage into the care of all these patients. See: Symptom Burden in mesothelioma patients admitted to home palliative care.

Illegal Fly-tipping of Toxic Waste

Aug 19, 2016

An unwelcome discovery was made near the central Adriatic coastal town of Numana, in Ancona Province, by agents of the State Forestry Corps who found 20 tonnes of asbestos sheeting dumped in a drainage ditch in a rural part of the countryside. The officials were making a routine inspection when they found this toxic deposit tangled in amongst some vegetation. Ancona’s public prosecutor has opened an investigation against persons unknown; the penalty for illegally disposing of this toxic waste is up to two years in prison. See: Amianto, 20 tonnellate rifiuti a Numana [Asbestos, 20 tons of waste in Numana].

Death of Giuseppe Manfredi

Aug 17, 2016

The death was announced of Giuseppe Manfredi, the President of the Asbestos Victims Family Association (AFEVA), in Casale Monferrato, Italy. He had become President in November, 2015 upon the retirement of Romana Blasotti Pavesi. Known to all as Beppe, he died aged 66 of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma on August 16, 2016. In the short time he was President, he initiated several projects to progress AFEVA’s fight for asbestos justice, medical research and remediation of the widespread contamination caused by decades of asbestos production, use and disposal in Italy. See: Addio a Giuseppe Manfredi, presidente di Afeva [Goodbye to Giuseppe Manfredi, AFEVA President].

Officials Struggle with Import Tide

Aug 15, 2016

An investigation by La Stampa newspaper documents the struggle of Italy’s customs officials to prevent dangerous materials such as asbestos fiber from illegally entering the country. Stiff competition between European ports means that any delays will encourage shipping companies to use alternative ports with virtually no controls at all. With insufficient staff and resources, only 1.5% of the ten million containers that arrive in Italy every year are inspected. Despite this low figure, the monitoring rate at Italian ports is higher than in the rest of Europe. See: Armi, amianto e droga: la rete colabrodo dei porti italiani [Weapons, asbestos and drugs: the sieve network of Italian ports].

Decontamination of School Site

Aug 11, 2016

Experts have estimated that to properly decontaminate the ground under the Villa Corridi in the Italian Province of Livorno, the removal of up to one million tonnes of soil could be required. Thirty years ago 1,000 tonnes of asbestos waste were used as landfill. A school built on this site will be closed for a month for the work to be carried out. At a technical meeting held this month, parents of some of the 900 schoolchildren who attend classes here were informed about the situation. See: Villa Corridi, mille tonnellate di amianto e terra da rimuovere. La scuola rischia un mese di stop [Villa Corridi, a thousand tons of asbestos and earth to be removed; school faces a month of closure].

Asbestos Disease at an Italian Shipyard

Aug 4, 2016

Researchers have examined data on asbestos-related diseases between 1996 and 2015 amongst workers at an important shipyard in Northern Italy. Tissue samples from lungs were collected during autopsies and fiber levels were quantified using scanning electron and optical microscopy. The authors of this paper concluded that: “The lung burden analysis of asbestos bodies and asbestos fibres, the largest ever performed among ship-building workers, confirms the spread and relevance of asbestos exposure. The best estimate of past exposure intensity was provided by both biological indices.” See: Asbestos-related diseases and biological index of cumulative dose in shipyard workers (1996-2015).

Asbestos Remediation Funding

Jul 29, 2016

Over €11 million has been budgeted for work during 2016-2018 on the remediation of asbestos-containing buildings by Italy’s Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti. Priority will be given to work on contaminated properties near kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, shelters, hospitals and sports facilities. Other funds have been allocated for decontamination of schools; a pilot project will be undertaken in Alessandria, Pisa and Salerno to map asbestos in school buildings. See: Edilizia scolastica. Bonifica dall'amianto: stanziati oltre 11 milioni di euro, si parte da Alessandria, Pisa e Salerno [School construction. Asbestos rehabilitation: 11 million Euros allocated for Alexandria, Pisa and Salerno].

Asbestos Pension Claims

Jul 26, 2016

In a verdict handed down by Judge Silvia Carpanini, the Ansaldo Energia company was ordered to pay compensation to Italy’s National Institute of Social Security for facilitating false claims that 12 workers had been exposed to asbestos as a result of which they received increased pension payments and privileges collectively totalling one million euros. While some company officers were acquitted of charges related to this fraud, one department head was sentenced to one year and one month in prison. There was no evidence that the employees had been aware of the falsifications submitted. See: Falsi bonus amianto, Ansaldo risarcisca INPS [False asbestos bonus, Ansaldo compensate INPS].

Constitutional Court Okays Asbestos Trial!

Jul 22, 2016

On July 21, 2016, a long-awaited decision by Italy’s Constitutional Court was handed down which gave the green light for criminal proceedings against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny to continue despite his legal teams’ assertions that he was protected by the legal principal of double jeopardy from being tried twice for the same crime. In 2014 the Supreme Court had overturned on technical grounds a 2012 conviction which had sentenced him to serve 18 years in jail. Prosecutors will relaunch the legal proceedings against Schmidheiny over the asbestos deaths of 258 individuals; the charges related to some of these deaths were not included in the initial prosecution. See: Constitutional Court OKs fresh trial (2).

Prison Sentences for Asbestos Crimes

Jul 19, 2016

A plaintiffs’ verdict in a high-profile manslaughter trial over the asbestos deaths of 14 workers was handed down on July 18, 2016 by Judge Elena Stoppini at a court in Ivrea, Italy. Fifteen ex-managers of the Olivetti electronics firm were found guilty of failing to protect employees from hazardous exposures to asbestos with ex-Olivetti President Franco De Benedetti and his brother Carlo receiving prison sentences of more than five years for corporate manslaughter. Judge Stoppini ruled that the De Benedetti brothers were responsible for 10 of the 14 deaths. Olivetti continued to use asbestos until the middle of the 1990s. See: Ex-Olivetti bosses sentenced over asbestos deaths.

Victims’ Group Calls for Action

Jul 13, 2016

AFeVA, the Italian Association of Asbestos Victims and their Families, is calling on Mayors throughout the Italian province of Ravenna to quantify the health hazard posed by asbestos pollution. Citing as an example of good practice, work undertaken in Rubiera, an AFeVA spokesman said: “with a minimal expenditure, employing a company that uses drones, the city monitored the area in a short time and revealed the magnitude of the problem… [it then moved] on to the next phase of remediation and disposal.” See: AFeVA: “Amianto, si piangono le morti per il lavoro, ma non si fa nulla per prevenirle” [AFeVA: “they mourn those dead from asbestos exposures at work, but nothing is done to prevent further deaths”].

Quarry Shut over Asbestos Find

Jul 10, 2016

A prosecutor on Sardinia is investigating evidence that shows tremolite asbestos contamination of feldspar produced by a quarry in the Orani commune operated by Maffei Sarda Silicati SpA. In the meantime, on July 7, 2016 production and work at this site was officially shut down due to the potential health hazard posed by toxic exposures. Even when the presence of tremolite asbestos in feldspar exported to the US from this quarry was reported, no action had been taken by the company. This issue had never been reported to local or regional authorities. See: Amianto ad Orani, sigilli sulla cava della Maffei Sarda [Asbestos in Orani; Maffei Sarda quarry closed].

Court Doubles Compensation

Jul 8, 2016

According to a ruling of the Sardinian Court of Cagliari, people dying from asbestos-related diseases after hazardous exposures in the military deserve the same level of compensation as those killed by terrorist incidents. The deceased in this case was a naval captain who died in 2009 from pleural mesothelioma having served his country for 32 years on asbestos-riddled ships. The Ministry of Defence was ordered to pay surviving family members 500 euro/month, the same as is paid to victims of terrorism. This is almost twice what the Ministry had been paying. See: Morire di amianto è come il terrorismo [To die from asbestos is like terrorism].

Justice for Mesothelioma Victim

Jul 7, 2016

Yesterday (July 6, 2016), a one year suspended prison sentence was handed down to businessman Fernando Cioffi and compensation of over one million euros was awarded by Judge Enrico Borrelli to the sons of Paolino Tonidandel, a construction worker who died of mesothelioma in 2009, aged 67, just one year after he had been diagnosed with asbestos cancer. Throughout his career, the deceased had been hazardously exposed to asbestos roofing and other toxic materials. Charges against the defendant had been dropped in earlier court proceedings. The family’s victory has taken seven years. See: Amianto: condanna per morte operaio [Asbestos: conviction for worker's death].

Trial begins over Asbestos Death

Jun 29, 2016

Manslaughter charges have been brought in the Massa Court against Pignone company engineer Vincenzo Pizzini who was, it is alleged, negligent during the 1960s of failing to protect workers from occupational asbestos exposures at a factory in the Italian Province of Tuscany. Scores of employees have already died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma; this case is over the death in 2013 of welder Cesare Ricci who was exposed to asbestos on a daily basis and was given no warning of the hazard and no protective equipment or clothing. See: Morte da amianto, ex dirigente del Pignone a processo [Asbestos death; former factory manager charged].

Quantifying the Total Compensation Bill

Jun 21, 2016

On Monday, June 20, 2016, the Court trying the asbestos case against Olivetti executives heard that compensation being sought against former Olivetti officials by individual claimants and civil parties, including the City of Ivrea and AFEVA, a victims’ group from Casale Monferrato, exceeded €6 million. During the day, legal representatives of defendant Camilla Olivetti, CEO from March 1963 to May 1964, argued that charges against their client should be dropped. See: Sei milioni di risarcimento per le vittime dell’amianto all’Olivetti [Six million compensation for asbestos victims Olivetti].

Calls to Jail Olivetti Executives

Jun 14, 2016

During court proceedings in Italy this week, prosecutors Laura Longo and Francesca Traverso asked the judge to hand down prison sentences of up 6 years 7 months for company executives facing charges over the asbestos deaths of Olivetti workers. It is alleged that during the 1980s and 1990s the managers of the Ivrea factory did not take action to prevent hazardous occupational asbestos exposures as a result of which many employees got sick and died. The verdict is expected in mid-July 2016. See: Amianto all'Olivetti, l'accusa chiede la condanna degli ex vertici [Asbestos Olivetti, prosecution seeks prison sentences for former leaders].

Constitutional Court’s Landmark Verdict

May 30, 2016

After criminal convictions of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny for the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians were voided on a technicality by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2014, charges for 240 other asbestos deaths were brought by the Turin Public Prosecutor. Schmidheiny’s defense team alleged these charges were invalid following the concept of double jeopardy whereby a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime. This argument has been considered by Italy’s constitutional court which will issue its ruling over whether the case can proceed on May 31. See: Eternit bis, Casale torna a mobilitarsi per tutti i morti di Amianto [Eternit encore, Casale returns to mobilize over asbestos deaths].

Italy’s Asbestos Debacle

May 28, 2016

Despite a well-publicized commitment by the central government to make the Italian town of Casale Monferrato asbestos-free by 2020, funds to carry out this work remain frozen as bureaucratic wrangles continue over remediation protocols. Calls for urgent action on the serious health risk to citizens are being made by politicians, community leaders, regional authorities and others. See: Amianto: da Casale Monferrato alle scuole contaminate, perchè la battaglia continua [Asbestos: from Casale Monferrato to contaminated schools, the battle continues].

Consequences of Asbestos in Italian Schools

May 27, 2016

Asbestos contamination is present at more than 2,400 schools throughout Italy. Data from 2015, recorded 63 mesothelioma deaths amongst school staff; those worst affected included: primary school teachers (10), high school teachers (6), intermediate teachers (6), janitors, etc. (6), chemical engineers (5), researchers, technical graduates and similar (3) and middle school teachers (3). A trial starting on June 29, 2016 in Florence will be the first Italian case for the death of a school teacher from asbestos disease. See: Stop amianto nelle scuole, scoppia la polemica a sinistra [Eliminate asbestos in schools, controversy amongst left-wing parties].

Critique of Causation Criteria

May 23, 2016

The Collegium Ramazzini, an international scientific organization which monitors developments in occupational and environmental medicine, has this month (May 2016) published a critique of 2014 criteria for the pathological diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases agreed by a committee convened by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) in Helsinki. Reliance on recommendations made in the FIOH report will, the authors predict, lead to under-diagnosis of legitimate cases, failure to compensate asbestos claims and lost opportunities to identify at-risk groups. See: Collegium Ramazzini: Comments on the 2014 Helsinki Consensus Report on Asbestos.

Italy’s Silent Massacre

May 25, 2016

The presence of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing material in schools, hospitals, army barracks, homes and industrial sites on Sicily constitutes an ongoing threat to health. There are asbestos hotspots on the island where high incidences of asbestos cancer have been identified in areas with large petrochemical complexes. "Sicily was,” this article explains the “colony of the most dangerous industries that the North did not want.” By 2011, a total of 1,084 cases of asbestos cases had been recorded in Sicily. See: Amianto, in Sicilia un centinaio di morti nel 2015 [Asbestos, in Sicily a hundred deaths in 2015].

Schedule for Turin Asbestos Litigation

May 17, 2016

During court hearings on May 16 in a case against eighteen Olivetti defendants, including high-profile businessmen and politicians, who are facing charges of manslaughter and negligence over twelve asbestos deaths amongst workers, 100+ documents were submitted to the Judge by the prosecutor regarding Olivetti’s corporate structure and purchasing policies. At the end of the day, the Judge announced the schedule of hearings for this case which will continue until July 18. See: Morti da amianto alla Olivetti: la difesa chiede di analizzare nuovi documenti [Olivetti asbestos deaths: the defense asked to analyze new documents].

Multimillion Euro Asbestos Plan

May 9, 2016

On May 3 and 4, 2016, a national asbestos conference was held in Rome to announce the results of a consultation regarding an asbestos road map for Italy. A plan produced by the Ministry of Health to identify at-risk workers, develop more effective treatments and improve the regulatory framework has been approved and will receive funds of €4.2m over the next three years. A further €2m is to be ring-fenced for research into new treatments and data collection. See: Prevenzione rischio Amianto: oltre 6 milioni per la ricerca [Asbestos Risk Prevention: over 6 million for research].

Asbestos Victims’ Audience with the Pope

May 9, 2016

Pope Francis received a delegation composed of 100 asbestos victims and family members at a ceremony in the Vatican held in the run-up to International Workers Memorial Day (April 28). Prior to this meeting, documents had been sent to the Pope detailing the suffering of thousands of Italians with asbestos-related diseases and the effects of these illnesses on their families and communities. Between 1993 and 2012, 21,463 cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma were registered; 70% of the injured had experienced workplace exposures, 20% had been unable to trace the source of their exposures. See: Amianto, il Papa riceve i malati e le famiglie [Asbestos, the Pope receives patients and families].

Warnings over Toxic Chinese Flasks

Apr 14, 2016

Italy’s Ministry of Health has issued alerts over the sale of 0.75 and 0.35 liter thermos flasks with plastic exteriors imported from China by the Galileo company found to be contaminated with asbestos after government agencies undertook scientific analyses of sample goods. The Public Prosecutor in Venice is considering legal action over these illegal sales. This discovery that imported flasks from China contained asbestos is one of many; recently consumers in Pescara were warned of similar products being sold in local supermarkets. See: Allerta: amianto nei thermos cinesi. Il Ministero della Salute li ritira dal mercato [Alert: Asbestos in Chinese thermos. Ministry withdraws them from market].

Asbestos: Police Raid in Naples

Apr 12, 2016

As a result of a police raid on a derelict site in “Colli Aminei” – a hilly area of Naples – illegal asbestos-containing debris was identified and seized; the confiscated material included asbestos-cement pipes and roofing sheets, some of which were partially buried in the ground. By law, the owners of the overgrown and contaminated site are required to undertake the work required to make the area safe. Other buildings and several homes are located in close proximity to the contamination. See: Manufatto ricoperto da amianto: blitz della polizia a Napoli [Artifact covered with asbestos: Police blitz in Naples].

Criminal Investigation of Asbestos Deaths

Apr 9, 2016

Stefano Puppo, a public prosecutor from Genoa, is investigating complaints by trade unions regarding the asbestos deaths of hundreds of individuals employed by the Sanac company. The actions of five former corporate officials are under scrutiny. Until its demise at the end of the 1990s, Sanac had been the dominant player in Italy’s refractory industry for over 50 years. Potential charges that could be brought include manslaughter and negligent injury. See: Amianto killer: indagati cinque ex dirigenti della Sanac [Killer Asbestos: five former Sanac executives under investigation].

Damning Testimony of Olivetti Exposures

Apr 5, 2016

In the absence of the accused, witnesses continue to testify about the failure by Olivetti to protect workers from hazardous asbestos exposures, citing their past use during wartime of an asbestos-free alternative: martinite. Expert Stefano Silvestri testified that the Ivrea Olivetti plant was awash with asbestos; it was in the roofing, insulation and talc products to prevent typewriter rollers from rubbing. No protective clothing or equipment was provided as a result of which many have died and others are dying from avoidable asbestos-related diseases. See: Olivetti, quelle morti inutili: “Amianto, c'era l'alternativa” [Olivetti, those unnecessary deaths, “Asbestos, there was a safer alternative”].

Asbestos Exposures of Military Personnel

Mar 31, 2016

Data collated by Italy’s Parliamentary Commission of Asbestos Inquiry have revealed the devastation wrought by asbestos exposures on service personnel. Amongst the details documented was the occurrence of 621 cases of asbestos-related diseases amongst military personnel between 1993 and 2012. As of now, asbestos has been fully removed from only 20% and partially removed from 44% of Italian naval vessels, despite laws dating from 1992 which mandate measures to protect citizens from hazardous exposures. See: Arsenale, emergena Amianto: ecco I numeri dell’esposizione [Arsenal asbestos emergency: here are the exposure numbers].

Shipbuilder Fined for Asbestos Death

Mar 21, 2016

The Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. – was fined €1.1m (US$1.24m) by a Labor Court on February 26, 2016 for the death in 2006 of a 55-year-old electrical welder who had been hazardously exposed to asbestos on a daily basis whilst employed from the 1970s to 1990 by the company. The damages were awarded to the three children of the deceased worker. The company, which is based in the town of Trieste, was formed in 1959 and is owned by the Italian State. It is the largest shipbuilder in Europe. See: Fincantieri to pay 1.1 million.

New Publications about Mesothelioma

Feb 5, 2016

Six papers (from 20) in the latest issue of an Italian medical journal look at issues relating to malignant mesothelioma, including: causation, treatment, links to asbestos use and national incidences of diseases. Of particular interest were the following: The global health dimensions of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases; Malignant mesotheliomas with unknown exposure to asbestos: a re-examination; Asbestos at the time of the First World War. The last paper reports that from 1912-17, the writer Franz Kafka was co-owner of a small asbestos factory in Prague. I bet you didn’t know that! See: La Medicina del Lavoro [Journal of Labor Medicine].

New Publications about Mesothelioma

Feb 5, 2016

Six papers in the latest issue of an Italian medical journal look at issues relating to malignant mesothelioma, including: causation, treatment, links to asbestos use and national incidences of diseases. Of particular interest were the following: Malignant mesotheliomas with unknown exposure to asbestos: a re-examination; Asbestos at the time of the First World War; The global health dimensions of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases. The 2nd paper reports that from 1912-17, the writer Franz Kafka was co-owner of a small asbestos factory in Prague. I bet you didn’t know that! See: La Medicina del Lavoro [Journal of Labor Medicine].

Action on Asbestos Imports from China

Jan 29, 2016

Three types of illegal asbestos imports from China have been found on sale in Pescara, Italy by officials from the Ministry of Health. Tests undertaken by regional authorities identified the presence of compressed white asbestos fibers as insulation for the contraband thermos flasks. The Ministry of Health ordered they be withdrawn from sale and issued an alert to warn the public of the hazard posed by these products. Asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992. See: Thermos con amianto: nuovi ritiri a Pescara. L’allerta lanciata dal Ministero della salute per due prodotti cinesi [Thermos with asbestos: new withdrawals in Pescara. Warning by Ministry of Health over products from China].

Asbestos: The Imminent Hazard

Jan 28, 2016

Eighteen asbestos-lined aluminium containers in a squalid “asbestos-lined ghetto” just outside Naples are home to 300 people rehoused by the Italian government after the 1980 earthquake in Irpinia, southern Italy. The story of Mario, one of the residents, is told in a pictorial feature uploaded on January 27, 2016 which describes him and the others as “forgotten” and “invisible.” The asbestos in these metal boxes is old and weathered; as it deteriorates, fibers are released into the air which are inhaled by residents as well as others living and working in the area. Cancer is the most common cause of death in the ghetto but there are no official statistics. See: In Pictures: Inside Naples' Asbestos-Lined Ghetto.

Progress in Olivetti Asbestos Proceedings

Jan 26, 2016

Yesterday (January 25, 2016) has been called the “Day of Survivors” by those attending court proceedings in Ivrea where Olivetti executives stand accused over asbestos workplace deaths. The only living Olivetti employees with mesothelioma – Pierangelo Ferassa Bovio, 74 and Luigia Perello, 69 – gave their testimonies during the second day of the trial as rumors began circulating of a settlement reached by Telecom Italy of lawsuits brought by the families of four dead Olivetti workers against the company. It was said that compensation of ~ €150 000 per person, for a total of nearly €2m, was agreed. See: Telecom risarcisce le vittime dell’amianto all’Olivetti [Telecom compensate Olivetti asbestos victims].

Toxic Thermoses Withdrawn from Sale

Jan 20, 2016

The Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate seizure of illegal thermos flasks from China which were on sale in a market in the town of Belluno, northern Italy. The contraband items were marked with the brand “DayDays” and barcode number: 8301182614705. Analyses of the contents of the 1.4L vessels revealed the presence of chrysotile (white) asbestos between layers of glass insulation around the flask. Other asbestos-contaminated thermos flasks imported to Italy from China were seized by officials in 2014 and 2015. See: Thermos con amianto ritirato dal mercato. Ennesimo caso segnalato dal Ministero della salute [Thermoses with asbestos removed from the market].

Clinic for High Risk Workers Reopens

Jan 20, 2016

A medical clinic which treats asbestos-exposed workers will reopen in February 2016 in Terni, a city in central Italy, to provide health monitoring for those at high risk of contracting occupationally-induced asbestos-related diseases, as part of a national project. The aim of the free healthcare is to provide early diagnoses of asbestos diseases in order to maximize the efficacy of medical interventions and to counsel workers on lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of disease – e.g. the cessation of smoking. See: Terni, riapre l’ambulatorio per lavoratori esposti ad amianto: ecco come funziona [Terni, reopens clinic for asbestos-exposed workers: this is how it works].

“No Asbestos” Action Group in Tuscany

Jan 19, 2016

The legacy of asbestos use continues to impact on life in Sovigliana, a neighbourhood of the town of Vinci, Tuscany. Dozens of residents have joined a “No Asbestos” protest group to highlight the imminent risk to human health of old asbestos-covered industrial buildings within close proximity to residential areas. Demands are being made for the municipality to intervene and assess the danger posed by the decrepit asbestos-cement roofing on the properties. The factory owners claim that tests show there is no dispersion of asbestos from this source. See: “Basta amianto tra le case,” comitato guida la rivolta a Sovigliana [Fed up with asbestos, Sovigliana action group is formed].

More Delays in Italian Proceedings

Jan 14, 2016

The manslaughter trial of 17 former executives from Italcantieri, an Italian shipbuilding company, was adjourned yesterday (Jan. 13) at the Court of Gorizia after just 10 minutes, due to a shortage of judges; participants were informed that proceedings have been rescheduled for May 2016. The criminal charges being investigated relate to 44 mesothelioma deaths amongst Italcantieri workers. With the expiration of the time bar for bringing these cases looming, there are serious concerns that the victims will ever have their day in court. See: Slitta a maggio l’amianto-3 e incombe la prescrizione [Postponed until May; proscription deadline looming].

Asbestos Deaths of Railway Workers

Jan 11, 2016

The trial is proceeding of 10 managers from the Italian railway engineering company of Breda-Ansaldo who are facing manslaughter charges over the asbestos cancer deaths of 12 workers. Today (January. 11), 7 witnesses are due to give evidence regarding the failure to protect workers from the hazardous conditions at the workshops where asbestos was used for decades by pipe fitters, welders and grinders in insulation products such as blankets, pillows and mattresses. Further hearings are scheduled with three in February and three in March. See: Sesto, amianto killer alla Breda-Ansaldo: polveri nocive rilevate già nel 1979 [Sixth, the killer asbestos Ansaldo-Breda: harmful dust detected in 1979].

Asbestos Trial over Olivetti Deaths Begins

Jan 9, 2016

On Monday, January 11 2016, 17 defendants will face criminal charges ranging from murder to culpable injury over 12 asbestos-related deaths amongst the Olivetti workforce and 2 cases of serious illness. The trial will be held in Ivrea, a town in Turin Province in north-west Italy. Because of the great public interest and the number of those involved, the proceedings will be held in a high school auditorium as available court rooms are too small to accommodate all interested parties. Former Ministers and high-profile executives are amongst the accused. See: Ivrea, l'11 gennaio comincerà il processo per le morti di amianto alla Olivetti [Ivrea, on January 11, the trial over the asbestos deaths at Olivetti begins].

Court Victory for Victim’s Family

Jan 4, 2016

After years of judicial proceedings and legal reversals a criminal court in Vercelli, northern Italy, this week ruled that the sisters of deceased mesothelioma victim 54-year old Maria Casulli were entitled to compensation from her employer, a Piedmontese company that operated a factory maintaining and repairing railway carriages. As well as handing down suspended prison sentences for her manslaughter to company executives, the Court ordered compensation be paid for her asbestos-related death. Other claims against the company are now likely to proceed. See: Amianto nei vagoni ferroviari Condanna dopo sei assoluzioni [Asbestos in railway carriages, sentencing after six acquittals].

Asbestos: Legacy Issues, Current Hazards

Dec 16, 2015

An academic paper published online this week detailed the historic use of an artificial clay with the brand name DAS which was used in schools between 1963 and 1975 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Norway. Analytical tests confirmed that up to 30% of the weight of this clay was chrysotile asbestos. The authors recommend that “mesothelioma patients should be asked about their past use of DAS, in particular individuals not reporting a clear past asbestos exposure. Additionally, this discovery shows the incompleteness of records on asbestos uses and suggests to test items, including toys, imported from countries where asbestos is not forbidden.” See: Asbestos in toys: an exemplary case.

Senate’s Asbestos Dialogue

Dec 14, 2015

Tomorrow afternoon (December 15), a detailed study on the country’s asbestos epidemic will be presented to the Italian Senate which will report 6,000 annual deaths from asbestos-related cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The rapporteur will highlight categories of at-risk workers, including teachers, soldiers and farmers, and present innovative technology for tracking the occurrence of these diseases around the country. An update will be provided on the national asbestos project launched in May 2014 to map asbestos-contaminated sites. See: Amianto, Ona presenta Primo rapporto mesoteliomi [Asbestos, ONA presents first mesothelioma report].

Great Review of Italian Asbestos Film

Dec 7, 2015

A review just uploaded of an Italian film premièred last week about Italy’s asbestos crisis has said this film is “pure oxygen for the new [wave of] Italian political cinema.” “A Safe Place,” is a love story set in the asbestos era which focuses on a plot involving a former asbestos worker, played by actor Giorgio Colangeli, and his son (actor Mark D'Amore),who live in an iconic Italian town which has been the epicentre of the country’s fight for asbestos justice. The filmmakers combined many real-life stories from local people to create this film. See: “Un posto sicuro”, una storia d’amore ai tempi dell’amianto [“A safe place,” a story of love in the time of asbestos].

Threats by Billionaire Block Publication

Dec 5, 2015

After threats by lawyers representing former asbestos defendant Stephen Schmidheiny, “The Big Trial” – the English translation of an Italian book – co-written by Public Prosecutor Sara Panelli (involved for many years in legal proceedings in Italy against the Swiss asbestos entrepreneur) and academic Rosalba Altopiedi, has been taken off the Amazon website. The publication would, the lawyers alleged “harm the dignity and reputation of their client.” Two guilty verdicts against Schmidheiny were overturned by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2014. See: Il magnate dell’amianto blocca su Amazon il libro sul processo Eternit [Asbestos tycoon blocks Amazon sales of book on Eternit legal case].

Mapping Italy’s Asbestos Scandal

Dec 4, 2015

An updated graphic has been published by Wired.it, a monthly magazine, which clearly indicates the ubiquity of asbestos contamination in Italy. The new map has been compiled not by government or regional authorities but by journalists who bemoan the state’s failure to monitor nationwide levels of pollution and make available updated statistics. According to the new data, the limitations of which are acknowledged, the existence of 11,000 asbestos contaminated sites has been confirmed. See: Amianto, ecco la nuova mappatura dei siti contaminate [Asbestos, here is the new map of contaminated sites].

Asbestos Assembly Calls for Action

Dec 3, 2015

Twenty-three years after Italy banned asbestos, thousands of people die every year, delegates to the National Assembly on Asbestos were told last week. Critics who called for urgent action blamed the slow progress being made on a lack of coordination amongst Ministries, government departments, regional authorities and municipalities and a legal framework which was disjointed and confusing. Predictions that it would take 85 years to remediate the country were met with derision. See: Amianto, Inail conferma la strage di mille morti l’anno [Inail confirmed asbestos massacre with thousands of deaths per year].

Prime Minister Calls for Asbestos Justice

Nov 30, 2015

A message sent by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the chair of this week’s meeting of the National Assembly on Asbestos confirms his “personal support” and “shared commitment to implement policies and actions that allow for the closure, once and for all, of this open wound caused by asbestos.” In his message of solidarity, the PM writes of the progress achieved in dealing with Italy’s asbestos legacy but acknowledges that much remains to be done. See: Amianto: Renzi,ferita aperta va chiusa una volta per tutte [Asbestos: Renzi, open wound should be closed once and for all].

Prosecution over Toxic Helicopters

Nov 30, 2015

Investigations by the Turin Public Prosecutor into allegations made by military personnel exposed to asbestos in twenty helicopters are proceeding. According to lawyer Carla Delle Fave who is representing claimants, the situation is clear: as a result of criminal exposures which took place because of the negligence of managers, individuals inhaled carcinogenic fibers. The malignant diseases which have been contracted are a consequence of these exposures. See: Roma, amianto sugli elicotteri della Finanza: piloti ammalati [Rome, investigations proceeding over pilots’ asbestos illnesses due to the contamination of helicopters].

Bystander Verdict for Bartender’s Family

Nov 27, 2015

The family of a bartender who died aged 74 on December 25, 2014 from asbestos diseases was awarded compensation of €740,000 by a Labour Court on November 25, 2015. The bar where he worked for twenty years was across the street from Bologna’s railway yard where thousands of workers had been exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. It is possible that further claims for damages will be brought in this case. See: Bologna, barista morì per l’amianto: risarcita con 740mila euro [Bologna: barista dies from asbestos; compensation paid €740,000].

Environmental Asbestos Hazard

Nov 25, 2015

Italy’s Asbestos Observatory (ONA) is holding a conference on Saturday, November 28, 2015 in Modena to examine the hazards posed by asbestos contamination of drinking water, public buildings, domestic properties and workplaces. According to epidemiological data collected by ONA there is a “higher incidence of gastrointestinal and biliary tract (cancer) among workers exposed to asbestos and citizens who ingested asbestos dissolved in the water.” These findings substantiate conclusions reached by the International Agency for Research on Cancer regarding the asbestos cancer risk. See: Amianto, Ona: rischi anche nell'acqua potabile [Asbestos, ONA: risks in drinking water].

Olivetti Trial Proceeding in January 2016

Nov 24, 2015

Due to the scale of the legal proceedings against former Olivetti executives and the number of parties involved, the trial which will begin on January 11, 2016 has been moved from the assigned courtroom to a music school auditorium in the town of Ivrea. Amongst those who have been indicted for manslaughter and failing to protect former employees from asbestos exposures are Olivetti executives, directors and managers from the 1970s to 1990s. See: Processo Olivetti, respinte le richieste delle difese sulle parti civili [Defense requests rejected in Olivetti case].

Thank you, Romana!

Nov 18, 2015

On November 16, 2015 in Casale Monferrato the inestimable Romana Blasotti Pavesi (see: In Appreciation of Romana Blasotti Pavesi) chaired her last meeting as the President of AFEVA, a victims’ group which has led the fight for asbestos justice in Italy. The new President Beppe Manfredi and Vice President Giovanni Cappa, who are both suffering from mesothelioma, paid tribute to Romana and Dr. Federica Grosso, the doctor supervising their medical treatment. See: Familiari e vittime amianto, la Romana passa il testimone a due coraggiosi malati di mesothelioma [Relatives and victims of asbestos, Romana passes the baton to two brave mesothelioma sufferers].

Human and Environmental Asbestos Legacy

Nov 15, 2015

The Parliament of Sardinia last week discussed the problems of asbestos victims and pollution in the Ottana region of Sardinia where occupational and environmental asbestos exposures were commonplace at sites operated by the state-owned petrochemical company L'EniChem Anic S.p.A. For years, victims have been denied compensation and unremediated industrial sites have continued to expose the public to the asbestos hazard. Politicians from Sardinia are pressing the central government to add the company’s Ottana factory site to the national asbestos register. See: Scandalo amianto a Ottana, il caso in Parlamento [Asbestos scandal in Ottana, the case in Parliament].

Asbestos Emergency: Public Health Hazard

Nov 11, 2015

A commentary published on November 9, 2015 by Professor Leslie Stayner in a peer-reviewed journal highlighted new scientific findings which showed the “exposure-response relationship between higher cumulative exposure to asbestos from all sources and increased risk of pleural mesothelioma.” Stayner discussed the relevance of this conclusion to countries where the mining and processing of asbestos remain legal concluding that “Ultimately, it is the communities that most likely will bear the costs in terms of health and for the cleanup of their homes and environments.” See Para-occupational exposures to asbestos: lessons learned from Casale Monferrato, Italy [free access to full commentary until May 27, 2016] or Commentary Extract.

Premiere of Asbestos Film

Nov 9, 2015

The premiere of a film entitled “A Safe Place,” set in the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos scandal, will take place on December 3, 2015. Many people from Casale Monferrato involved in the filming have had first-hand experience of the toxic exposures caused by the operations of the town’s Eternit asbestos-cement factory. At the heart of the film is a story about a young father suffering from asbestos cancer; through his eyes, we observe the mobilization and rebirth of the devastated community as it fights for justice. See: Un posto sicuro: amore e amianto, da Casale Monferrato al cinema [A safe place: love and asbestos, from Casale Monferrato to the movies].

Asbestos at the Opera House

Nov 7, 2015

Asbestos-related deaths of seven former workers from the famous La Scala Opera House are currently under investigation with the possibility of charges for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm being brought against four former Mayors who were in office between 1976 and 1997. Also under investigation is Carlo Fontana, the superintendent of La Scala from 1990 to 2015. In July 2015, eleven former managers of the Pirelli tyre company were convicted of manslaughter over the asbestos-related deaths of 24 former workers, occupationally exposed to asbestos during the 1970s and 1980s. See: Ex-mayors probed over La Scala asbestos deaths.

Acquittal of Asbestos Executives

Nov 6, 2015

Karel Vinck, a Belgian businessman who is now a high-profile official of the European Commission, was one of four Eternit executives acquitted by a Turin Court of charges related to injuries sustained by workers from an Eternit asbestos factory in the town of Cavagnolo. The businessmen had been accused by prosecutor Dr La Rosa of causing injuries and manslaughter for the deaths of three former employees and the asbestos disease of another. See: Torino: morti per amianto, assolti quattro dirigenti della Eternit-Saca di Cavagnolo [Turin: four executives of Eternit-Saca, Cavagnolo acquitted over deaths from asbestos].

Asbestos Demonstration in Rome

Nov 4, 2015

Representatives of the asbestos victims’ group AFeVA will be joined by trade unionists and other supporters at a demonstration on November 11, 2015 in front of the Via Veneto headquarters of the Ministry of Labor in the Italian capital over the Government’s failure to implement measures for the support of asbestos cancer victims. The organizers of the protest are requesting a meeting with the Minister as a matter of urgency. See: Vittime Amianto: mercoledì 11 sit-in di sindacati, ANMIL e AFeVA a Roma [Asbestos victims, trade unionists & others to hold sit-in next Wednesday, November 11, in Rome].

Asbestos Death Charges Mounting!

Nov 1, 2015

Additional charges for asbestos-related deaths of Eternit workers in Switzerland and Brazil are being added to ongoing criminal proceedings mounted by Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello against Stephen and Thomas Schmidheiny, formerly the owners and directors of the Eternit asbestos group, who stand accused of the manslaughter of workers from their asbestos-cement factories. Investigations are continuing. despite the case being delayed while Italy’s Constitutional Court considers objections from the legal representatives of the accused. See: Eternit, ai proprietari contestati altri 116 decessi [Eternit owners face charges over a further 116 deaths].

Asbestos Charges Upheld

Oct 6, 2015

A preliminary hearings judge has confirmed charges related to the asbestos deaths of 14 workers from Olivetti’s Turin factory against 17 former executives, including Italy’s former transport minister Corrado Passera, former Alitalia President Roberto Colaninno, businessmen Carlo De Benedetti. The deceased were employed at the Ivrea factory from the 1960s until the 1990s in assembly or maintenance jobs; they died between 2003 and 2013. The first hearing in the trial will take place on November 23 with the second scheduled for January 11, 2016. See: Passera among 17 indicted for Olivetti asbestos deaths.

Asbestos in Military Helicopters

Oct 5, 2015

Charges of culpable disaster are to be brought by Turin prosecutors against former directors of the helicopter multinational AgustaWestland and the Italian company Piaggio Aerospace. This week questioning will begin of fifty witnesses subpoenaed to explain why no warnings were given to the authorities about the illegal presence of asbestos in helicopters supplied to the armed forces and police. Those to be questioned include senior executives. See: “Amianto sugli elicotteri delle forze armate”: inchiesta a Torino, emessi 55 avvisi garanzia [“Armed forces’ asbestos helicopters”: investigation in Turin, 55 alert warrants issued].

Italy’s Asbestos Cancer Epidemic

Oct 2, 2015

Italy’s Observatory on Asbestos (Ona) has released statistics which record 4,500 cases of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma over the three year period 2009 to 2011; the number of cases rose from 1,480 in 2009 to 1,524 in 2011. A total of 20,600+ cases occurred between 1993 and 2011. Commenting on the new data, an Ona spokesman said: “The trend of mesothelioma is increasing and it is only the tip of the iceberg considering that cases of lung cancer are at least twice [as many] and that asbestos also causes other cancers (larynx, ovary, gastrointestinal tract, etc.) and asbestosis…” See: Amianto, Ona: 4.500 casi di mesotelioma in 3 anni [Asbestos, Ona: 4,500 cases of mesothelioma in 3 years].

Eternit’s Global Asbestos Tentacles

Sep 28, 2015

An analysis of the business interests of former asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny, uploaded to the Italian webzine Carmilla last week, framed a discussion of the fallout from current asbestos-consuming operations by the Eternit Group, at one time owned by the Schmidheiny family, within a global context. The feature contrasted the strict prohibitions on hazardous exposures in countries which have banned asbestos with the daily exposures experienced in non-ban countries such as Mexico and Brazil. See: Il filo rosso dell’amianto e di Stephen Schmidheiny tra Italia e America Latina [Stephen Schmidheiny’s red thread of asbestos between Italy and Latin America].

Mesothelioma in Italy: A Consensus

Sep 25, 2015

A report just published details the consensus reached by scientists who convened during a session on mesothelioma which took place at a conference in Italy in January 2015. Of the 3.64 cases of mesothelioma in Italy per 100,000 people (in 2011), 10% were due to non-occupational exposures. Recommendations included: increased cooperation on mesothelioma data collection by cancer registries, regional centers and pathologists; the provision of information on risks and smoking cessation to at-risk individuals. See: III Italian Consensus Conference on Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura. Epidemiology, Public Health and Occupational Medicine related issues.

Confirmation of Illegal Asbestos Imports

Sep 17, 2015

Despite its asbestos ban, Italy has been importing asbestos-containing products from Asia. Enquiries by customs officials to ascertain the names of Italian recipients of toxic Indian goods have been unproductive and no assistance has been received from officials in India despite requests made by Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello. The discovery of asbestos in 9,000 imported Chinese cars necessitated remedial work, swamping personnel at local health authorities. A National Labor Inspectorate has been tasked with responding to this crisis. See: Amianto, Guariniello: l'India ne ha esportato in Italia [Asbestos, Guariniello: India has exported [asbestos] to Italy].

Italy’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy

Sep 13, 2015

European research into the occurrence of peritoneal mesothelioma amongst a cohort from Italy, formerly Europe’s largest asbestos producer, has found higher mortality rates in several northern regions which were heavy consumers of asbestos. These findings were reported in a study just published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Using multiple data sources, the eight authors discovered that amongst people who lived or worked in areas where asbestos was produced, there was an elevated incidence of peritoneal mesothelioma. See: Peritoneal mesothelioma in Italy: Trends and geography of mortality and incidence.

Asbestos at the Venice Film Festival

Sep 4, 2015

A short film based on interviews with asbestos removal workers in Italy is being screened twice (September 3 and 12) at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. E.T.E.R.N.I.T. by director Giovanni Aloi mixes reality and drama to tell the story of a Tunisian immigrant facing a life and death decision. Ali Salhi, the lead actor, is one of those interviewed during research for the screenplay; the set used for the film was an industrial asbestos removal site in an area where Eternit asbestos-cement roofs were ubiquitous. See: L'amianto al Festival Internazionale di Venezia [Asbestos at the Venice International Festival].

Italian Asbestos Epidemic

Sep 3, 2015

Italian mortality figures show that of the 749 asbestos deaths occurring in Bologna between 1989 and 2014, 54% of the deceased had worked for the state railways. In Bologna’s carriage works and vehicle repair shops, at least 100 tonnes of asbestos were used every year; thousands of workers experienced high levels of asbestos exposures on a routine basis despite laws and decrees dating as far back as 1906 which mandated occupational safeguards from dust. While some compensation has been paid to the injured, until last year only one executive had been found guilty for deadly exposures in the 1970s. See: Amianto, ecco l’altra strage di Bologna [Asbestos, here is another massacre in Bologna].

Scientists Dismiss Paper as “Nonsense”

Sep 1, 2015

A paper entitled Critical reappraisal of Balangero chrysotile and mesothelioma risk by authors, three of whose links to asbestos vested interests were grudgingly acknowledged in an errata issued in August 2015 by the Italian Journal of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health (JEBPH), has been trashed in a letter to the editor from eminent Italian scientists. In their critique, the eight co-authors detail a litany of factual and theoretical errors in the work of Ilgren et al: “the paper is full of statements that have no substance and lack support of evidence.” They conclude that a scientific journal should never have published this “poor quality paper, with no scientific content…” See: Letter to the Editor of JEBPH.

Municipality Addresses Asbestos Hazard

Aug 24, 2015

The northern Italian town of Vigevano regards the removal of asbestos-cement roofs from private residences as a public health priority. On August 11, 2015, Mayor Andrea Sala ordered the removal of toxic roofing from a property near Santa Maria Street whose owners had not abided by a 2014 municipal edict to report and/or remediate contamination; failure to do so can result in large financial penalties. A dozen similar cases are being been dealt with by the town’s Department of Environmental Protection. Steps are also being taken by the town to deal with illegally dumped asbestos debris. See: I privati tolgano l’amianto dai tetti [Individuals remediate asbestos roofs].

Cancer Legacy of Asbestos Processing

Aug 21, 2015

Research undertaken in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato substantiates the continuing hazard of living in a town decades after hazardous industrial operations ceased. The authors found that “having a garden or courtyard paved with AC tailings, an AC roof or AC buildings near home were associated with a significant increase in the OR (odds ratio for mesothelioma)” and confirmed the quantitative relationship between mesothelioma incidence and cumulative asbestos exposure, even at low levels of exposure. See: Pleural mesothelioma and occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure: a case-control study with quantitative risk assessment.

Confronting Salerno’s Asbestos Legacy

Aug 20, 2015

The city of Salerno, capital of the Italian Province of Salerno, has the dubious distinction of being one of Italy’s most asbestos-polluted regions, with large areas contaminated by Eternit asbestos-cement roofing material. Due to the legacy of local asbestos manufacturing and the residual environmental pollution, ten cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma are diagnosed every year. Municipal representatives and local activists are calling on officials from the Campania Region to provide funding to decontaminate derelict industrial sites. See: Tumori da amianto: in un anno dieci casi finiscono al Ruggi [Ten cases of asbestos cancer a year in Ruggi].

Asbestos Issues at Construction Site

Aug 13, 2015

Work at a construction site in Genoa has led to complaints by local politicians and members of the public, police investigations, and official sanctions over failures to follow safety regulations when dealing with asbestos debris. After the presence of asbestos was verified on July 22, work was shut down until the end of August for further investigation. Nevertheless, on August 6 citizens took photographs showing the handling of asbestos by workers with no protective equipment and other hazardous practices. See: Terzo Valico, per l’amianto nel cantiere di Cravasco due esposti contro Cociv [Third asbestos incident, second complaint against company].

Are Children Safe in Italian Schools?

Aug 8, 2015

More than half of Italy’s school buildings are more than 40 years old, built during a time when asbestos use was in its heyday. From Monday, August 10, parents can go online to ascertain the condition of Italian schools via a Ministry of Education website which has details (though reportedly not of asbestos hazards) relating to 33,825 school buildings. According to Education Minister Stefania Giannini, the census which has been “awaited for nearly two decades…[is] a huge step forward in terms of knowledge of school buildings, awareness and planning of a series of interventions.” See: In che stato è la scuola di tuo figlio? Da lunedì lo puoi sapere online [What state is your child's school in? Monday, you can find out online].

Post-Tornado Asbestos Damage

Aug 5, 2015

Public warnings have been given to the citizens of Florence in the aftermath of a storm on August 1 which wreaked widespread damage including the destruction of asbestos roofs. Wild weather, including a thunderstorm, hail and fierce winds, felled trees and ripped roofs off buildings as streets flooded and power pylons were brought down. Citizens have been told to report the location of toxic asbestos debris to the City Council and the municipal police. See: Gli Effetti del Tornado. Firenze, nubifragio: è allarme amianto sui tetti scoperchiati [The effects of the tornado. Warning about storm-damaged asbestos roofs].

Victims Slam Court Decision!

Jul 25, 2015

Asbestos victims reacted angrily after a Turin Court deferred judgment in a case against billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny (see: Italian Asbestos Verdict Due on Friday!) A bereaved husband from Casale Monferrato criticized this “farce” as a delaying tactic while Bruno Pesce, from an asbestos victims’ group, said “If the Constitutional Court were to agree with the defense, it would be incomprehensible that one can cancel a murder trial because there has already been a trial for [environmental] disaster.” See: Le dossier de Schmidheiny renvoyé à la Cour constitutionnelle [Schmidheiny Case Sent Back to Constitutional Court].

Municipal Asbestos Program

Jul 21, 2015

An update provided by the Mayor of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, who is also the chair of the town’s Asbestos Strategy Committee, confirmed that progress was made at discussions on July 17 with local and regional stakeholders. Hearings regarding the draft asbestos remediation program, approved in June 2015 by the regional council, will take place in September. There are three main focus areas of the program: asbestos monitoring and mapping; disposal of contaminated material; and health surveillance and treatment. See: Comitato Strategico Amianto: ecco come è andata [Update from Asbestos Strategy Committee].

Jail for Asbestos Crimes!

Jul 16, 2015

On July 15, 2015, eleven former Pirelli executives were given prison sentence of up to seven years and eight months for asbestos cancer deaths of twenty workers who had been employed at the company’s plants in the 1970s and 1980s. The defendants were convicted of manslaughter for failing to protect the workers from the asbestos hazard. The court ordered that a provisional settlement of €520,000 be paid prior to a separate civil trial taking place to decide on the amount of damages due to the bereaved. See: Eleven ex-Pirelli managers convicted over asbestos deaths.

Federal Support for Decontamination

Jul 15, 2015

Casale Monferrato, formerly at the center of the Italy’s asbestos-cement industry, has welcomed the transfer to provincial authorities of €25 million for an asbestos decontamination program. On July 20, a new stage in the reclamation processs begins when applications will be accepted for assistance with asbestos removal costs. In addition to these grants, low interest loans have been been negotioated with credit institutions and banks to enable citizens to remediate properties and businesses. See: Bonifica amianto: i primi 25 milioni di euro sono stati trasferiti alla Regione Piemonte [Asbestos decontamination: first 25 million euros transferred to the Region of Piemonte].

Genetic Susceptibility and Asbestos Cancer?

Jul 11, 2015

Scientists looking to understand why less than 10% of people exposed to asbestos contract malignant pleural mesothelioma have published findings in the current issue of the journal Carcinogenesis from research conducted in Italy which “suggested that gene-asbestos interaction may play an additional role in malignant pleural mesothelioma susceptibility.” The researchers found a possible synergistic effect between asbestos exposure and three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): rs1508805, rs2501618, and rs5756444. See: Gene-asbestos interaction in malignant pleural mesothelioma susceptibility.

Municipal Asbestos Removal Program

Jul 7, 2015

The commune of Limbiate, about 15 kilometers north of Milan, has embarked upon a public-private project to rid the area of asbestos contamination. At a civic reception on July 6, 2015, an “asbestos-free” protocol was signed to highlight the work underway to encourage private owners of properties containing asbestos-cement to take action by offering them reduced prices for asbestos removal and disposal in collaboration with specialist firms. There are 480 contaminated sites with 170 thousand square meters of asbestos roofing in Limbiate. See: Limbiate prova a diventare “amianto free” col team che propone tariffe agevolate [Limbiate tries to become "asbestos free" with the team that offers discounted rates].

International Scientists Call for Ban

Jun 26, 2015

On June 24, 2015, the Collegium Ramazzini, a global consortium of 180 scientists, reiterated its call for a worldwide asbestos ban. Commenting on the new position paper, the Collegium’s President Philip Landrigan said: “Given that ARDs [asbestos-related diseases] are 100% preventable, zero new cases of ARDs should be the ultimate goal for both industrializing and industrialized countries. The pandemic of ARDs is an urgent international priority for action by public health workers.” See: The Collegium Ramazzini Releases Official Position on The Global Health Dimensions of Asbestos and Asbestos-related Diseases.

Case Proceeds against Olivetti

May 26, 2015

As a result of preliminary hearings in an asbestos case over the deaths of factory workers, a calendar for the trial of managers from Olivetti (and its successor Telecom) who stand accused of failing to protect workers’ health from the asbestos hazard has been set. The trial will commence on September 23 and finish on October 5, 2015. The standing of parties civiles [civil parties] has been validated; these include the city of Ivrea, the metropolitan area, the victims’ association (AFeVA) and trade unions. See: Amianto all’Olivetti, anche il Comune di Ivrea parte civile contro l’azienda [Olivettit asbestos case, even the city of Ivrea is a civil partie to this action].

Good News for Asbestos Claimants!

May 23, 2015

The judge who is overseeing preliminary hearings in a new case (Eternit bis) against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny has this week rejected requests from the defendant’s lawyers to transfer the trial from Turin to Ivrea and to exclude partie civiles (civil parties), including the government, region and province, from the proceedings. These decisions are good news for the 258 asbestos victims and their families (see: picture) on behalf of whom this case has been brought. It is hoped that by the end of June a ruling will be made by Judge Bompieri which will allow the case to proceed. See: Eternit bis, lo Stato Italiano è parte civile [Eternit bis, Italian State is a civil party].

New Phase in Asbestos Struggle

May 14, 2015

Articles in the Italian media this week covered the new legal proceedings against asbestos entrepreneur Stephen Schmidheiny. Turin public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello is asking that charges for the murder or manslaughter of 258 Italian citizens be brought. The defense allege that as the accused already stood trial on similar charges, this case should be dismissed on the grounds of double jeopardy. Preliminary objections were heard today (May 14). There will be two hearings a week; the preliminary hearings should be completed by mid-July 2015. See: Eternit, “stavolta speriamo nella giustizia” [Eternit, “this time we hope for justice”].

Asbestos Trial Begins May 12

May 9, 2015

The first preliminary hearing in the proceedings against Stephen Schmidheiny, charged with the murder of 258 former Eternit workers and members of the public, will take place on May 12. The preliminary hearing judge may decide to indict the defendants and accept all or some of the cases or deny the prosecution’s request. If the action is allowed to proceed to trial, the court must decide whether the charge is murder or manslaughter. AFeVA, the Association of Families and Victims of Asbestos, trade unions and municipal authorities will petition the court for permission to be accepted as parties to the case. See: AFeVA Press Release (Italiano); also available in English and Français.

Confirmation of Regional Cancer Hotspots

May 1, 2015

Data from the Italian mesothelioma registry have been analyzed to identify territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma (MM). 15,322 cases were recorded between 1993 and 2008; asbestos exposure information was obtained relating to 11,852 cases. Thirty-two MM clusters were found, many of which were in areas near asbestos-cement factories and/or shipbuilding yards. The conclusion of the study that “shared exposure patterns in territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma [are] due to single or multiple industrial sources” has major implications for public health policy. See: Epidemiological patterns of asbestos exposure and spatial clusters of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma from the Italian national registry.

Chinese Imports Contained Asbestos

Mar 23, 2015

In the last five months, the Italian authorities have seized ten thermos flasks imported from China which contained asbestos insulation; asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992. The most recent confiscations were made during the second week of March 2015. All the contraband articles were marketed under the “Theo” brand and were sold in shops and supermarkets. A sticker on the bottom of the flask says “Made in RPC” which stands for China. See: Thermos cinesi con pasticche di amianto: dieci sequestri dal mese di ottobre 2014 [Chinese thermos with asbestos insulation; ten seizures since October 2014].

Asbestos Murder Trial

Mar 20, 2015

The preliminary hearing in a murder trial is due to start in May 2015; it concerns the asbestos deaths of 258 Italians. The Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello has announced that the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny stands accused of intentional homicide. Charges against Schmidheiny for causing a permanent environmental disaster as a result of which Italians died from asbestos disease were deemed to be statute barred by the Supreme Court in November 2014. See: Eternit Bis, a maggio processo per omicidio all’imprenditore svizzero Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis, May murder trial of Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny].

Asbestos: Symbolism and Fact

Mar 18, 2015

A paper published earlier this year in Medicina del Lavoro (Industrial Medicine) provides a fascinating look at the historical uses of asbestos and the almost mythical symbolism it enjoyed in ancient and classical times. The Italian authors of this text feature five fascinating images and cite a multitude of interesting and formerly unknown facts, such as the use of asbestos in the armour of a samurai warrior! They speculate that one reason why asbestos has not been banned worldwide could be because “the fascination with the magic stone is not exhausted.” See: Asbestos between science and myth. A 6,000-year story!

Criminal Prosecution for Asbestos Deaths

Mar 17, 2015

On March 16, 2015, Milan prosecutors asked for a jail sentence of six years for the asbestos-related deaths of 30 former employees of the Italcementi Group. Giampiero Pesenti, now the group’s President, was an executive at the company’s Tosi turbine factory from 1973 to 1980. He is accused of culpable homicide due to his alleged failure to install adequate safety measures in the 1970s to prevent hazardous exposures despite the fact that the cancer risk of human exposure to asbestos was known and technology was available to minimize the risks. See: Prosecutors want 6 yrs in asbestos deaths.

“Ecological Time Bomb” on City Site

Mar 7, 2015

Buried asbestos waste has been found on two acres of land scheduled to be redeveloped in the Italian town of Bari. Tests undertaken on this site uncovered an “ecological time bomb,” which included asbestos, a substance banned in Italy in 1992. It is unknown who dumped this toxic material and therefore who is responsible for the decontamination work needed. The authorities are investigating charges related to the illegal disposal of hazardous waste on the site. In the meantime, all building work has ceased. See: Cimitero amianto scoperto a Bari “Bomba ecologica” [Asbestos cemetery discovered in Bari “Ecological Bomb”].

No One Guilty!

Mar 1, 2015

Charges against six former executives of the Enel company over asbestos cancer deaths of former power plant workers which occurred between 2004 and 2012 were dismissed by a criminal court in Milan last week. The relatives of the eight deceased victims, who had been employed at the Turbigo facility in the Lombardy region, were outraged when the verdict was read out. The prosecutor had asked for jail sentences of up to eight years. See: Milano, il processo sulle morti da amianto a Turbigo: tutti assolti gli ex manager Enel [Milan, case of fatal asbestos deaths in Turbigo: former manager acquitted].

Supreme Court Reveals “Motivation”

Feb 24, 2015

Although the Italian Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued its contentious ruling in the infamous Italian trial against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on November 19, 2014, it was only on February 23, 2015 that the full “motivation,” the legal discourse behind the decision, was released. Schmidheiny had denied failing to provide adequate safety measures at four Italian Eternit plants. The Supreme Court overturned guilty verdicts regarding the deaths of 263 Eternit workers and their relatives on the grounds that even before the trials had started, the statute of limitations on these crimes had expired. See: Prosecution urges new trial for former Eternit owner- update.

The Fight for Asbestos Justice Continues

Feb 4, 2015

Despite the Supreme Court’s overturning of the historic judgment against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny in November 2014, the campaigners for asbestos justice in Casale Monferrato, Italy continue the fight. As another case against the same defendant, who has been charged with murder, proceeds through the Italian judicial system, a meeting will be held on February 16, 2015 in Casale Monferrato (see: Conference Poster) to update citizens on recent developments. Keynote speakers include the Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello and oncologist Professor Luciana Mutti. See: Eternit: Ona, c'è ancora speranza di giustizia [Eternit: there is still hope for justice].

Decades Until Italy is Asbestos-Free

Jan 29, 2015

Although Italy has pioneered efforts in Europe to identify asbestos-containing products, locate polluted sites and establish protocols for dealing with asbestos, Italian experts have predicted that it will take until the end of the century to free Italy of the asbestos hazard. Every year, around 3,000 Italians die from asbestos-related diseases; half of all these deaths is caused by the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. It has been estimated that there are 32 million tonnes of asbestos-containing materials in Italy and as only 380,000 tonnes are disposed of each year, it could take 85 years to eradicate the problem. See: Amianto, 85 anni per smaltire asbesto in Italia [Asbestos, 85 years to dispose of asbestos in Italy].

Asbestos Prosecutions of Executives

Dec 22, 2014

On December 19, 2014, prosecutors in Northern Italy asked that thirty-three people be indicted over asbestos deaths at an Olivetti factory. Amongst those being charged of culpable homicide were high-profile businessmen and government ministers including Corrado Passera, Italy’s Minister of Transport and Industry from 2011 to 2013. The case concerns the suspicious deaths of 14 workers who had been employed from the 1960s to the 1990s at the company’s factory in Ivrea, near Turin. In 2012, Turin’s Court of Appeal had convicted executive Ottorino Beltrami of manslaughter under similar circumstances. See: Trial requested for 33 in Olivetti asbestos case.

Levels of Non-occupational Disease

Dec 16, 2014

A study on the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in an Italian region where an asbestos factory was operational from 1932 to 1993, reports an elevated MM incidence for workers, family members and neighbors. Using data from the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry, the scientists found 147 MM deaths, but only 38 of the victims had worked at the factory. The largest excess occurred in the towns of Broni and Stradella. The paper concludes that “half of the MM cases were attributable to environmental exposure, a quarter to occupational exposure, and a quarter to familial exposure.” See: Impact of asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence.

Government Acts over Judicial Fiasco

Dec 15, 2014

In the aftermath of the disastrous Supreme Court decision in a historic asbestos case, the Italian Government has announced that funding of €75m has been allocated to rehabilitate contaminated areas and provide support for asbestos victims whose exposure was environmental or para-occupational (from the asbestos on clothes brought home by family members). See: Il Governo assegna 75 milioni di euro per le bonifiche d’amianto a Casale Monferrato e Bagnoli [The Government allocates €75 million for the reclamation of asbestos in Casale Monferrato and Bagnoli].

Court Upholds Jail Sentences

Dec 1, 2014

On November 21, 2014, Italy’s Supreme Court upheld the manslaughter convictions of Luciano Lemetti, Giuseppe Cortesi and Antonio Cipponeri for the asbestos-related deaths of 37 shipyard workers from Fincantieri. When the former executives were convicted in 2012, they were given prison sentences ranging from thirty-two months to four years. The prison sentences were slightly reduced by the Court of Cassation which upheld compensation payments awarded by the Court to relatives, the metalworkers’ union, the INAIL workmen’s compensation fund and an environmental group. See: Fincantieri asbestos convictions upheld – update.

Asbestos Prosecutions of Olivetti Execs

Sep 25, 2014

The public prosecutor has confirmed that criminal charges are being brought for the asbestos-related deaths of 20 former Olivetti employees against five former company executives who are alleged to have failed in their duty to protect the Italian workforce from the asbestos hazard. The deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma occurred between 2008 and 2014 and relate to people who worked for the company in the 1970s and 1990s. See: Chiusa l'inchiesta sull'amianto all'Olivetti, tra gli indagati De Benedetti e Passera [The asbestos investigation at Olivetti, among the suspects De Benedetti and Passera].

Firm Guilty of Asbestos Cancer Deaths

Sep 10, 2014

An Italian steel manufacturer has been condemned in a verdict released this week in a case which found 27 former company executives guilty of failing to protect workers at a Taranto plant from the asbestos hazard. The lives of those who had died from mesothelioma could have been saved had action been taken to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures wrote Judge Simone Orazio in his 268 page judgment. Medical check-ups would have enabled earlier diagnoses of asbestos-related conditions to have been made thus allowing more effective treatment for the injured. The company’s policy of prioritizing profits had led to many deaths. See: Ilva Taranto, condanna per l’amianto [Ilva Taranto, condemned over asbestos].

Environmental Asbestos Hazard

Aug 8, 2014

The scandal of asbestos contamination in the Italian Province of Lecce, in the southeast of the country, has led local associations and campaigners to take direct action to protect public health. According to an environmental survey, the situation in the towns of Lecce and Salento is particularly severe “with whole areas of the city affected by the phenomenon and never reclaimed.” Requests for a detailed urban plan to raise asbestos awareness, remediate land and decontaminate affected properties have been made. See: Amianto, petizione di Adoc e Ilse al sindaco Perrone [Asbestos, ADOC and Ilse petition to Mayor Perrone].

Asbestos Risk to Police

Aug 4, 2014

Asbestos contamination at the Valmontorio shooting range in Rome where police personnel have trained has been revealed. More than 3,500 members of staff have used this facility for up to a week at a time, not to mention individuals who worked at the site. Training and use of this building have now been suspended as officials work on plans to monitor the health of those who have been exposed. According to official documents, the presence of asbestos was discovered here two years ago. See: Roma – Poligono di tiro all’amianto 3.500 vigili urbani a rischio [Rome – Asbestos at shooting range; 3,500 policemen at risk].

Fiat Managers Charged over Deaths

Jul 25, 2014

The Milan Public Prosecutor has accused Paolo Cantarella and Giorgio Garuzzo, respectively, former CEO and former chairman of Fiat Auto, and four other former Alfa Romeo managers of manslaughter for the asbestos-related deaths of 15 workers caused by hazardous conditions at the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese, on the outskirts of Milan. Court proceedings will begin on November 5, 2014.See: Amianto, Cantarella e altri ex manager Alfa a processo per i 15 operai morti ad Arese [Asbestos, Cantarella and other former managers at the Alfa Romeo factory charged with the asbestos deaths of 15 workers in Arese].

CEO Accused of Wilful Murder

Jul 2, 2014

Public Prosecutors in Turin have charged Stephan Schmidheiny, the former owner-CEO of the Swiss Eternit Asbestos Group, with the wilful murder of 213 people who worked for Eternit or lived in Casale Monferrato, the town where the company’s asbestos-cement factory was located. The cases in this action – known as Eternit bis – relate to exposures after 1976; the deaths took place between 1989 and 2013. Schmidheiny had previously been convicted of wilful environmental disaster for other asbestos-related deaths. See: L’ex ad di Eternit accusato di “omicidio volontario” [Former CEO at Eternit accused of “intentional homicide”].

Landmark Italian Asbestos Judgment

Jun 23, 2014

The Civil Court of Venice has upheld the rights not only of the wife and children of a shipyard worker killed by occupational asbestos exposure in 2001 after years of suffering but has also awarded compensation to three of his grandchildren. Judge Paul Talamo ruled that the illness and death of this worker would have been preventable had adequate precautions been taken by his employers in the 1970s and 1980s. The deceased’s wife was awarded €190,000; each of the three children was awarded €130,000; and the grandchildren are to receive €22,000 each. See: Ucciso dall’amianto, maxi risarcimento [Killed by asbestos, maxi compensation].

Asbestos Motion Passed by Parliament

Jun 19, 2014

On June 18, 2014, a motion was passed by the Italian Parliament which committed the Government to a series of measures to address the national asbestos tragedy, including the increasing number of injured (victims of both occupational and environmental exposures), the contamination of infrastructure and widespread environmental pollution. Approval was given to the National Asbestos Plan which included funding “consistent with the current constraints on public finances” required to implement recommendations. See: Italian Parliamentary Asbestos Motion, June 18, 2014.

Asbestos Disease in Rag Sorters

Jun 19, 2014

Data presented last month by the Italian Institute for the Study and Prevention of Cancer documented an elevated incidence of asbestos cancer amongst former rag sorters employed to recycle hessian bags used for the transport of asbestos fiber. Epidemiological research covering the years from 1988 to 2012 showed that the rag sorters had a mesothelioma incidence ranging from 74 to 166 cases per 100,000. The incidence in the rest of the textile industry was 3.5 cases per 100,000. See: Amianto killer degli stracciaioli, a Prato malati come nella fabbrica dell’Eternit [Asbestos Deaths of Rag Sorters ...].

Asbestos Issues on Parliament's Agenda

Jun 11, 2014

In a debate in the Italian Parliament yesterday (June 10), politicians expressed concerns about the slow pace of asbestos eradication. Even though Italy banned the use of asbestos in 1992, millions of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated products and debris continue to pose a health risk to citizens. The consequences to Italy’s schoolchildren from hazardous exposures at school were highlighted during the debate. A National Asbestos Initiative announced by the government in March 2013 remains under consideration but has not yet been implemented. See: L’amianto torna in Parlamento [Asbestos on Parliamentary Agenda, Again].

Asbestos Trial of Pirelli Executives

Jun 6, 2014

Piero Sierra is on trial in Milan with other former Pirelli executives accused of involuntary manslaughter for the asbestos-related deaths of former factory workers. In what many would regard as a conflict of interest, Sierra was, for a period of nine years, also the head of the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC). According to witnesses, no measures were implemented by Pirelli to protect workers from the asbestos hazard at the factories. See: Amianto, tra gli imputati del processo Pirelli anche l’ex presidente dell’Airc [Asbestos, among defendants in Pirelli trial is former president of AIRC].

Asbestos Risk to Schoolchildren

Jun 1, 2014

A study of the condition of the Italian educational infrastructure has highlighted the risk of asbestos exposure in 2,000+ schools. This hazard is a threat to the health of 342,000 children as well as thousands of teachers, support staff and maintenance workers. Serious problems were also identified with electrical and plumbing systems as well as structural integrity of buildings. Responding to this report, the government has earmarked billions of euros to update and secure school buildings. See: Intonaci che crollano e amianto Il Censis lancia l’allarme scuole [Italian study highlights asbestos risk at schools].

Asbestos Activists Call for Action

May 30, 2014

Members of the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed were joined by representatives of trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL at an asbestos demonstration in Rome on Friday, May 30. Activists distributed asbestos awareness information in several piazzas in the city to coincide with the launch of a new asbestos online initiative by the authorities in Rome. The slogan “liberate Rome from asbestos” was seen on placards and leaflets. See: “Liberiamo la città dall’amianto”; Il I Municipio apre le info online [“We free the city from asbestos”; the Town Hall opens online information service.].

Asbestos: Environmental Dimension

May 30, 2014

While the media has covered Italy’s epidemic of asbestos-related disease due to occupational exposure, cohorts of people have also been suffering from these diseases due to environmental exposure from unremediated sites. One such cluster in the “forgotten massacre” is to be found in Campania where air monitoring has found 27 asbestos fibers per liter of air. Local authorities have been asked to evacuate the area and school children have already been screened for symptoms. A few months ago, the prosecutor began an investigation into asbestos deaths. See: Amianto, la strage dimenticata [Asbestos, a forgotten massacre].

Bologna: Asbestos Hotspot.

May 29, 2014

In Bologna, an industrial town in the north of Italy, the local epidemic of asbestos-related diseases shows no sign of abating. Five former workers from a local employer have died in the last five months from the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. They had all worked for decades at the Officine railways works on the maintenance, renovation and repair of locomotives or cars. See: Amianto, la strage infinita degli operai: quinto morto in cinque mesi a Bologna [Asbestos, the endless massacre of workers: five dead in five months in Bologna].

Executives Guilty of Manslaughter

May 27, 2014

On May 23, 2014, a criminal judge in Southern Italy sentenced 27 directors of a steel producing company to a total of 189 years in jail for environmental disaster and manslaughter caused by occupational exposures to asbestos and other carcinogens. The charges relate to asbestos deaths of 15 workers who died between 2004 and 2010. The sentences handed down ranged from 4 to 9½ years. The court proceedings lasted two years; during this time workers, doctors, engineers and others described hazardous conditions prevalent at the factory. See: Ilva, condannati 27 ex dirigenti per le morti da amianto [Ilva, sentences 27 former executives for asbestos deaths].

Eternit’s Asbestos Killing Fields

May 14, 2014

The mesothelioma deaths of Salvina Ballarò and Adele Meneguz were reported in The Monferrato newspaper yesterday (May 13). The two local woman local died from their exposures to Eternit’s asbestos on the same day. Sixty-eight year old Salvina Ballaro was a former textile worker and an active trade unionist who fought for the rights of asbestos victims; she was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2013. Fifty-six year Adele Meneguz worked for more than thirty years in a laboratory at a local hospital. See: Amianto: altre due vittime [Asbestos: one more victim].

Court Judgment in Landmark Case

May 9, 2014

It has been announced that the Italian Supreme Court will issue its verdict in a landmark asbestos case in Rome on November 19, 2014. The lower courts have upheld guilty rulings, huge fines and prison sentences for Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny whose company failed to protect workers and the community from the effects of asbestos processing in several Italian towns. As a result of corporate negligence, thousands of people have died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Processo Eternit: il 19 novembre l'udienza alla Corte di Cassazione [Eternit Trial: November 19 hearing before the Court of Cassation].

Damages for Shipyard Death

May 4, 2014

The family of an Italian welder from Monfalcone who died of mesothelioma and asbestosis has been awarded more than US$1 million plus interest for his wrongful death. Experts told the court that his death was avoidable had his employers taken measures to protect the workforce from hazardous asbestos exposures. Shipbuilding company Fincantieri was ordered to pay the court-awarded damages to the widow and five children of the deceased who had been employed by the company from 1942 to 1978. See: Morto d’amianto, 920mila euro ai familiari [Asbestos death, €920 thousand to the family].

Victims Mark Workers’ Memorial Day

Apr 28, 2014

On April 28 and 29, 2014, AFEVA, a victims’ association representing Italian citizens injured by the operations of the Eternit asbestos multinational, will mark International Workers’ Memorial Day with a church memorial service followed by a procession to the site of the notorious Eternit factory in Casale Monferrato; in the afternoon, an exhibition of artwork by local schoolchildren on the subject of asbestos will be opened. The following day, a dramatic piece entitled: The Dust Empire will be premiered in Casale’s municipal theatre. See: Amianto: le vittime, la memoira [Asbestos: the victim, the memory], Il Monferrato, April 25, 2014.

Litigation over Asbestos in Helicopters

Feb 28, 2014

Managers at Agusta Westland, a company that manufactured helicopters from the 1990s to 2013, are being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office in Turin over charges of negligent disaster for failing to issue warnings regarding the presence of asbestos in their helicopters. Asbestos had been used in gaskets, brake pads, wheels and conduits. Although Agusta had informed government officials in 1996 about this issue, the information provided was incomplete; a comprehensive list of the contaminated material was only made available in September 2013. See: “Amianto negli elicotteri” Indagati i vertici di Agusta [“Asbestos in helicopters” Suspects at Agusta Westland].

Investigation of Chinese Imports

Feb 13, 2014

Italian officials have begun an investigation into the illegal import from China of cars believed to be contaminated with asbestos. The Turin prosecutor’s office is focusing on models produced by Great Wall Motors, the largest car manufacturer in China. It is thought that asbestos may be contained in exhaust gaskets. Evidence will be presented to a judge who will decide if the import of these vehicles breaks a 1992 Italian law banning the use of asbestos. In 2012, Great Wall Motors was forced to recall thousands of cars which had been sold to Australia because of the presence of asbestos. See: Turin investigating asbestos found in cars from China.

Asbestos Cancer at Turin University

Feb 8, 2014

La Stampa has reported the third workplace-related death due to asbestos cancer at the University of Turin. The victim in this case was a 54-year employee who had worked on the campus since 1982; she died earlier this week. It is believed that all of the asbestos victims had been environmentally exposed to asbestos in the library which was built in 1970 and where there was known contamination by crocidolite and chrysotile asbestos as recently as 2003. Turin’s Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello is investigating these deaths. See: Palazzo Nuovo, un morto per la presenza di amianto [New Palace, another asbestos death].

Victims’ Groups Launch Initiatives

Jan 24, 2014

The Italian asbestos victims group from Casale Monferrato – AfeVA – is holding hold a press conference on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at which two projects will be launched. The first is a World Asbestos E-library to help catalogue the huge flow of information on legal, political, medical and research developments related to asbestos. The second is a joint research initiative with French colleagues (ANDEVA) to document the role of European victims’ groups in the struggle for asbestos justice and the campaign to ban its use. AfeVA’s Alessandro Pugno, who is involved with both projects, will be available to answer questions. See: Press release: AfeVA Launches New Projects.

Italian Victims Call for French Justice

Jan 16, 2014

A victims’ group from Casale Monferrato (AFeVA) has welcomed efforts of their French counterpart (ANDEVA) to press for charges of manslaughter to be issued against owners/managers of asbestos companies and executives employed by the Permanent Committee on Asbestos. Italian criminal proceedings against asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne are cited as a template which could be followed. “AFeVA and ANDEVA… believe this will contribute to the fight for a world ban on asbestos, to justice for victims, to decontamination and to research so that we may find a cure and eliminate mesothelioma.” See: AfeVA Press Release.

Multinational Awareness Project

Jan 15, 2014

Information related to an ongoing project by an Italian– Latin American consortium to develop asbestos awareness training protocols was detailed in a recently published commentary in an Italian health journal. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, public health policies and measures to prevent asbestos-related diseases have been developed as part of the Italian National Asbestos Project. This text recognized the urgent need for asbestos use to be banned globally and urged stakeholders in ban and non-ban countries to mount joint initiatives towards this goal. See: Asbestos case and its current implications for global health.

Progress on Mesothelioma Research

Jan 13, 2014

A research collaboration by scientists in Italy and the U.S. is reporting significant progress on new molecular therapies for the treatment of mesothelioma, a signature disease caused by exposure to asbestos. Recent studies published in academic journals detail work led by Italian scientist Professor Antonio Giordano on the treatment of mesothelioma with the new anticancer agent (MK-1775) given in combination with cisplatin. Clinical trials in the U.S. are already using MK-1775 for the treatment of other types of tumors. See: Siena, nuove prospettive per la cura del ''tumore dell'amianto'' [Siena, new perspectives for the treatment of asbestos cancer].

Another Death from Pirelli Factory

Jan 6, 2014

Pensioner Aldo Settembre died last week from long-term occupational exposure to asbestos at the Pirelli factory in Milan. Although Settembre had never worked with asbestos, he had been exposed to asbestos contamination at the industrial site. The public prosecutor has ordered that an autopsy be performed. Settembre was part of a class action against eleven Pirelli executives who are facing manslaughter charges related to dozens of cases of asbestos-related diseases and deaths arising from the factory. See: Un vogherese tra i morti per l'amianto alla Pirelli [A Vogherese among Pirelli's asbestos dead].

Initiation of Remediation Program

Jan 2, 2014

Officials from Udine, a city in the northeast of Italy, today confirmed the commencement of a two-year effort to identify asbestos-contaminated sites. "The first thing we will do in 2014 – announced Commissioner Sara Vito – will be to take up the subject of asbestos." Work will, Vito said, begin this month to update the 2006-2007 regional asbestos audit and a precise mapping of the situation will be carried out to prioritize areas where urgent action is needed. See: Amianto, la Regione avvia il censimento dei siti da bonificare [Asbestos, the region starts the census of sites requiring remediation].

Schmidheiny's Donations to Yale

Dec 14, 2013

Further information has been forthcoming regarding the decision by Yale University not to revoke an honorary doctorate awarded to convicted criminal Stephan Schmidheiny. In an article which appeared yesterday in the local newspaper of Casale Monferrato, an Italian town decimated by the operations of Schmidheiny's asbestos company, it was revealed that the reclusive billionaire and/or an organization he founded, made substantial donations to the University in 1996 and 1997. The article's headline says it all: Schmidheiny pagò la laurea ad honorem [Schmidheiny paid for honorary degree].

Prosecution of Olivetti Executives

Nov 12, 2013

The former President, Vice President, Managing Director and CEO of Olivetti are amongst twenty people being investigated for overseeing a regime which failed to prevent hazardous exposures to asbestos at industrial premises in northwest Italy. It is alleged that their negligence resulted in twenty former workers dying from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma between 2003 and 2013. From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the deceased had worked in Olivetti departments contaminated with asbestos. See: All'Olivetti operai uccisi dall'amianto [Olivetti workers killed by asbestos].

Death of Revered Judge

Oct 29, 2013

The death was reported on October 25 of Giuseppe Casalbore, the President of the Turin Court which in 2012 found Eternit directors guilty for the parts they played in the asbestos-related deaths of thousands of Italians. Throughout his career, Judge Casalbore dealt with complex and high-profile cases. In a statement issued this week by AfeVA, the asbestos victims' group at the center of the landmark Eternit trial, Judge Casalbore's dedication and leadership were highlighted. Throughout the seemingly interminable judicial hearings, the Judge's courtesy and humanity encouraged victims that justice would be achieved. See: E' morto il giudice Casalbore oscurò le tv Fininvest.

Victims Petition Yale University

Sep 23, 2013

AfeVA, a group representing asbestos victims from Italy's Piedmont region, has written to Yale University asking for the University to "consider stripping convicted criminal Schmidheiny of the great honor you bestowed on him." In 1996, an asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny had been recognized for his creation of "create an attainable vision of a global economy based on sustainable, ecologically sound development." Since then, he has been convicted by Italian criminal courts of "environmental disaster." See: AfeVA Petition - Revoke asbestos magnate's honorary doctorate and A Toxic Legacy

Asbestos remediation in Milan schools

Sept 18, 2013

The authorities in Milan have begun the rollout of a program to tackle the legacy of asbestos use in the city's schools. The multimillion euro program will see asbestos removed in one hundred elementary and middle schools. Phase 1, which is due to be completed by December 2013, will address contamination in 16 schools where there is need for urgent action. In the next phase, 18 more schools will be remediated with plans for work at a further 70 institutions in 2014. The authorities have pledged to make all Milan school "asbestos-free." See: Amianto, a Milano 41 milioni di euro per la bonifica delle scuole [Asbestos, Milan €41 million for the remediation of schools].

New Phase for Asbestos Remediation

Sept 13, 2013

On September 11, 2013, the Italian region of Tuscany unanimously approved a law to deal with the imminent hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing material and waste. The law stipulates measures for the mapping of the asbestos contamination, the remediation of environmental pollution and the safe disposal of hazardous waste throughout Tuscany. The area is an asbestos hotspot; 664 deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma were recorded for the period 1993-2004. See: La prima regione che si dota di una piano di bonifica e smaltimento dell'amianto [The first region adopts comprehensive asbestos remediation program.].

Demand that Schmidheiny Pay €90m

Sep 4, 2013

Following the publication on September 2, 2013 of the Turin Appeal Court's "Motivation" for the verdict issued in June 2013, in the action against Stephan Schmidheiny, calls are increasing for action by the authorities to implement the Court's ruling that the defendant pay €90 million in compensation to victims, local authorities, organizations and others as he was ordered to do, by both the lower Court and the Court of Appeal. See: Eternit, parti civili: "Ora Schmidheiny paghi i 90 milioni di euro per i risarcimenti già esecutivi" [Eternit, civil parties: "Schmidheiny must now pay 90 million euro compensation"].

Turin Court Ruling "Motivation"

Sep 3, 2013

An 800-page "motivation" document substantiating the Turin Court of Appeal's June 2013 ruling in the trial of former asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny was released on September 2. The Court concluded that despite extensive knowledge about the asbestos hazard, work continued in Eternit's asbestos-cement plants without precautions being taken. An asbestos public relations campaign mounted under Schmidheiny's leadership allowed a further decade of production as a result of which a deadly epidemic has emerged. See: Eternit, motivazioni sentenza: "L'Ad disinformò sui pericoli".

Asbestos, a Labor History

Aug 14, 2013

A book by Italian author Alberto Prunetti has been published entitled "Asbestos, a labor history," which reveals the depth of the occupational health disaster caused by the use of asbestos in Italy through the stories of individual workers. Renato Prunetti was one casualty. He was a man who "who breathed zinc, lead and a good part of the Mendeleev table of elements" during his employment as a welder. It was asbestos which caused his death. See: Amianto, dietro il dramma le vite spezzate degli operai [Asbestos, the drama behind the broken lives of the workers].

Asbestos Hazard in Helicopters?

Aug 10, 2013

Correspondence regarding the presence of asbestos in helicopters used by Italy's armed forces has been cited in an article in the Huffington Post as evidence of an ongoing hazard to service personnel. The helicopters involved - which have been categorized as flying boxes of asbestos - include several different models. As Italy banned the use of asbestos in 1992, this situation could be grounds for legal proceedings; prosecutors are investigating. Asbestos-containing parts used on board include: gaskets, ducts, pipes, brake pads, wheels rotors, friction material and seals. See: Elicotteri delle forze armate pieni di amianto [Armed forces helicopters full of asbestos].

Asbestos Removal Program for Schools

Aug 7, 2013

A public inspection took place on Tuesday morning, August 6, 2013, to showcase ongoing work to remove asbestos-cement roofing from school buildings. The decontamination is part of a €2m project which will refurbish and modernize the educational infrastructure in Milan by the installation of products which are both safe and energy efficient. At the site being examined, the complete reconstruction of the school roof, measuring more than 2900 square meters, was in progress at a cost of €360,000; work is due to be finished on this school before the start of the new school year. See: Consegneremo alla città una struttura senza Amianto [We will deliver to the city a structure without asbestos].

Prison Sentence for Asbestos Directors

Jul 28, 2013

The Voghera Court, in the Lombardy region of Italy, has issued a first instance ruling in a case brought by hundreds of asbestos victims against Fibronit, an asbestos-cement company which collaborated with Italy's asbestos giant Eternit. After more than a year of court proceedings, the verdict has been warmly received by asbestos victims and their representatives. A total exceeding a million euros has been awarded by the Court to 132 individuals and eleven public bodies and associations. Two former Fibronit directors have been sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter and negligent environmental disaster. See: Fibronit, un milione alle vittime dell'amianto.

Draft Asbestos Bill

Jul 26, 2013

On July 25, 2013, the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament discussed proposed legislation entitled: "Rules to protect workers, citizens and the environment from asbestos." The text, which had been amended during its passage through the Senate, focuses on three key areas: land remediation, healthcare and the national asbestos victims' fund. During their debate, the politicians recognized the crucial role played by asbestos victims' groups, trade unions and other partners in highlighting the country's tragic asbestos legacy. See: Presentazione a Roma del Ddl sull'amianto [Presentation of draft asbestos bill in Rome].

Asbestos Trial of Pirelli Directors

Jul 22, 2013

At a preliminary hearing on July 22, Milan Judge Luigi Varanelli indicted eleven former company directors for their alleged role in the asbestos-related deaths of nineteen Pirelli factory employees. This is the second such action in this jurisdiction; hearings in another lawsuit relating to twenty-four asbestos cancer deaths will resume on September 24. A further action is expected to begin on September 30 on behalf of five more asbestos claimants, two of whom have died. See: Amianto, omicidio colposo su operai: the trial of 11 former a processo 11 ex manager Pirelli [Asbestos, manslaughter of workers: the trial of 11 former Pirelli Directors].

Hundreds Died at Italian Asbestos Mine

Jul 11, 2013

Epidemiological research commissioned by Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello into mortality at the Balangero chrysotile asbestos mine has found that of 1,600 former workers, 226 have died from asbestos-related diseases - 11 died from the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. For decades, Europe's largest asbestos mine was linked to the Eternit asbestos group, an industrial conglomerate named as a defendant in the landmark lawsuit mounted by Prosecutor Guariniello in Turin. The mine closed in 1990. It is understood that legal action may be taken related to the mesothelioma deaths. See: Amianto a Balangero si indaga su 226 morti.

Eternit Appeal Verdict

Jun 8, 2013

A video recording of Appeal Court Judges reading a June 3, 2013 decision in a landmark Italian asbestos case has been translated into English and uploaded to YouTube. The Turin Court increased the prison sentence handed down in 2012 from 16 to 18 years for defendant Stephan Schmidheiny and ordered that as he and the other defendant were jointly and severally liable and as the other defendant died in May, that Schmidheiny pay all the costs. Damages for environmental pollution in localities excluded from the first instance judgment were raised as was compensation to some organizations and municipalities. See: Video of Eternit appeal verdict June 3, 2013.

Appeal to Supreme Court

Jun 4, 2013

Reacting to yesterday's decision by the Appeal Court in Turin which confirmed a 2012 guilty verdict and increased by two years the prison sentence for Stephan Schmidheiny, his lawyer Astolfo Di Amato said he was outraged by this decision and confirmed his client's intention to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court. Welcoming the decision, Public Prosecutor R. Guariniello called it a "hymn to life"; asbestos victims claimed it as a victory for all those who have been injured by asbestos. See: Eternit, condanna di 18 anni per l'imprenditore Schmidheiny [Eternit sentence of 18 years for the entrepreneur Schmidheiny].

The Great Asbestos Appeal

Jun 3, 2013

The proceedings in the Turin Court began just after 9 a.m. Expert witness Pietro Clerici was asked by the Court to authenticate the death certificate of one of the defendants, Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. When this had been done, lawyers for the deceased and for Etex, the company of which he had been a director, asked for the cases against their clients to be struck off. Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello agreed that the crimes against de Cartier no longer stood. The Court adjourned until 3 p.m. for the verdict against Stephan Schmidheiny to be read.

Italian Victims Ask Pope's Blessing

May 29, 2013

On May 30, at a public ceremony in the town of Casale Monferrato, a message from Pope Francis will be read out which responds to a request from Italians harmed by exposure to asbestos. In a letter to the Pope the victims condemned the criminal activities of the asbestos multinational Eternit and highlighted the global nature of the asbestos scandal. Around the world, they said, poor people are continually being exposed to deadly asbestos so that maximum profits can be achieved by industry. The victims' letter to Pope Francis ended with the words: "This slaughter must stop." See: Amianto, le parole di Papa Francesco [Asbestos, the words of Pope Francis], Il Monferrato, May 28, 2013.

Asbestos Death: Port Authority Guilty

May 29, 2013

Having concluded that Giancarlo Vianello died of mesothelioma caused by negligent exposure to asbestos which occurred whilst he was employed at the Port Authority in Venice, the Court of Venice ruled that his wife and four children were entitled to a payment of €670,000 ($863,480). Vianello routinely unloaded shipments of asbestos from 1960 to 1988. Evidence has shown that at least until 1979, asbestos arrived in Venice in jute bags which often broke during the transhipment process. See: Morto di amianto, condannata l'Autorità portuale: 670 mila euro alla famiglia [Port Authority Guilty of Asbestos Death: 670,000 euros to family].

Contamination at Piedmont School

May 26, 2013

Warning signs, dated May 24, were erected in the hallways and lobby of a Piedmont school advising of the presence of asbestos in floor tiles. Children at the Silvio Canevari elementary school in Via Carlo Cattaneo were asked by the Principal not to damage the floor due to the hazard created by the liberation of asbestos fibers. A few days after these signs were posted, citizens were due to cast their votes in an election on the school's premises. They will see the signs on their way to the ballot box; will this, the reporter asked, affect their choices? See: Pericolo amianto all'elementare Canevari [Asbestos danger to Canevari elementary school].

Company Spy Barred!

Apr 9, 2013

Journalist Cristina Bruno who infiltrated an Italian asbestos victims' group to spy for Eternit, a multinational asbestos conglomerate, was recently struck off the national register of journalists for unethical behaviour, according to a report on the Asbestos in the Dock website. Over a period of years, Bruno attended meetings in Casale Monferrato reporting back to her bosses at the public relations company hired by Eternit on a range of developments. For details of her activities see the chapter Eternit vs. The Victims in the IBAS publication: Eternit & the Great Asbestos Trial.

Jail for Turin Managers

Apr 6, 2013

Occupational asbestos exposures over thirty years ago that led to the mesothelioma deaths of fifteen workers resulted in prison sentences being handed down by a judge in Northern Italy on March 15, 2013. The ruling, which sentenced six factory managers to terms of one to five years in jail, found the defendants guilty of negligence in their failure to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures from occurring in Teksid's Turin factory during the period 1978-1989. See: Turin judge convicts 6 ex-Teksid managers in asbestos case.

Good news from Turin!

Mar 7 2013

Attempts by lawyers appealing the 2012 guilty verdicts handed down to former asbestos executives Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis de Cartier de Marchienne suffered a serious setback on March 4, 2013. The President of the Turin Court not only validated the first instance guilty ruling but also rejected the defendants' ploy to halt the current proceedings. The 10th hearing of the appeal proceedings will begin on March 10. It is anticipated that the appeal will take two months. For updates on the trial see: Asbestos in the Dock. For background to this case see: Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.

Asbestos in the Shipyards

Feb 22, 2013

In April 2013, the long awaited verdict in a case brought by 89 former workers exposed to asbestos whilst employed by Fincantieri, an Italian ship-building company based in Trieste, will be handed down by the criminal court of Gorizia, a town in the north of Italy. Until recently, justice had eluded asbestos victims from the towns of Monfalcone, San Canzian d'Isonzo, Ronchi, Staranzano and Trieste in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region. The turning point was in 2008 when Magistrate Beniamino Deidda began an investigation of their claims. See: Eternit, quelle impalpabili fibre che rubano il respire [Eternit, those intangible fibers that steal your breath].

The Great Asbestos Trial: Appeal

Feb 15, 2013

Appeal proceedings were opened yesterday (February 14, 2013) by Judge Alberto Oggé in the trial of former asbestos executives found guilty in 2012 for the deaths of thousands of Italians. The proceedings, which lasted an hour, were attended by hundreds of people from Italy, France and Belgium. Seven buses brought 500 people from Casale Monferrato, the town at the center of this case, to the Turin Court. The appeal hearings will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the proceedings must be completed by the end of June, 2013 when the Chief Magistrate will retire. See: Asbestos in the Dock and Statement by Asbestos Victims Groups.

Asbestos Justice Now!

Jan 31, 2013

Next week, a rally is being held in Casale Monferrato, the Italian town at the center of the landmark trial of former asbestos executives. The February 7 demonstration is being mounted by a coalition of groups which have backed the 30-year fight for justice for the asbestos victims in Casale and neighboring towns. In the run-up to appeal proceedings which are due to begin in mid-February, the activists will reaffirm their demands for "Justice, Research and Decontamination." See: Poster for Rally and also Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.

Mesothelioma Meeting

Jan 16, 2013

On January 23, 2013, a public meeting entitled "Research and Care of Mesothelioma" will take place in Casale Monferrato, the Italian town which was for many decades the center of the Italian asbestos-cement industry. As a consequence of its industrial heritage, many local people have been affected by asbestos-related cancers and diseases. Speakers at the sessions include Professor Giorgio Scagliotti, Director of Oncology from the University of Turin. AFeVA, the local asbestos victims' group which has spearheaded the campaign for asbestos justice, is supporting this event. See: Conference Announcement: Research and Care of Mesothelioma.

Government Research Funding

Jan 9, 2013

Despite last month's agreement to cut €1.6bn in funding for healthcare in 2013 and 2014, the sum of €10 million was allocated by the Italian Government for research into asbestos-related diseases. Other national priorities which escaped the cuts were: a human biobank programme and research on rare diseases which received €20m and €15m respectively. The Italian Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to asbestos-related disease research at a high-profile conference that took place in Venice in November 2012. See: Riparto fondi salute: Ministro Balduzzi sottolinea importanza obbiettivo piano. Also see: Agenda of Asbestos Conference, Venice, November 2012.

Supreme Court Ruling

Jan 8, 2013

"La Stampa" reports a decision handed down by the Italian Supreme Court upholding the right of workers to withdraw their labor under occupational conditions which endanger health. The case arose from incidents in 1989 during which asbestos removal work was carried out on railway cars by contractors engaged by the Italian Railway Network. On-site operatives refused to carry out assigned duties from February 14 to March 31. The lower and appeal court upheld the workers' actions as did the Supreme Court which found that the conduct of workers was "fully justified." See: Workers exposed to asbestos may be absent from work if the employer does not protect them.

Appeal of 2012 Verdict

Jan 7, 2013

On February 14, 2013, in Courtroom 1 of the Turin Tribunal, appeal proceedings challenging the verdict in what has become known as the Great Asbestos Trial will begin. One year ago, three judges at this Court ruled that asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, executives of corporations belonging to the Eternit Group of companies, were guilty of causing wilful permanent environmental disaster and failing to comply with safety rules as a result of which thousands of people died from asbestos-related diseases. For more information see: Asbestos in the Dock. Also see: Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.

Update on Eternit Verdict

Nov 5, 2012

In a letter received from the Ministry of Labor, and copied to the Ministry of Justice, asbestos victims’ representatives and trade union campaigners involved in the Italian case against former asbestos executives have been informed of efforts being made to enforce the Turin Court’s judgment of February 2012 which found Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne guilty. The Italian authorities, having been in contact with legal staff at the Swiss and Belgian embassies, are actively progressing efforts to obtain legal translation into French, German and Flemish of the verdict as a prerequisite for further enforcement action. See: English translation of Italian Minister’s letter.

Italian Asbestos Conference

Oct 29, 2012

The agenda for an Italian asbestos conference on November 22-24, 2012 reflects key concerns of asbestos victims' representatives who have been working for over 30 years to expose the Italian epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. The participation of Italian Ministers of Health, the Environment and the Economy, and the presence of representatives of national institutions reflects the importance the Italian government has assigned to this issue. Areas of interest to be examined at the meeting in Venice include: epidemiology, pathology and clinical treatment of asbestos-related diseases, public health risk, asbestos removal and decontamination. See: Conference Agenda (in Italian).

Translation of Eternit Verdict

Oct 19, 2012

The asbestos victims' group from Casale Monferrato (AFEVA) has translated the substance of the (February 13, 2012) verdict in the criminal trial of former Eternit executives Marchienne Jean Louis de Cartier and Stephan Schmidheiny, in Turin. The defendants were convicted of causing wilful permanent environmental disaster and failing to comply with safety rules as a result of which thousands of Italians died from asbestos-related diseases. Schmidheiny and Marchienne were sentenced to 16 years in prison and ordered to pay 6,392 injured parties compensation estimated at more than €5million. See: abridged English translation and/or the original Italian version of the trial verdict.

Asbestos on Military Ships

Aug 10, 2012

The Public Prosecutor's office in Turin which pioneered the landmark case against executives from the Eternit Group for Italian asbestos deaths is now investigating 318+ cases of mesothelioma amongst naval personnel who were exposed to asbestos present in armored vehicles and ships. It is alleged that knowing the danger of asbestos exposure to human health, action should have been taken to protect service personnel by chiefs of staff, military health officers and health inspectors. The injured were exposed to asbestos from 1981 onwards on 100 naval ships or in vehicles, many of which have still not been decontaminated. See: Amianto nelle navi military.

International Court for Industrial Crimes

Aug 1, 2012

The 2nd meeting of an NGO called "Interforum," an association of lawyers from Europe, Asia and the Americas concerned with exposing global corporate crime, will be held in Turin on September 28 & 29 in collaboration with the International Academy for Environmental Sciences. Interforum is working to establish an international criminal court for industrial crimes. Cases under consideration include actions related to the operations of the Eternit Asbestos Group in India and Peru. At the Interforum meeting in February 25, 2012, Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, involved in the trial of Eternit executives, made a presentation. See: Processo amianto docet! Contro i crimini industriali.

Medics Call for Global Ban

Jul 15, 2012

The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) has called for a comprehensive and global ban on all asbestos operations, including the mining, export, processing and sale of all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. "To accomplish the elimination of asbestos-related diseases, we urge each and every individual country to implement a total ban on production and use of asbestos." The statement, which was developed through extensive consultation, has been approved by the ICOH Board and NGO representatives and signed by the ICOH President Dr. Kazutaka Kogi. See: ICOH Statement: Global Asbestos Ban and the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases.

Calls for Italy to Enforce Eternit Judgment

Jun 13, 2012

A letter has been sent by AFeVA, the Asbestos Victims Association of Casale Monferrato, and other civil society groups, to Italian Minister of Health Renato Balduzzi, urging him to enforce a judgment handed down in February 2012 by a Turin Court ordering asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis De Cartier de Marchienne to immediately compensate 423 injured parties. Action by the Italian Ministries of Justice and Labor to commence sequestration of property belonging to the defendants and the companies convicted alongside them is being urged. See: Letter to Minister of Health (in Italian) and Landmark Verdict for Italian Victims!.

Asbestos Criminal Invited to Rio+20

June 4, 2012

La Stampa newspaper today announced that Stephen Schmidheiny, convicted by an Italian court earlier this year for his part in the slaughter of thousands of asbestos victims, has been invited to a high-profile conference on sustainable development being held in Rio de Janeiro this month. Representatives of the Casale Monferrato organization AFeVA have expressed outrage and indignation at the insult to Eternit's asbestos dead which this invitation signifies. See: Ambiente, appello contro Mr. Eternit Non deve partecipare al vertice [An appeal to Mr. Eternit: He must not take part] and La rabbia di Casale: insultati i nostri morti [Anger in Casale: he is insulting our dead].

Opera against Mesothelioma

May 8, 2012

Tonight is the premiere of the "Comic" Opera against Mesothelioma, a new work based on the Puccini opera Gianni Schicchi. The Casale Monferrato Municipal Theater will be the site of performances tonight and tomorrow, organized by AfeVA, the Asbestos Victims Families of Casale Monferrato. The singers, musicians and staff are all donating their services to help raise money for mesothelioma research. Casale Monferrato is the town which spearheaded public outrage over the Italian epidemic caused by the operations of the Eternit asbestos factory. For music and clips from the new opera see: http://www.ilmonferrato.it/ Also see the Asbestos in the dock webpage for Opera Gianni Schicchi.

Venice Call for Asbestos Justice

Apr 10, 2012

In the aftermath of the February 2012 verdict convicting foreign asbestos defendants of crimes committed in Italy, Italian and French legal practitioners issued calls for coordinated action to be taken against individuals who commit environmental and occupational crimes. Turin Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello was joined by French Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy, French lawyer Jean-Paul Teissioniere and others at a meeting in Venice last week. Guariniello called on medical and scientific experts to cooperate in the search for a cure for asbestos cancer. To this end, a national conference will be held in the Autumn to delineate a coordinated research strategy.

Call for Global Asbestos Ban

Mar 2, 2012

Italian activists whose 30 year old campaign led to the recent conviction of asbestos criminals by the Turin court are calling for a global ban on asbestos. "Asbestos," their appeal states "is a harmful mineral which causes cancer: this is why it is both necessary and urgent to ban its use in the human environment." Calling for a worldwide ban of asbestos use, the appeal also urges the immediate decontamination of affected areas and compensation for all those who have been injured by asbestos regardless of the nature of their exposure. To sign the appeal go to: http://www.afeva.it.

Guilty!

Feb 13, 2012

Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, found guilty for their part in the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians, were today sentenced to 16 years in prison. Multimillion euro fines were awarded against the defendants by the three judges in the Turin Court. Asbestos victims from Italy, France and Belgium listened attentively to the Court's ruling in what is commonly referred to as The Great Asbestos Trial.

Casale 1: Schmidheiny: 0

Feb 3, 2012

Today (February 3, 2012), the town of Casale Monferrato announced its decision to terminate negotiations with asbestos defendant Schmidheiny and reject proposals to accept 18 million euros in full and final settlement of the town’s asbestos claim. Referring to the civil emergency caused by the asbestos pollution liberated by Eternit’s operations, Mayor Giorgio Demezzi reaffirmed Casale’s commitment to the injured and willingness to work with national authorities to find a way forward. A coordinated program is being pursued to find a cure for asbestos diseases and make plans for remediation work. See: A New Year in Casale Monferrato.

Massive Support for Italian Victims

Jan 9, 2012

Last weekend's day of action (January 7) in Casale Monferrato was supported by 2,000+ people who braved the winter weather to take part. A report by journalist Silvano Mossano documented the silent torchlight procession through the town and the musical tributes paid to the victims as well as the all-night vigil on the steps of the Palazzo San Giorgio, the Mayor's office. Outside the church of San Paulo, actress Caterina Deregibus read a poem based on the grief of Assunta Prato and Giuliana Busto, women who lost a husband and a brother to asbestos-related disease. See: A New Year in Casale Monferrato.

No Deal!

Dec 31, 2011

Italy’s Minister of Health will meet the Mayor of Casale Monferrato, the victims’ association AFeVA and trade unions on Sunday, January 1 to discuss the town’s position regarding a deal with Stephan Schmidheiny. Due to political and public pressure, the Mayor has not signed an agreement due to expire on December 31. The €18.3 million offer by Schmidheiny to settle the municipality's claim mobilized worldwide opinion, which saw it as a blatant attempt to destabilize the coalition which has progressed the asbestos victims’ quest for justice, and fell far short of the cost of decontaminating the town. Experts believe the municipal clean-up could cost €160+ million. See: Update from Casale Monferrato.

Mayor Delays Deal (for now)

Dec 23, 2011

Immense pressure is being exerted on the officials of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato after their December 16th vote to make a multimillion euro deal with asbestos defendant Stephan Schmidheiny. Demonstrations, media coverage and a high-profile television program have focused public attention on the proposed sell-out of the asbestos victims. It is understood that Italy's Minister of Health phoned the Mayor to ask him to reconsider. Mayor Giorgio Demezzi has agreed, for the time being, to delay signing the deal. It is expected, however, that he will sign the agreement before the December 31 deadline. See also: Update from Casale.

Casale Mayor Sells out Victims

Dec 12, 2011

News has just been received that a deal dubbed the "devil's offer" by one Italian journalist has been accepted by the Mayor of Casale Monferrato. In return for a sum believed to be up to 20 million euros from one of the defendants in a landmark asbestos trial, the municipality will withdraw "from this and any future trials (against Eternit) that it might be involved in." Only a few months ago the Mayor of Casale Monferrato, commenting on a similar deal, said: "It is clear that a proposal such as that could never be even considered by a city like Casale." See: Surprise Move by Schmidheiny's Lawyers.

Italy's Trial of Asbestos Executives

Nov 22, 2011

An interview with Dr. Barry Castleman, a U.S. expert on asbestos issues and a star witness at the trial in Turin of former asbestos executives, was uploaded on November 22, 2011. The article explains the background to a case which has taken twelve years to reach this stage, the restrictions under which the Court in Turin operates and the likely verdict of the three-judge panel. The judgment in this case is expected to be issued in mid-February 2012, after which it is likely that appeals will be made. See: Italian Prosecution of Asbestos Boss Heads to a Verdict.

Focus on Asbestos in Carpi

Oct 29, 2011

The agenda of this year's meeting of the Collegium Ramazzini, a prestigious international academy based in Italy, featured presentations on asbestos issues by Canadian and Italian speakers which discussed the following subjects: Canada's status as a "Rogue Nation," the epidemic of asbestos-related diseases in Casale Monferrato (Italy) and the impact of asbestos disease on one Italian family; by Drs. Colin L. Soskolne, Benedetto Terracini and Piergiorgio Natali, respectively. Dr. Morris Greenberg, a prominent medical professional who has documented the history of the UK asbestos epidemic, received the 2011 Ramazzini Award. See: Collegium Ramazzini website.

Eternit Trial Resumes

Sep 23, 2011

After the Summer recess, court proceedings in Turin will resume on September 26 in the case against former Eternit business tycoons Stephen Schmidheiny and Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. The prosecutors closing remarks were made at the pre-recess sessions in July; in the coming days, the defendants' representatives will make their closing speeches, at the end of which the judges will deliberate the verdict. The Public Prosecutors are asking for sentences of 20 years for the alleged criminal actions of the defendants in causing the deaths of thousands of Italians. The judgment is expected by the end of the year.

Jail for Factory Managers

Jul 29, 2011

On July 26, 2011, Judge Fabriza Pirotti handed down prison sentences to former executives of a Philips light bulb factory in Alpignano, near Turin. Luigi Sandrucci and Francesco Spesso managed the plant from 1972 to1984; for their negligence in exposing workers to hazards, including asbestos, they are being sent to prison for 3½ years and 2½ years, respectively - half the terms requested by the claimants' lawyers. Substantial compensation was awarded to the surviving families of five asbestos victims including relatives of Giuseppe Milazzno who died from mesothelioma and Michele Albino who died of lung cancer. See: La Stampa article.

Criminal Trial of Asbestos Executives

Jul 4, 2011

In his closing speech, Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello today asked for jail sentences of twenty years for Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny and Belgian businessman Baron Jean Louis Marie Ghislain de Cartier de Marchienne who are on trial for their involvement in the asbestos operations of the Eternit factory headquartered in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. The former executives are accused of wilful and malicious disaster and negligence. The criminal proceedings are expected to conclude with presentations in September 2011 by the defense, with the verdict expected by the end of the year.

National Asbestos Heritage

Jun 6, 2011

Even though Italy banned the use of asbestos nearly 20 years ago, the long-term consequences of asbestos use remain a potent health risk to its citizens. A paper published recently entitled Problems due to the prolonged permanence of asbestos-containing materials investigates the background and scope of contamination and steps which have been taken to address problems involved in the removal of a range of asbestos products. Author Stefano Silvestri calls on the Italian Government to oversee a coordinated program of asbestos eradication throughout the country with the resources needed to tackle the formidable challenges defined in this paper.

A World Without Asbestos

May 3 2011

The Press Release issued by delegates attending the "World Without Asbestos" events in Casale Monferrato, Italy last week called for a global ban on asbestos, highlighted the human catastrophe caused in Europe by the use of asbestos, categorized as a moral imperative the need for scientific and medical research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of asbestos-related diseases and exposed the industry's policy of "controlled use" as commercial propaganda. The text states that the global asbestos trade is a criminal industry that exposes huge numbers of people to mortal risk in the pursuit of profit and calls for justice for all asbestos victims.

U.S. Expert Testifies in Turin Trial

Nov 29, 2010

Today will present the second opportunity for Dr. Barry Castleman, the renowned expert on asbestos and author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects, to participate in the iconic trial in Turin against former Eternit executives. It is hoped that his vast knowledge of the history and operations of multinational asbestos companies will help the court understand the part Eternit played in global and national asbestos scandals. There are huge constraints regarding Dr. Castleman's participation in this trial - the court hearings only take place on Monday mornings and his testimony will have to be translated from English. See: Asbestos in the Dock.

Support for Italy's Asbestos Victims

Mar 3, 2010

Members of the International Ban Asbestos Network will take part in a series of events in Turin on March 15 and 16, 2010 to highlight the global responsibility of Eternit, the group whose former directors are facing charges for their alleged role in exposing thousands of Italians to asbestos. Speakers from Latin America, Europe and Asia will detail the tragedies caused by Eternit's operations at a conference on March 16, 2010. Other activities will include a rally outside the Court on March 15, a press conference and media interviews. See: Information Sheet and Agenda.

Asbestos Trial Begins!

Dec 10, 2009

What is being dubbed "the Great Asbestos Trial" began at 10 a.m. on December 10 at the Palace of Justice in Turin, Italy. In the courtroom were hundreds of observers including 150 lawyers, 100 journalists, 48 local officials and Judge Giuseppe Casalbore; missing were the defendants, former Eternit executives Stephan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier. Outside, asbestos victims from Italy, Switzerland, France and Belgium mounted protests and waved placards with slogans such as "Eternit: Justice," and "Mister Schmidheiny, we wait for you in Switzerland." The proceedings, which are being brought on behalf of 2,889 asbestos victims, will recommence on January 25. See: Field Report.

Trial of Asbestos Executives in Turin.

Jul 22, 2009

Our colleague Niccolo Bruna reports that: "Finally today, July 22nd 2009, the good news, the only possible solution after many years of struggle for justice. The two Eternit former managers Schmidheiny and De Cartier De Marchienne had been officially charged for intentional disaster. Judge Cristina Palmesino has rejected all the defendant' objections, fixing up the first day of the public hearing on Thursday December 10th, 2009." The accused could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted. See: http://asbestosinthedock.ning.com/