The ArcelorMittal plant in Taranto, southern Italy, will continue to operate. Members of the Italian parliament passed amendments to the environmental protection law, which allow Lakshmi Mittala to achieve emissions levels previously established.
ArcelorMittal would be more likely to close ILVA because the new law would remove the company's protection from generally accepted environmental and health requirements.
ILVA, Europe's largest steel mill, has been involved in environmental scandals for decades. Environmental and health concerns of local residents led to the bankruptcy of the previous owners of the plant. ArcelorMittal came to the plant in 2017 with a commitment to continue smelting steel and modernizing equipment.
ArcelorMittal was originally legally protected from prosecution for past ILVA environmental crimes, but a recent law would have put an end to that immunity. The amended law, with sufficient guarantees for ArcelorMittal, will only become permanent if it is passed by parliament within sixty days.
