Naples buried in garbage

Fires have been lighting up the night skies in Naples, trash fires. The hot Italian summer has started and the situation is grim, and the solution is complicated. Prime Minister Berlusconi announced it would try trucking the trash away, and residents rioted. Protesters say they don’t want any more dumps in the area and Berlusconi said he would deal with this one way or another and promised to have Naples clean within two and a half years. Naples’ trash problems started 15 years ago; government officials say a local crime syndicate has controlled all aspects of waste disposal. Naples Environment Commissioner said the trash started to pile up when the government tried to clean up corruption. He also says this has caused an environmental catastrophe. Environmental groups fear that toxins could start seeping into the local drinking water. Berlusconi has appointed a so called trash czar, but he has much to deal with. For example there’s only one trash incinerator in the region and it’s still under construction. In a bid to break the mob’s hold once and for all, police announced yesterday they’ve arrested 53 members of the crime syndicate.