Trash Dispute Blocks Trains for 4th Day
Date: 29-Jun-04
Country: ITALY
Authorities were due to meet a delegation of protesters later Monday to try to break the deadlock that has paralyzed the rail network in south-western Italy since Friday, stranding thousands of passengers at the start of the holiday season.
Rail authorities rerouted some trains to Calabria and Sicily Sunday via the east coast, but services remained severely disrupted Monday.
The protest is part of a long-running dispute over rubbish dumps in the region of Campania, which produces more waste than its landfills and incinerators can cope with.
As a stop-gap solution until new incinerators are built, local authorities decided to reopen a dump near the town of Montecorvino, south of Naples, enraging nearby inhabitants who say the site is a health hazard.
