According to the Associated Press the startlingly high rates can be traced back to "ascertained or suspected exposure to a combination of environmental contaminants that can be emitted or released from illegal hazardous waste dump sites and/or the uncontrolled burning of both urban and hazardous waste."  nearly 11.6 million tons of waste has been buried since the 1990s which was ordered by the Italian Parliament found that babies born in Naples and nearby Caserta are being hospitalized at high rates due to "excessive" cases of tumors The "Triangle of Death": As the AP notes whose vegetables are irrigated by the contaminated water wells the waste comes from European manufacturers who don't want to pay the price for proper waste disposal asbestos and tetrachloroethylene have been found in water sources "Just the public didn't know, and the government did nothing for the people who were affected," photographer Massimo Berruti, who has documented the lives of those affected, told the Times and it took three days of digging with bulldozers to judge the scope of the environmental disaster Sergio Costa, the regional leader of Italy's Forestry Police, noted that the Camorra's technique for dumping and burying the waste was an "almost scientific system."  According to the Independent research has suggested that Neopolitan women have about a 50% higher chance of developing breast cancer than women who live outside the area told the Independent that some towns had cancer rates of up to 80% higher than the national average the latest batch of research from Italy's National Institute of Health appears to have confirmed prior findings Yet it's still unclear what will happen next the government will take to confront the Camorra syndicate's toxic practices "The environment here is poisoned. It's impossible to clean it all up. The area is too vast," Alfredo Mazza, a cardiologist who has studied the jump in cancer rates, told the New York Times in 2014 "We're living on top of a bomb." h/t Associated Press The vast 60 acre site bears the hallmarks of organised crime - but experts claim the Mafia alone is not responsible I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The biggest toxic dumping site ever discovered in Europe is being investigated in the area of southern Italy plagued by cancer rates that are up to 80 per cent higher than the national average. Police say over two million cubic metres of dangerous material, including 25kg packets of French industrial waste and containers with solvents, have been dug out up in the Calvi Risorta area north of Naples, where the Camorra crime syndicate makes hundreds of millions a year from illegal dumping. The dump site was so big that forestry officials could only estimate its size after three days’ digging with bulldozers, Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper reported. Sergio Costa, the regional commander of the Forestry Police, said investigators would establish to whom the products has been sold – and thus who was responsible for disposing of them. Mr Costa said the vast dump site, covering 60 acres, bore the hallmarks of the Camorra’s Casalesi clan, made notorious by the hit book and film Gomorrah. He said the site have been formed using the clan’s “almost scientific system” in which rubbish and soil were separated in distinct but compact layers, leaving just 10cm or so of untainted soil on the surface as cover. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in nearby Santa Maria Capua Vetere said ongoing tests would reveal how dangerous the waste is. But scientists say the studies have already shown the deadly effects of the illegal trade. Research published in 2012 suggested that women in the Naples area were almost 50 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than their compatriots. Antonio Giordano, the director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research at Temple University in Philadelphia, and Giulio Tarro, a doctor at the Cotugno hospital in Naples, found cancer rates in some towns in the area were up to 80 per cent above the national average. The Environment Minister, Gian Luca Galletti, held a special meeting with Forestry Police chiefs and Carabinieri, having ordered additional checks in the surrounding area. Digging will resume on Friday. But experts said the Mafia alone was not responsible. “It’s not just the Camorra, but also institutions and civil society who have a responsibility,” said Corrado De Rosa, the author of several books on the Mafia. “Because those who have taken money from the Mafia to bury waste in their land, and those who didn’t report what was happening even though they knew about the tragedy, are also responsible.” Many companies from the north of Italy are thought to pay Mafia clans to dispose of dangerous industrial waste. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Consigliere Comunale di Cleveland di origine italiana è stato eletto presidente della Lega Nazionale delle Città (NLC) durante l’ultimo giorno dei lavori del convegno annuale svoltosi a Pittsburgh lo scorso novembre Zone è membro della NLC fin dall’inizio della sua carriera di funzionario pubblico L’organizzazione rappresenta oltre 19.000 città cittadine e municipalità in tutta la nazione laboratori di lavoro ed opportunità di networking ai funzionari comunali L’unico altro cittadino di Cleveland a ricoprire l’incarico di presidente della NLC è stato l’ex Senatore George Voinovich nel 1985 Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone was elected president of the National League of Cities (NLC) on the final day of NLC’s annual convention held in Pittsburgh this past November Councilman Zone will lead the nation's largest and most representative membership and advocacy organization for city officials He joined NLC early in his career as a Cleveland councilman and steadily moved up the ranks of the organization which advocates for more than 19,000 cities workshops and networking to municipal officials The only other Clevelander to hold the position of president of the National League of Cities was former U.S who served as its president in 1985 while mayor of Cleveland who will serve as president of the 92-year-old organization for one year told the convention that he is forming a task force on economic mobility and opportunity “This initiative will bring together mayors and council members throughout the nation to raise the visibility of local efforts to increase economic mobility expand economic opportunity and reduce income inequality,” Councilman Zone said in his acceptance speech “We will build and support a new cadre of local government champions who singular voice in national debates on economic mobility and opportunity," said Councilman Zone first elected in 2001 to the council seat both his parents once held “It is my hope that local leadership will move the nation closer to the day when federal policymakers and the wealthy will understand that shared prosperity only serves to strengthen America’s families and communities The need for diversity and inclusion will be central to this conversation.” Councilman Zone asked Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to chair the task force Councilman Matt Zone grew up in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland’s near west side.  Taking his seat was the fulfillment of a legacy started by his parents decades earlier had represented the neighborhood on Council from 1960 until his death from a sudden heart attack in 1974 reluctantly accepted multiple requests to finish his term; she ran for re-election and served until 1981 the second generation Zone set to work on a strategic plan to reinvigorate the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare Matt drew upon the diverse culture and his love of the arts as a catalyst to save the community.  Matt championed the development of the Gordon Square Arts District which is comprised of new housing and businesses retail development and the construction and renovation of three theaters Matt Zone is a proud Italian-American and learned at an early age the importance of family and his heritage Matt’s parents are from the Campania region Michael Zone’s family is from Calvi Risorta and Mary’s family is from the town of Regali Matt helped establish the Cleveland Italian American Heritage Ceremony in 2006 to recognize the contributions of Italian Americans to the City of Cleveland and North East Ohio.  The event is hosted by hosted each year by the City of Cleveland and is the first official committee organized by the City of Cleveland since 1917 to celebrate the historic and contemporary contributions of Italian Americans Notable Italian Americans are recognized each year during a special ceremony drawing 100s from across the region Matt Zone is a life long member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (West) and graduate of Cleveland State University’s College of Urban Affairs and St He has been married to his wife Michelle for 26 years and they have a son who is a graduate of Kent State University member of the Ohio National Guard and a Cleveland Police Officer Matt is an active member of the Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation (NOIA) Italian Sons & Daughter’s of America National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Discover all our subscription plans and become a member.