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Chemical spills put Italy's underground physics lab in jeopardy
Scientists fear for the future of Gran Sasso National Laboratory, a world-leading underground physics lab in central Italy, after prosecutors charged four lab leaders with endangering drinking water supplies. Sparked by a number of accidental spills that released small amounts of toxic chemicals into groundwater feeding a local aqueduct, the 28 September legal action could lead to at least two major Gran Sasso experiments being shut down.
Gianpaolo Bellini, a particle physicist at the University of Milan in Italy and a former spokesperson for Borexino, one of the lab experiments in jeopardy, says fears of contamination are “groundless.” But he says the lab itself is in a “very delicate situation.” He worries that research groups, particularly from abroad, might be put off by the possibility of legal action and delays to their work. “This [investigation] damages the reputation of the lab,” he says. “People will be more cautious about coming and therefore more cautious about investing their money.”
(Score: 3, Informative) by Unixnut on Friday October 12 2018, @10:24AM
I remember a particular campsite back when I was a student on a road trip across Europe. It was somewhere in southern Italy, and while it all looked fine, staying one night I found myself waking up coughing with an awful smell in the air and lungs that were stinging.
I had the most irritated throat in my life the next morning, and my camping friends fared no better. What I found strange is unlike other sore throats, this persisted for months after. I don't remember exactly but it must have been a good 3 months before I was back to normal. Never had something lingering for so long after such a short exposure.
When I asked some Italian friends, they said the mafia tends to go to fields at night and burn all kinds of toxic waste, if you are unlucky the wind will blow it over places like campsites (which are basically an unprotected field with tents). God knows if there are any long term effects of my exposure, or if it shortened my life, but some things are beyond my control.
Needless to say, I never went camping in Italy again. Still visit, but tend to stay in hotels and towns, where there is less likelihood someone can get away with burning stuff next door. A lovely country, great roads, beautiful scenery and weather, but not very well taken care of by its inhabitants.
Judging by the number of Italians I have met that are desperate to get out of there (and many saying they will never go to live there again), I don't think the picture is looking rosy for the place overall.