Toxic waste in Ionian Sea?
Greece needs to start checking the Ionian Sea for radioactivity, local experts told Sunday’s Kathimerini, after it emerged that the Italian Mafia was allegedly involved in sinking ships carrying toxic waste. An informant from the Calabrian Mafia told Italian authorities last month that he helped sink a ship carrying toxic waste on purpose, as part of an operation to bypass local laws. An Italian environmental organization, Legambiente, said as many as 30 vessels may have been sunk in this manner, seven of which supposedly went down close to the Ionian Islands of Paxoi, Cephalonia and Zakynthos. «There needs to be a concerted search for radioactive material,» said the head of Greece’s Atomic Energy Committee, Christos Chousiadis. «The Greek side has to be informed about the exact spots were the ships sank, so that we know what action to take.» The process of measuring for radioactive energy will involve submersibles diving down to the wrecks. Previous radioactivity readings in the Ionian were only taken on the sea surface and had been within the expected range.
