S T A T E M E N T

To the President of Bulgaria
To the Bulgarian Parliament
To the Minister of Environment and Waters
CC: the Prime Minister of Bulgaria
CC: the Regional Governor of Stara Zagora
CC: the Regional Governor of Sliven
CC: To the Mayors of the municipalities and city councillors of Radnevo, Nova Zagora

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The initiative committees of the villages of Kovatchevo, Novoselets, Pet mogili Radetski, Mlekarevo, Polski Gradets, with the support of the labour unions of the "Maritsa Iztok" Thermal Electric Plants and Mines who attended the last meeting in the city of Stara Zagora, assert that despite our strict "NO" to the construction of the "Center for Hazardous Waste", some individuals try by all means to push through the decision for the building, irregardless of the desparate environmental situation in our region. From the sign-on against the construction of the "center", consisting of up to 2750 (two thousand, seven hundred and fifty) signatures, it becomes clear that such a decision has been made without the agreement of the population. That is a clear demonstration of disregard for the opinions of part of the citizens in our country.

The information campaign on the project took place in complete silence, with complete failure of the following public hearings. We have posted an appeal among all people and organizations, as well as among media in the country, televisions, newspapers, reknown journalists, to announce the truth so that the public gets to know that in the Republic of Bulgaria decisions are being made as if people do not exists exept for elections time and afterwards they are not needed any more.

Therefore in our last declaration we stated that we will fight with all efforts and means, including civil disobedience, and will not let the construction of one more polluter in out region happen. We want to live and die where we have been born, we want a sip of clean air, for us, for our children and for our parents. We do not want to be poisoned any more. Thus our citizens joined so massively the protests against the construction of the Center and chose us to protect our land and water as clean as it have been during our ancesstors.

UNITED INITIATIVE COMMITEE

07.04.2004
The village of Kovachevo