Dear Mrs. Arsenova,

During the specially organised meeting with representatives of the Minsitry of Environment and Waters (MoEW) (Mrs. Manoela Georgieva, Mrs. Mariana Hristova and others), carried out on June 25, 2004 we submitted on behalf of our organisations, CEIE and For the Earth, a letter with number of proposals. Among other proposals we suggest that public hearings on the EIA report for national Waste Treatment Centre (NWTC), that is proposed to be built in Radnevo municipality, to be carried out in each of potentially affected villages near to the project site - Kovachevo, Novoseletz, Pet Mogili, Radetzki and Polski Gradetz. Later on we have been informed that similar request was sent to you by the Initiative Committees from the named villages.

We are surprised that, despite all these proposals, it is clear from the publications in local and central media that public hearings are envisaged only in the two municipality centres - Radnevo and Nova Zagora. No hearings are envisaged in any of the villages near to the project site.

We also would like to mention the continuous practice of MoEW to sets up the minimum time frame of one month, required by law, for analysing EIA studies of projects which complexity requires longer period for scrutinizing. This is yet one more way for manipulation of the affected communities.

The facts are clear - for one more time the MoEW carry out an EIA procedure of an important object, that is in the same time potential pollutant of the nature and put on risk peoples health in a formal way, without following the spirit of the law and in prejudice of the affected population. For one more time MoEW rejects to think on the proposals, that comes out from representatives of the civil society which goal is to find best solution.

We think that the present approach of MoEW would lead to future problems and the responsibility for these problems lays fully on you and on the institution led by you.