Public hearings concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the proposed National Hazardous Waste Treatment Centre in the central Bulgarian region of Stara Zagora took place on September 9-10 in the municipalities of Radnevo and Nova Zagora. The hearings which were extremely well attended failed to dispel the fears of local people that the facility will contribute to the already high pollution levels in the region and will harm human and environmental health.

Local residents openly expressed their opposition to the project, stating that they will fight it using all legal means. The mayor of Kovatchevo Village clearly stated that he would be steadfast in backing his constituency and he refused to support the project. An odd situation arose when, following a positive statement on the EIA report by the Deputy Mayor of Radnevo Municipality, Valentin Gerasimov, a representative of the Radnevo Municipal Council, reminded the meeting of the negative vote taken by all Municipal Council members in January 2004, and expressed his bewilderment at the mayor's decision to support a position that conflicts with the one already voted on by the Council. Tencho Kairyakov, the leader of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria at the Maritza-Iztok Mines, also supported the local people: "We will back the protests. If necessary we will be among the first ranks."

This highly controversial waste incinerator project has been on the agenda for the last four years, but so far the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has failed to take into consideration both the objections and fears of the local people and the recommendations of environmental organisations. At the same time, it persists in trying to sell the idea that without this facility Bulgaria will be flooded by waste. The project is seeking financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and EU ISPA funds.

MOEW Deputy Minister Manoela Georgieva admitted that EUR 1.5 million has already been spent on consultancy and investigations. However, when asked why no epidemiological studies have been conducted among the affected population, or why no tests of dioxin levels in blood have been planned, the MOEW responded that these studies would be too expensive.

Ivaylo Hlebarov from Bulgarian green group Za Zemiata/"For the Earth" commented: "Mrs Jaklin Metodieva from the MOEW declared to the meeting that numerous consultations have been conducted with local people and NGOs. This is completely untrue. Za Zemiata, the Centre for Environmental Information and Education (CEIE), Ecoglasnost, Borrowed Nature, and other NGOs were invited only to the EIA scoping discussion. Za Zemiata and CEIE took the initiative to organise a meeting not only with MOEW officials but also with representatives of the European Delegation and a specially invited expert toxicologist from the Czech Republic. We presented our position and posed a great number of questions to the project team. The result of these consultations is that even now we have no response to the letters and position statement that we sent. Ask the locals how many times the MOEW has discussed the project with them - never!"

be the most affected. Only one copy of the EIA report was made available for all of these people as the MOEW refused to distribute it among the villages. Some local people are still waiting for a copy of the EIA report that they requested in accordance with the Law for Access to Public Information. In these terms the public participation surrounding this project is a sham."

Ivaylo Hlebarov concluded: "We call upon the EIB and the EC to reject financing for this highly controversial and unpopular project. The MOEW has shown that for the past four years it has given scant regard to peoples' objections and NGO statements. This approach is absolutely unacceptable in the context of EU accession and the implementation of EU environmental legislation."

Za Zemiata and the CEIE are opposed to the construction of the National Hazardous Waste Treatment Centre, and will support the efforts of all those who oppose it.

For more information:

Ivaylo Hlebarov, Za Zemiata
Tel: +359 898 252 303
hlebarov@bankwatch.org

Petko Kovatchev, CEIE
Tel: +359 888 420 453
petkok@bankwatch.org

Read more background information about the National Hazardous Waste Centre at Za Zemiata's website:
http://www.zazemiata.org/bw/radnevo/index_en.php

And at the Bankwatch website:
http://www.bankwatch.org/issues/eib/nhwc/mnhwc.html