"Don't waste our health" demo held in Sofia

October 7, 2004

Sofia, Bulgaria - A demonstration against a highly controversial hazardous waste incinerator project took place in Sofia today at the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) and the EU Commission Delegation to Bulgaria.

More than 50 concerned residents travelled 250 kilometres from their villages to Sofia to express once more their opposition to the National Hazardous Waste Treatment Centre project which is being proposed for construction in the central Bulgarian region of Stara Zagora. The demonstrators targeted today's Supreme Environmental Expert Council session during which the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project received a positive appraisal. The Bulgarian government is seeking financing for the Centre from the European Investment Bank and EU ISPA funds. ^[1]

Today was the last possible day for the MoEW to withdraw the project proposal before its submission to the ISPA Programme. Residents from villages set to be affected by the dioxin emitting incinerators voiced their opposition to the project at public hearings conducted in September. These concerns have been ignored by the MoEW as have further statements submitted after the public hearings, including detailed critiques on the EIA report from Bulgarian NGOs Za Zemiata, CEIE, Citizens Union - Stara Zagora and the local United Committee of the affected villages. ^[2]

Pressure on local campaigners was applied after the public hearings with some local newspapers asserting that, "If Bulgaria does not start the construction of the National Hazardous Waste Treatment Centre, the country will not be accepted in the EU."

According to Zheljazko Zheljazkov from the village of Pet Mogili: "Such propaganda suggests that we are protesting against the accession of Bulgaria rather than because we are afraid for the health of our families. The newspapers are scaremongering. What's wrong with wanting to live in a non-toxic environment and to breathe clean air?"

Petko Kovatchev, of Centre for Environmental Information and Education, added: "We submitted a 30 page critique to the MoEW after the public hearings. Yet in the resolution voted on today it was stated that no statements were submitted to the MoEW by anyone. This is an absolute lie. The Supreme Environmental Expert Council has never seen what we submitted."

Ivaylo Hlebarov, of Bulgarian NGO Za Zemiata/For the Earth, said: "The Ministry of Environment and Water should change its name to the Ministry of Blighted Environment and Water. Their total lack of regard for local concerns will result in a dangerously polluted environment and increased vulnerability to disease in the Stara Zagora region."

Za Zemiata and the Centre for Environmental Information and Education 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, contact:

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

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

1. The conceptual design proposes a three phase construction of the centre over a 15 year period. The first phase is planned for 2004-2007 and its cost is EUR 55,5 million. The financing is intended to come from EU ISPA funds, covering 50% of the project's costs, and the remaining 50% will come from a low interest loan from the European Investment Bank.

2. The critiques offered on the EIA include:

1. no alternatives to incinerator technology, eg safer non-combustion technologies, were analysed.
2. no alternatives to recycling or utilising the hazardous waste were analysed; this contradicts the EU directives which provide that incineration and landfilling are the last resort solutions for waste management.
3. despite the fact that the EIA cites the difficulties of transporting hazardous waste to central Bulgaria, only the current centralised model of treating hazardous waste is being proposed with no alternatives mentioned or analysed.
4. a lack of assessment (and unwillingness from the MoEW to conduct any) of the cumulative effect of the National Hazardous Waste Centre, existing thermal power plants and open coal mines on public health and the environment.
5. contradictions in data: the capacity of the proposed National Hazardous Waste Centre for the first phase is about 60 000 tons/annum whereas the EIA experts claim that about 167 000 tons/annum will be transported to the Centre.

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

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