Experts from the West Aegean Basin Directorate - Blagoevgrad, RIEW-Blagoevgrad, RIEW-Sofia, and the Regional Laboratory of the EEA in the city carried out an inspection on a signal by fishermen for pollution of the Struma River.

According to the signal, the polluted area is located near the bridge to the village of Pokrovnik in the Municipality of Blagoevgrad. Upon examination of an area with total length of about 25 km along the Struma River and its tributaries Rilska and German, the inspectors found that the waters are cloudy, with a specific gray-black color, and the source of pollution is TPP “Bobov Dol”. The pollution of the Struma River occurred through the river Razmetanitsa, a right tributary of the German River, which is a left tributary of the Struma River, where wastewater from the activities of TPP “Bobov Dol” EAD is discharged. The company has a complex permit, according to which it can discharge treated wastewater into the Razmetanitsa River. In this case, the waters of the rivers Razmetanitsa, German, and Struma are polluted by the discharge of wastewater from TPP “Bobov Dol” with extremely high content of pollutants.

Control sampling was performed at the two discharge points according to the permit, namely: point №1 - discharge from a drainage channel of treated water in the Razmetanitsa River and Point №2 - discharge from a reinforced concrete channel after a distribution shaft – a settling site for wastewater located on the territory of the WWTP “Cherno Ezero” in the Razmetanitsa River. After receiving the results, actions according to competences will be taken to impose administrative and criminal liability.

Meanwhile, the Executive Environment Agency (EEA) at the Ministry of Environment and Water has started reviewing and updating the complex permit of TPP “Bobov Dol” due to established systemic pollution on the basis of the Environmental Protection Act.

“The purpose of the procedure is to introduce new requirements and conditions in the permit to ensure compliance with the norms, the request for it being made to the EEA by the controlling units at the MOEW – the RIEW and the Basin Directorate in Blagoevgrad.” This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov upon his surprise visit to the “Bobov Dol” TPP and “Republika” TPP yesterday. He pointed out that over the years he personally submitted numerous signals due to emissions from the chimney of TPP “Bobov Dol” without desulphurization and always received the same response from the RIEW - that due to an accident it was necessary to use this chimney.

Minister Sandov reminded that there are quite a few signals by citizens about environmental pollution against many thermal power plants in Bulgaria, and inspections are constantly carried out by institutions. “Bulgaria has infringement proceeding started by the European Commission related to the activities of TPPs. A legal case has been filed against our country with the court in Luxembourg regarding the excessive levels of sulfur dioxide in the area of ​​Galabovo. That is why we will take action against the polluter”, the Minister is determined.