site.btaSea Water in Bulgaria among Cleanest in Europe - Environment Minister

Preserving the good ecological condition of the sea water is a top priority for the Ministry of Environment and Water, stated Minister Manol Genov on Saturday during an off-site meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism in Sozopol.

"Based on the inspections we've carried out, I can say that the sea water in Bulgaria is currently perhaps among the cleanest in Europe. We all know the causes of marine pollution," he emphasized.

The minister added that in the Burgas region, only one settlement remains without a wastewater treatment plant – Ahtopol. "This is due to be addressed. There was an opportunity for funding, but for administrative reasons the project did not go ahead," Genov noted.

He said that every pollution report is investigated: "We investigate every pollution alert. In coordination with the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW), samples are regularly taken. I communicate frequently with the Minister of Tourism – we check every report to see what’s happening and whether the Ministry of Transport needs to be involved," Genov added.

Commenting on the fire at the plastics factory in Sredets, the minister remarked: "... we see how the fire service issues recommendations and citations, but it ends up like with the illegal dumping sites – you go, issue a citation, maybe apply a fine, maybe not – and in the end what happens? Just like with the illegal dumps: they clean them on instruction, and then the same problem reappears. The situation with storing this type of waste, as was the case in Sredets, is similar."

"Firefighters are always heroes – we thank them, but you understand that the director of RIEW can’t just move the air out of the way," Genov added.

He also urged mayors to act responsibly during the summer season, when fire services are more frequently engaged in extinguishing wildfires. "These are some of the hottest days right now. The BG Alert system is operational. We’ve made a major effort to synchronize data from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) to integrate it into the BG Alert system," the minister concluded.