site.btaKronospan Plant Says Suspension of Particleboard Production Does Not Affect Air Quality

At the end of January, the automatic measuring station located in the Cholakovtsi borough of Veliko Tarnovo reported exceedances of the average daily limits for fine particulate matter (PM10), according to a letter sent by the Kronospan factory press service on Tuesday. The exceedances were observed on January 30, 2026, even though the particleboard production line at Kronospan in Veliko Tarnovo had been shut down, and the production of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) panels had not been operating since the beginning of January. The data show that the increased air pollution was recorded during a period without active main production activity at the plant, Kronospan stated.

The particleboard production line at the Kronospan wood-processing plant was sealed by the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water on January 25 following an unscheduled inspection prompted by numerous citizen complaints about strong odours and haze in residential areas. Despite this measure, the measuring station in the Cholakovtsi borough recorded PM10 levels of 62.34 micrograms per cu. m compared to the permissible limit of 50 micrograms per cu. m. Kronospan's press release did not specify what the PM10 levels were before the production line was suspended.

The company stated: "During the period of the forced shutdown of the particleboard production line and with the MDF line not in operation, exceedances were also recorded simultaneously by the other automatic measuring stations in the territory of Veliko Tarnovo, including in areas remote from the industrial zone. The synchronous nature of the data indicates the presence of general urban pollution rather than local pollution at a specific point."

Kronospan added that an analysis of the indicators for the period during which production was suspended shows no sharp or sustained decrease in the levels of fine particulate matter, as concentrations remain within the range typical of an urban environment during the winter season. The company concluded that the measurement data suggests that the air quality problem in Veliko Tarnovo persists even when production is suspended, which requires an objective and in-depth analysis of all factors affecting the levels of particulate matter.

In late January, the Burgas Administrative Court suspended the preliminary enforcement of the coercive administrative measure ordering the suspension of production at the Kronospan plant.