Environment

Environmental organizations ask EU to stop waste burning in coal power plants in Bulgaria

waste

Photo: Pixabay

Published

March 3, 2020

Country

Comments

comments icon

1

Share

Published:

March 3, 2020

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

1

Share

Environmental lawyers at ClientEarth, Greenpeace Bulgaria and Za Zemiata are bringing a legal complaint to the European Commission to compel EU authorities to investigate and order the alleged illegal waste incineration in Bulgaria to stop.

Three organizations have taken action after the Bulgarian government secretly allowed three aging coal power plants to burn unclassified waste, flouting EU and national law, ClientEarth said in a press release.

In 2018 and 2019, the Ministry of Environment gave permission to Brikel, Republika Pernik and Bobov Dol to burn waste

In 2018 and 2019, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment gave permission to three coal plants – Brikel, Republika Pernik and Bobov Dol – to burn large quantities of unknown waste.

The lawyers argue that the government has breached national and EU law

Bobov Dol and Brikel were allowed to burn 500,000 tonnes of waste over a six-month period, an astounding 10,000 times more than is allowed without an appropriate permit update under the Industrial Emissions Directive.

The lawyers argue that by skipping formal permitting procedures and leaving the public in the dark about the risks, the government has breached national and EU law.

Bulgarian prosecutors ordered a review of unregulated waste incineration in four coal plants

The news comes as Bulgarian prosecutors ordered a review of unregulated waste incineration in four notorious coal plants: Bobov Dol, Brikel, Republika Pernik, and Sliven, regarding the storage and incineration of hazardous waste without the relevant permits.

According to ClientEarth, emissions from waste incineration can include heavy metals, dioxins and furans, all hazardous substances which may be present in the waste gases, water or ash.

A dangerous way to artificially lengthen the life of a dying coal fleet

ClientEarth lawyer Dominique Doyle said burning waste without appropriate filters is a major hazard for those living around the plants.

As well as for cutting costs, it is also a creative way to dodge new strict pollution laws for burning coal, the organization adds.

If coal plants also burn waste, they can avoid installing expensive pollution abatement equipment and operators now claim they are entitled to reduce the amount they have to pay for CO2 allowances, it asserted.

“Burning waste is a dangerous way to artificially lengthen the life of a dying coal fleet,” said Meglena Antonova, campaigner for Greenpeace Bulgaria.

Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova recently said Bulgaria would continue to use its coal power plants in the following decade and further on, according to the national plan with a 2050 horizon.

Comments (1)
Annette / January 31, 2022

This has all started up again. Another rally today in VT. Have the EU come forward about this big problem. Our health and lives and country matters. What is happening to our clean air we should all be working to acheive.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Serbia drafts just transition action plan public debate

Serbia drafts just transition action plan

30 May 2025 - The Ministry of Mining and Energy has published a draft just transition action plan and launched a public debate

Regional Power Sector Exchange Western Balkans disitribution system operator dso grids ohrid giz

Third Regional Power Sector Exchange in Ohrid: Power grids at core of energy transition

30 May 2025 - The third Regional Power Sector Exchange of the Western Balkans gathered over 80 energy professionals from the Western Balkans

two solar power plants egesa enerji vojvodina

Turkish Egesa Enerji to build two solar power plants in Serbia’s Vojvodina province

30 May 2025 - Turkish company Egesa Enerji has launched a project to build two solar power plants in Vojvodina, with a total nominal capacity of 8.6 MW

Green for Growth Fund partnership Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Sida

Green for Growth Fund launches partnership with Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

30 May 2025 - GGF and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency are expanding green lending in the Western Balkans and the EU's Eastern Neighborhood