Residents of Bulgarian village Trud again protest over foul air
Residents of the village of Trud, about 10km from Bulgaria’s second city Plovdiv, this week held their latest protest against a biomass plant that they blame for a persistent foul stench and health problems.
The Trud protesters were joined at the protest by representatives of two other places with similar problems, Kurtovo Konare and Nova Zagora.
Nova Zagora has a similar plant and similar problems, while Kurtovo Konare has air pollution problems resulting from a stoneworks.
The Trud protest, the fourth in a series that began last year, saw the Karlovo road blocked for some time as protesters reiterated their demands for the plant to be closed or moved elsewhere.
The protest took place under the watchful eye of the owner of the plant and his relatives, Plovdiv news website podtepeto reported.
The regional inspectorate of enviroment and water in Plovdiv previously has said that air cleanliness standards in Trud have not been violated, but activists have questioned the way in which these tests were carried out.
On May 25, Neno Dimov, environment minister in the government that took office at the beginning of May, ordered two weeks of new air sampling.
Meanwhile, in the village of Shishmantsi, also in the Plovdiv region, the regional inspectorate of environment and water has ordered two fines of 6000 leva each to be paid by a company for failure to report an accident, involving a fire at the plant.
After the penalties enter into force, the company registration document for carrying out temporary storage of recyclable waste will be withdrawn in accordance with the Waste Management Act.
(Photo: podtepeto.com)
Related stories:
Video: Bulgaria’s village of Trud – a bio plant, allegations of smell, noise and dead bees
/Panorama
