Lawsuits Start over Air Pollution in Veliko Tarnovo

Public dissatisfaction continues to grow in Veliko Tarnovo over air quality issues. A series of court cases is forthcoming, in which a wood-processing company, named as the main source of pollution, is appealing fines imposed by the Regional Environment and Water Inspectorate. Residents, for their part, are calling for transparency in the judicial process and detailed information on the monitoring of the company’s activities.

• Hundreds of Air Pollution Complaints Reported in Veliko Tarnovo

Vladislav Ivanov, Civic Association “You Decide for Veliko Tarnovo”:
“This is an issue that has been troubling the citizens of Veliko Tarnovo since 2016, with increasing intensity. Bad things happen in the dark. Our task is to gather all available information and help bring it to light. Our main goal is to shed light on the situation, to expose everything that is happening, because the truth is that bad things happen in the dark. As citizens, our work is to collect all accessible information and, through actions entirely within the law, help bring all these facts into the open.”

Seva Pamukchieva, Civic Association “You Decide for Veliko Tarnovo”:
“Yesterday we posted information on Facebook about the ongoing court cases at the Veliko Tarnovo District Court. They concern fines issued by the Regional Environment Inspectorate – Veliko Tarnovo. As an association, our goal is to raise public awareness about all environmental issues in the city and municipality. Therefore, transparency in all cases related to air and water pollution and, more broadly, environmental issues is very important to us. We urge citizens to engage actively, participate, and stay informed. We will do everything we can to present objective information, obtain data from state authorities, and publicise it to shed light on these issues.”

The first hearing, scheduled for tomorrow, will examine the company’s appeals against the imposed fines. In a statement to BNT, the company argued that the sanctions, which relate solely to odours and none to exceedances of particulate matter limits, are biased.

“The company has not increased production volumes and continuously carries out technical modernisation, including the installation of measuring devices under the supervision of competent administrative authorities. At present, all sanctions are based on alleged violations identified through the subjective perception of control authority staff. It is also significant that there is a licensed site located in the city’s industrial zone, which houses other industrial enterprises, making it unclear if any detected pollution originates from our operations, and if so, what its nature is.”