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Sofia's waste has rivalled that of Naples

The environmental assessment (EIA) of a waste management project proposed by Sofia municipality to deal with the Bulgarian capital's chronic waste problems has been criticised by Bankwatch's Bulgarian member group Za Zemiata. Their argument: The project is failing to consider an alternative waste management scenario officially submitted by NGOs in collaboration with experts and researchers from Europe and the U.S. Such a procedural breach of Bulgarian EIA legislation should, believes Za Zemiata, rule out vital EU funding that the authorities in Sofia are seeking for the EUR 175 million project.

Ivaylo Hlebarov, of Za Zemiata and Bankwatch national coordinator who has participated this week at the EIA public hearings in Sofia, said: “Our alternative waste management scenario that has been overlooked puts much more emphasis on the prevention and recycling of waste, in line with EU recycling priorities, than that which Sofia municipality is proposing. The municipality's scheme is heavily dependent on land filling and burning refuse derived fuels in cement kilns outside Sofia, with clear threats to human health from pollution. Another indication of how inadequate this EIA process has been is that the experts involved have refused to even assess the hazards of burning this fuel. The attitude appears to be, if it's outside Sofia then it's not our problem.

“The EIA report for the municipality's unsustainable approach to Sofia's waste is too toxic even for landfill, but it is looking more and more like a done deal. Constructive comments from NGOs on the plans have also been totally discounted. The EU's new Waste Framework Directive has set minimum 50 percent recycling rates for household waste by 2020, yet the Sofia scheme is unambitious, there is no way it can meet such a target and the Sofia authorities still believe they are due EU financial support!

Source: Za Zemiata (EU funds and waste coordinator)/CEE Bankwatch Network

Author: - jk -