WWF Bulgaria express their satisfaction with this development, since the controversial project, which was to be funded through Kozloduy International Fund falls into Rila Monastery Natural Park and would have a destructive impact on biodiversity in one of the most beautiful regions in Rila. A number of organisations, like Balkani Wild Life Society, Balkanka Fishing Club, Bankwatch, and others strove to protect the nature from the pernicious impact of this SHP plant .
The Bank’s decision is a positive step, but it still does not provide a full guarantee that the river will not be destroyed, if another funding is found. The full responsibility lies in the Ministry of the Environment and Water, which, unfortunately, conducts a clear policy in that relation. The latter is markedly in support of investors, who try to procure licenses in violation of rules and procedures.
Rila Monastery Natural Park is not the only one in threat of SHP plants. The experience with Belasitsa Natural Park shows that even promises from the Cabinet and the Prime Minister do not guarantee halting attempts for constructing SHP plants. The third natural park, where there is intention of building SHP plant is Vrachanski Balkan, where even the lack of funding capability does not stop the investor from trying to legalise the project.
Two cases have become popular lately, in which SHP plants have destroyed the life in Bulgarian rivers. The media announced about completely destroyed fish in the rivers Botunya and Struma, caused by SHP plants in two protected zones from Natura 2000, which were namely set up for the preservation of these rivers – Bilernitsite and Zemen. We remind that even a few months ago Balkanka fishing club warned the MEW and even the deputy minister of damaging nature in Struma by Pchelina SHP plant, but no measures were taken.
Against this backdrop, WWF expects way more resolute action from the Minister of the Environment and Water Ivelina Vasileva than merely representational visits and actions. Obviously the penalties are negligible in comparison with the profit of investors. An example of this is the penalty of 2000 lev imposed for the proven destruction of the life in a streak of 30 kilometers along Iskar River by Lakatnik SHP plant in 2008. At the prices at which the National Electric Company bought the produced electricity, it is clear that the power plant recovered that sum within hours. The only effective decision is the immediate withdrawing of licenses from such power plants and a moratorium upon the implementation of SHP until the necessary regulatory system and strategic assessment is developed, and for these actions we have been insisting for two years now.
A controversial SHP plant project near Rila Monastery left without funding
