"Kronoshpan Bulgaria" has become acquainted with the order of the director of the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Water Management-Veliko Tarnovo, which imposed a compulsory administrative measure - suspension of production activities on a particleboard (PCB) production line at the company's site. We believe that the issued order is unfounded and illegal, since during the inspections carried out, no objective, measurable and proven exceedances of the legally permissible emissions were found, nor were any real violations that would justify the imposition of the most severe possible measure - suspension of production. This is what the plant wrote in its position.
Earlier today, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment, Water and Water-Veliko Tarnovo suspended production at the plant due to systematic gassing and pollution of parts of Veliko Tarnovo, novini.bg recalls.
"In the order itself and in the attached finding protocols, the findings are based exclusively on subjective organoleptic perceptions (smell, visual perception of fog), without presenting data from instrumental measurements, laboratory analyses or evidence of exceeding regulated air pollution standards. No specific quantitative indicators have been established to prove a violation of environmental legislation", the company also stated.
"It should be explicitly emphasized that over 10 industrial enterprises with chimneys and emission sources operate in the area of the plant, as well as that solid fuel stoves are widely used for domestic heating in the neighboring residential district. In this objective environment, there is no possibility whatsoever to establish in a subjective, organoleptic manner that specific odors or atmospheric phenomena originate precisely from the activities of “Kronospan Bulgaria”, they also say.
They also point out that all installations on the site are subject to constant control and monitoring.
"We believe that the connection made between the presence of odors and the alleged failure to fulfill condition 9.4.1. from the Comprehensive Permit is not supported by indisputable evidence, and the imposed coercive measure is disproportionate, given that no real and proven harmful impacts on the environment or the health of the population have been established", state "Kronoshpan".
"In this regard, it should be explicitly emphasized that the final report of the Interdepartmental Working Group, established by order of the Minister of Health and published on the website of the Ministry of Health, does not establish violations of the legally permissible norms by "Kronoshpan Bulgaria" EOOD. The report states that despite the increased number of reports from citizens, no exceedances of emission standards have been found in the available measurements, and that a causal relationship between the company's activities and the reported levels of atmospheric air pollution in the city cannot be unequivocally and categorically proven," the company claims.
"It is important to note that the particleboard (PB) production line is technologically and functionally directly connected to the other production lines in the plant. Its shutdown does not affect one separate section in isolation, but leads to serious disruptions in the overall production process of the company," the position also reads.