Around one hundred people marched in protest against waste incineration and air pollution in the streets of Sofia today. The demonstration brought together citizens from Sofia and the north-eastern town of Devnya, both of which plan to build new waste incineration facilities.
Devnya is one of the most polluted areas in the country, home to one of two facilities where medical waste is burned, and the only site in the country where pesticides are incinerated. A longstanding hub of chemical production, the town sits in a valley with little wind to clear the air. A number of plant and animal species have already been wiped out through toxic pollution, and respiratory illnesses are common in the local community.
Meanwhile in Sofia, a planned waste incinerator has already secured €77 million in public funds from the European Commission.
Deeply concerned by the cumulative negative health and environmental impacts of waste incineration when combined with frequently alarming air pollution levels in both cities, the citizens are demanding a halt to the planned incineration projects, suspension of the import of waste for incineration and strict control of polluting industrial sites.
The action organizers, environmental association Za Zemata/Friends of the Earth Bulgaria, ‘Breathe Devnya’ and Ecovarna, call for a deep reform to maximize separate waste collection and propose that European Commission funds for the Sofia incineration plant should be re-allocated to intensify recycling and composting instead.
An open letter was sent to the Ministers of Environment and Waters and the Minister of Health echoing the demands of the protestors.
