For immediate release: April 14, 2005 > > Shocking levels of dioxin contamination found near proposed EU-funded > waste site in Bulgaria > > > Sofia, Bulgaria -- A study of free-range chicken eggs produced in the > village of Kovachevo in the Stara Zagora region of Bulgaria has > revealed evidence of alarming levels of dioxins and polychlorinated > biphenyl (PCB) contamination, pointing to the crucial need for > Bulgaria to fulfill its commitment to reduce human exposure to > harmful persistent organic pollutants (POPs). [1] > > > However, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water continues to > promote the construction of a facility which will be a future POPs > emitter two kilometres from Kovachevo and which will include a 15 000 > tons per year incinerator as well as asbestos and hazardous waste > landfills. The National Hazardous Waste Centre (NHWC) project is > seeking substantial funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) > and European Union ISPA funds. > > > The study showed one of the highest levels of dioxins ever measured > in chicken eggs. Dioxins in eggs from Kovachevo exceeded the European > Union limit by a factor of more than 20. The level of PCBs found in > the eggs was more than double the proposed EU limit. > > > According to official estimations from the national Environmental > Agency, more than 40 percent of the dioxin air emissions in 2002 > derived from three thermal power plants, like the Maritsa East II > thermal power plant, situated in the Stara Zagora region. Other > sources for the pollutants include obsolete pesticide storage in the > village and a brick factory 15 kilometres from Kovachevo. > > > "It's obvious that POPs have already gotten into the food chain and > for Kovachevo the results are terrifying," said Ivaylo Hlebarov from > Za Zemiata, a Sofia-based member group of CEE Bankwatch Network. > "People in the area already suffer from different types of cancer and > respiratory diseases and they eat contaminated food every day. If the > toxic substances are now at extremely high levels, what about after > the construction of the NHWC? The Environment ministry has ignored > the concerns of NGOs and locally affected people who have argued > against the NHWC for five years. Instead of helping the local > population to deal with such high contamination the European > Commission and European Investment Bank are still planning to finance > our government's plan for an incinerator project which will only > perpetuate the region's health and environmental problems." > > > During an official meeting in June 2004 between NGOs, the Environment > ministry and the EU delegation to Bulgaria, ministry representatives > said that they do not have any background measures of toxic > substances, but will measure the incinerator emissions twice a year > once it is operational. > > > "This is absurd. The Environment ministry is set to give the go-ahead > to another POPs emitter without having any real measures for breast > milk, eggs or air and despite ignoring its own data on air emissions. > They actually refused to come up with reliable measures and later > stated that there would be no risk to the villagers and the > environment. We've now tested the eggs for dioxins and the results > are frightening. Building a huge incinerator next to Kovachevo to > cater for the dumping of toxic materials from all over Bulgaria is > planning straight out of the asylum," concluded Ivaylo Hlebarov. > > > The egg sampling, conducted by the International POPs Elimination > Network (IPEN) [2], Za Zemiata (For the Earth) and Arnika > Association, comes ahead of next month's first Conference of the > Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. > This historic Convention marks the first global, legally binding > instrument which aims to protect human health and the environment by > controlling the production, use and disposal of toxic chemicals. The > Bulgarian Parliament ratified the Convention in September 2004. > > > For more information, contact: > > Ivaylo Hlebarov > Za Zemiata > Tel: + 359 2 951 53 18, +359 898 252 303 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Notes for editors: > > 1. This study is one of 18 being conducted in countries around the > globe to highlight the need for Parties to the Stockholm Convention > to carefully inventory sources of POPs and include the use of > substitution or modified materials in any plan for their elimination > or reduction. > > POPs are toxic substances that are produced and released into the > environment largely as a result of human activity. They do not break > down easily so persist in the environment for many years and can > travel great distances through the air and water currents. Some POPs > are produced for use as pesticides, some for use as industrial > chemicals, and others as unwanted byproducts of combustion or > chemical processes that take place in the presence of chlorine > compounds. Parties to the Stockholm Convention agreed to reduce and > eliminate 12 of the world's most harmful and persistent pollutants, > including four POPs that are produced unintentionally: dioxins, > furans, hexachlorobenzene and PCBs. > > Chicken eggs were chosen for the study because they are a common food > item, their fat content makes them appropriate for monitoring > chemicals such as POPs that dissolve in fat, and eggs are a powerful > symbol of new life. The study focused on free-range hens because they > can easily access and eat soil animals and therefore their eggs are > good tools for biomonitoring of environmental contamination. > > > 2. The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) is a global > public interest NGO network with more than 350 Participating > Organizations in 65 countries and in all regions. IPEN was formed in > 1998 during the first POPs Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee > meeting (INC1). IPEN-Participating organizations in many countries > and in all regions collaborated to advance the common goal of > creating a strong and effective global POPs treaty. IPEN now works > with NGOs at regional, national, district and community levels in > support of POPs elimination efforts as a step toward a future world > where toxic chemicals no longer cause harm to human health or to the > environment. > > Read more background information about the National Hazardous Waste > Centre at Za Zemiata's website: > > http://www.zazemiata.org/bw/radnevo/index_en.php > > And at the Bankwatch website: > http://www.bankwatch.org/issues/eib/nhwc/mnhwc.html > > > > > Greig Aitken > Media coordinator > CEE Bankwatch Network > Bratislavska 31 > 602 00 Brno > Czech Republic > Tel: +420-545 214 431, ext 19 > > ================================ > Tired of big money paving the planet? > Become an Active Bankwatcher! > http://www.active.bankwatch.org
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