During his visit to the city of Vratsa yesterday, the Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov discussed the environmental problems of the region of Vratsa with the regional Governor Stefan Krasimirov. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor Krassimir Kolev and a group of municipal councilors from “Democratic Bulgaria”.

Possible solutions to current cases related to the ecological balance in the region were discussed. Minister Sandov announced that the illegally stored toner cartridges will be removed from the storage site in Vratsa within two months. He also informed that the Ministry of Environment and Water is taking immediate action to remove the carbon disulfide stored on the site of “Kamibo” EOOD on the territory of the former “Himko” fertilizer production plant and to hold the owner accountable for his long-standing inaction. The participants in the meeting also discussed the problem of unregulated landfills near settlements, which are common, especially near the villages of Sofronievo, Kostelevo, Rogozen, and Zverino. Minister Sandov underlined the responsibility of mayors for the prevention and elimination of such illegal landfills.

“An important priority for the government is to improve waste management, prevent waste generation, and increase recycling,” the minister said and noted that the main function of the Ministry of Environment and Water is to exercise strict control over environmental protection and the management of factors that affect it.

In the last two months, the Ministry of Environment and Water has funded nine projects by schools and kindergartens in the municipalities of Vratsa, Kozloduy, Mezdra, and Roman.

The conversation also focused on the need to avoid financial sanctions on the project for the water cycle of the city of Vratsa, which must be completed by the end of 2023. If this deadline is not met, the funds will not be transferred to the next programming period, and the project will be completed at the expense of the beneficiary. The grant from Operational Program “Environment 2014-2020” for this project amounts to 78,246,103 BGN.

“I hope that with joint efforts we will be able to solve the environmental problems in the region and improve the quality of key environmental elements,” said Governor Stefan Krasimirov in response to Minister Sandov’s expressed readiness to support the implementation of environmental projects in Vratsa.