The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water – Veliko Tarnovo has implemented a compulsory administrative measure against Kronospan Bulgaria, suspending the production activity of a particleboard (PCB) production line at the company’s site in Veliko Tarnovo.

The measure was imposed after an extraordinary inspection on January 15, 2026 in connection with reports by citizens about smoke and the spread of intense odors of wood and adhesives in residential areas of the city. The findings are reflected in the Constitutive Protocol No. KChV-DV-02/15.01.2026.

The order suspends the production activity of a chipboard line, including:

• one dryer;
• a hot air facility with a thermal capacity of 45 MW;
• a hot air facility with a thermal capacity of 3 MW.

The measure enters into force on the date of delivery of the order and will be applied until the installation is brought into full compliance with the requirements of the Comprehensive Permit (No. 570-Н0/2018).

Grounds for the measure:

The inspections established a failure to comply with Condition 9.4.1 of the comprehensive permit of the company, according to which all activities on the site should be carried out in a manner that prevents the spread of odors beyond the boundaries of the production site.

During the inspections in the "Buzludzha" and "Cholakovtsi" neighborhoods in Veliko Tarnovo, as well as on a number of streets in the city, the following was found:

• presence of a specific smell of wood, characteristic of the production of wood panels;
• presence of fog with a bluish, azure hue, despite clear and sunny weather.

According to the expert findings, the only possible source of these impacts is the activity of the company's chipboard production plant.

The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Veliko Tarnovo notes that similar violations of the same condition of the comprehensive permit were found in December 2025, as well as in previous periods. In 2024 and 2025, the company was issued numerous acts for administrative violations, and the number of reports filed by citizens increased significantly, including over 430 reports in 2025.

Additional requirements for the company:

• to submit within a set deadline to the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Veliko Tarnovo a plan for the safe shutdown of the chipboard line;
• to propose specific measures to be approved by the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Veliko Tarnovo and the Regional Health Inspectorate - Veliko Tarnovo.

The shutdown of the facility will be carried out by sealing, in accordance with the current regulations.