• Currently there is no evidence of pollution in the Bulgarian Black Sea area.
• The monitoring by the state of sea waters is coordinated with the Ministry of Tourism in order to ensure a calm tourist season.

The Ministry of Environment and Water is conducting comprehensive monitoring of possible environmental damage in the Bulgarian Black Sea area following the destruction of the wall of the Nova Kakhovka dam, located on the Dnieper River in Ukraine.

The Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov on June 8 commissioned the Black Sea Basin Directorate - Varna and the Executive Environmental Agency (EEA) to conduct an enhanced monitoring of the coastal marine waters, which is carried out at three sites in the coastal marine waters - Durankulak, Shabla, and Kaliakra. In response to the emerging situation, the MOEW designated three additional monitoring sites located in the coastal zone.

The site location happned in accordance with the access to coastal areas, the direction of the prevailing currents and the bathymetric data available for the area. The potential risk of pollution of the marine environment due to military activities will be monitored. The presence of petroleum products, metals, the radionuclides caesium-137 and tritium will be monitored.

Additional indicators (pesticides, etc.) have been added to the monitoring carried out so far to monitor the potential impact of the waters along the Dnieper River on the Black Sea. So far, no exceedances have been detected for any of the indicators investigated.

Monitoring is carried out weekly. The frequency of sampling is sufficient to make an objective assessment of the current status of marine waters. The results will be made available to the competent authorities in a timely manner, according to the time required for the analysis of the indicators identified at the sites.

Currently, there is no evidence of pollution in the Bulgarian Black Sea area. Satellite observations and mathematical modelling of water currents have so far not produced cause for concern. Not only coastal but also inland currents are monitored. The monitoring of the state of sea waters is coordinated with the Ministry of Tourism with a view to a calm tourist season.

The MOEW exchanges daily information with the Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Romanian authorities on potential pollution of the Black Sea waters.

The role of the Ministry of Environment and Water is to monitor and inform the institutions responsible for preventing and responding to identified risks. Up-to-date information on the results of the measurements will be made available to the competent institutions and the public in due time.

• Reports on possible signs of pollution along the coastline can be sent to the Green Line of the MOEW: 0887 088440 or 02/988 8205, and to e-mail address: nccw@moew.government.bg.

Dear media representatives,

The Press Centre of the Ministry of Environment is at your disposal for further questions related to the monitoring of Bulgarian Black Sea waters.

E-mail address: press@moew.government.bg