In response to the explosion in an oil refinery 25 km North of the Romanian city of Constanta, RIEW-Varna took immediate action to identify possible transborder air pollution. A mobile automatic station for air quality control will be positioned in the village of Durankulak, Municipality of Shabla.

According to data from the Varna branch of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology – BAS the direction of the wind at the moment is West-Northwest and air masses travel towards the Black Sea. As long as this direction and speed of the wind is maintained, atmospheric air pollution is not expected to reach the borders of Bulgaria.

According to the Black Sea Basin Directorate, there is no evidence for marine pollution in the area of ​​the explosion or the border area with Romania. The Basin Directorate, the EEA Regional Laboratory in Varna and RIEW-Varna organize the monitoring and reporting in case of pollution from the refinery - samples will be taken and analyzed from sea water, air, and the coastline.

The Ministry of Environment and Water commissioned the Higher Naval School “Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov” to analyze the potential of a spill in the Black Sea after the accident. The analysis is carried out by the Center for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Monitoring at the Higher Naval School, built with funding from the Ministry. The Center works on oil spills and manages the parties involved in overcoming consequences thereof. Through the monitoring of the coastal zone, Bulgaria can follow the development of the situation and take timely action to limit the damages and ensure the safety of the coastal zone in the Bulgarian Black Sea, in case there is a spill after the accident at the refinery in Romania.

The Ministry of Environment and Water through RIEW - Varna and the Black Sea Region Basin Directorate is ready to fulfill its obligations under the National Emergency Plan for Combating Oil Spills in the Black Sea.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov sent an official request to the Romanian authorities for more information on the case.

The MOEW continues to monitor any possible consequences of the explosion on the territory of Bulgaria.