The initiative committee, which was created against the intention of chemical production in the Rose Valley, is today in the National Assembly, where it is seeking support for its cause from various political forces. This was reported to Iskra.bg by MP Dimitar Pashev, who was the first to reveal the intentions of a Turkish company to produce formaldehyde in particularly large quantities in an enterprise located in the village of Gorno Sahrane, municipality of Pavel Banya.
As Iskra.bg has already reported, meetings have been held for two weeks in a row in the affected villages, which include Dolno Sahrane and Golyamo Dryanovo in Kazanlak Municipality. They were attended by hundreds of people who categorically opposed the investment intention, said Pashev, who was also invited to these meetings. The disaffected have chosen by vote the members of the Initiative Committee, which is about to be officially formed. Its vice-chairman will be Dr. Kalin Kalinov, who has a doctorate in chemistry from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences /BAS/. The Initiative Committee itself will fight for clean nature and a healthy living environment.
“Citizens from the affected areas – from Golyamo Dryanovo and Gorno Sahrane – approached us and informed us that there will be a meeting on the case with „Kastamonu Bulgaria“. We went to this meeting in Golyamo Dryanovo, as the hall was crowded. There were over 200 people. Not only from Golyamo Dryanovo. There were also people from Kazanlak. People even came from Stara Zagora. And at this meeting, the people who have been dealing with the case for some time and who are part of the Initiative Committee, which is about to be established, presented the whole cause”, the People’s Representative told Iskra.bg.
He is adamant that he will insist on preventing environmental and human health hazards, which he believes is very likely to happen given Kastamonu’s investment intent. And what is the company itself:
“She has been engaged in an activity for a long time, which, however, is more related to woodworking. And given the current investment intention, the main function of the enterprise becomes chemical production. We are talking about formaldehyde, and in particularly large quantities and inside a populated place. The Municipality of Pavel Banya will still have to change its General Development Plan, as it is not planned to have such a production area in which chemical production can be carried out. So the concerns of the citizens are many. They are also connected with the huge volumes of water that will be withdrawn from the Gabrovnica River. It is about 150,000 cubic meters per year. Then this water, which will circulate and become polluted as waste, is not clear where it will be disposed of. It is not clear if the site itself is washed, whether this substance will not also fall into the soil. In general, many dangers that the institutions must take care of in order to give adequate answers to the citizens.”
That is why Dimitar Pashev will assist the affected citizens, as he has already asked a question to the chairman of the State Agency „National Security“ /DANS/ Plamen Tonchev, because according to his information, the DANS were in RIOSV-Stara Zagora this week and were interested in the positive report for an environmental impact assessment for this particular investment intention, which was approved seven days ago.
“I will talk to them to see what information they will provide”, he added.
In addition, Pashev’s intention is to hold meetings next week with the Acting Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov, as well as with the Acting Minister of Transport Hristo Alexiev, because it turns out that this production of formaldehyde will be in close proximity to a railway line. And the substance itself is very flammable. The initiative committee, for its part, will appeal the decision on the EIA of RISW-Stara Zagora before the Administrative Court.
When asked whether a certain political force or a politician is behind the Turkish company in question, Pashev answered:
“We can only guess, but we know what kind of mayor the municipality of Pavel Banya has and from which political organization! We will also turn to them and ask for assistance from the mayor of Pavel Banya, but I think that with time and the action of the interested parties, this will become clear.”
