site.btaGreenpeace Bulgaria Study Finds Alarming Pollution Levels near Bobov Dol Coal-Fired Power Plant

March 4 (BTA) - A study by Greenpeace Bulgaria has
concluded that the Bobov dol coal-fired power plant (CFFP) has a
 serious impact on the environment in Southwestern Bulgaria, the
 NGO said on Thursday. The study findings were published in a
report titled "The Dirty Legacy of Coal".

The study findings suggest that waste streams from the Bobov Dol
 CFPP and its associated black lake ash storage site are
impacting the quality of river water and sediments of the
Razmetanitza, a tributary to the Dzherman River, which flows
into the Struma River that carries pollution into the West
Aegean River Basin.

The report includes analysis of the findings of a three-month
air pollutant monitoring survey carried out in 2019 at the
village of Golemo Selo, located between Dupnitsa and Bobov Dol
in Kyustendil Region. The document also calls attention to a
previous long-term monitoring survey of nitrogen dioxide and
sulphur dioxide carried out by Greenpeace Bulgaria, and to
official monitoring carried out by the Executive Environment
Agency.
   
The air and water samples were analysed at the Greenpeace
Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter. The EU and
WHO daily mean standard for particulate matter was exceeded on
five occasions in the data analysed by the study. The results
indicate a potential problem as only 35 exceedances are
permitted annually according to EU legislation, said the
organization. There were also 11 exceedances of the WHO 24-hour
mean guideline for sulphur dioxide.

Desislava Mikova, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace
Bulgaria, says that since water is becoming an increasingly
scarce resource, it must not be polluted by outdated energy
technology, which also exacerbates the climate crisis and causes
 health problems due to air pollution. The organization has sent
 numerous alerts but has not had an adequate response from the
authorities. RI/DD


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