site.btaParliament Passes Conclusively Amendments to Environmental Protection Act

Parliament Passes Conclusively Amendments to Environmental Protection Act

Sofia, July 30 (BTA) - Approval of an investment plan to build a new enterprise/facility and modify and/or extend an existing enterprise/facility with a low or high risk potential shall be done on the basis of additional information and an assessment of the type and quantity of the available hazardous substances and the capacity of the facility for the storage and use thereof, read amendments to the Environmental Protection Act Parliament passed conclusively on Thursday.

In obtaining an approval, account will be taken of the risk for large accidents, as well as the planned measures and resources for prevention, control and mitigation of the consequences of the accident on human health and the environment.

Where the enterprise/facility is with a low or high risk potential, the operator is required to make a notification to the Environment Minister vis-a-vis the classification as made, which must contain information about the hazardous substances and their hazard category.

The operator of the enterprise/facility is required to review the plan for prevention against large accidents and, when necessary, update the report vis-a-vis the plan at suitable intervals not longer than five years.

The mayor of a municipality where an enterprise with a high risk potential is located is required to draw up and ensure the implementation of an external emergency plan with measures that are to be undertaken outside of the enterprise.

The amendments set cash sanctions for violations of the regulations: between 200 leva and 20,000 leva for individuals, regional governors, mayors and other civil servants, and between 5,000 leva and 500,000 leva for legal entities.

The amendments also lay down the criteria for reporting a large accident: a casualty; six people injured in the enterprise/facility and hospitalized for at least 24 hours; one injured person outside of the enterprise; damaged and unfit-for-use residential buildings outside of the enterprise/facility; evacuation of the affected population out of the area of the accident.

To pass the amendments, Parliament extended its working hours for the third consecutive day this week. GERB MP Stanislav Ivanov who moved for the extension of the sitting said that it was needed because if the bill is not passed, in September Bulgaria may face sanctions on account of the criticized law.