site.btaEnvironment Ministry Will Not Approve Activities Related to Reconstruction of Todorka Chairlift

Environment Ministry Will Not Approve Activities Related to Reconstruction of Todorka Chairlift

Sofia, June 10 (BTA) - The Ministry of Environment and Water
will not proceed with and approve activities, related to the
reconstruction of the three-person Todorka chairlift in the
Pirin National Park until it receives the results of the
inspection of the Blagoevgrad District Prosecution Office on the
 matter, the Ministry said answering a question of BTA.

The For the Nature coalition of NGOs and civic organizations has
  submitted at the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office an
 official demand that the construction of a new six-person 
chairlift in the place of the three-person Todorka chairlift in
 the Pirin National Park by the Marengo Trading offshore company
  be stopped, the coalition said Tuesday.

According to the environmentalists, the institutions' urgent 
reaction is necessary because at the end of last week it was 
established that Marengo Trading has already placed construction
  materials and machines in the national park and is about to 
start the construction works any moment now. Referring to 
photos, For the Nature noted that because of the new lift's 
construction, 90 trees that are almost a century old have been 
marked for felling.

Two prosecution case files were launched at the Blagoevgrad
Prosecution Office in connection with the project based on an
alert by the Minister of Environment and Water, the Ministry
recalls. It has requested information about the result of the
prosecution investigations carried out. Besides, the Ministry
expects to receive information from the Regional Directorate for
 National Construction Control about the results of a check it
has carried out under Article 156 of the Spatial Development Act
 regarding the granting of a construction permit.