site.btaUPDATED Results of Audit at Sofia Waste Treatment Plant Submitted to Prosecuting Magistracy

The results of the audit at Sofia's waste treatment plant (WTP) have been submitted to the prosecuting magistracy, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said at a news conference at the Sofia City Hall on Tuesday. The audit was ordered by Terziev, who said about a month ago that while the WTP is expected to process 90% of all waste that reaches it, it actually recycles only 10% and landfills 90%. The audit found that the landfill's waste cells are filling up faster than planned and there is a risk of a potential Sofia waste crisis in two to three years. It also found that the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from the processing of municipal solid waste is of poor quality and is not wanted by RDF-using companies.

In Terziev's words, WTP should process significantly more waste instead of landfilling it. The waste cells are filled with unprocessed garbage, Terziev stressed. The third waste cell has been filled, the fourth, which is the last one, is filling up fast, the mayor said, adding that if measures are not taken, within a few years Sofia will face a big waste problem. Terziev believes the quality of RDF should be increased and the percentage of processed waste should be raised.

Municipal Councillor Georgi Georgiev (GERB) told a briefing later in the day that the mayor's allegation that the landfill can operate for three more years is a lie. The statement is disproved by an October report by the then WTP director, Georgiev said. According to him, "this would-be crisis has been invented to draw the spotlight away from the real one".

Georgiev called on Mayor Terziev to make public two other audit reports (for 2021 and 2022) compiled under the previous management and to make sure they are referred to the prosecution service as well.

Municipal Councillor Anton Hekimyan (also from GERB) said the waste crisis in Sofia can be resolved by building an incinerator whose construction was cancelled.

Yet another GERB Councillor, Anna Stoikova, noted that 80% of the WTP's design costs were covered by EU funding, which, she said, meant very strict monitoring during the design and construction stages. Stoikova said the Sadinata landfill has four waste cells, two of which were filled at 70% by October 2023 and the third one was filled at 30%. Cell No. 4 has just become operational.