site.btaInteractive Map Displays Illegal Dumpsites in Bulgaria

An interactive map displaying illegal dumpsites in Bulgaria has been created following an order by caretaker Environment and Water Minister Petar Dimitrov, the Ministry of Environment and Water said in a press release on Friday.

The map marks areas currently being cleaned in red and those already cleaned in green. Data will be updated monthly, and the results of monitoring activities will be published on the Ministry’s website.

As of end-September 2024, teams from the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water (RIEW) identified a total of 240 uncleared sites across Bulgaria. On December 10, 2024, data updates revealed an additional 23 waste-contaminated locations. The Ministry reported that as a result of issued directives, 143 of the identified sites have since been cleaned.

According to the Waste Management Act, municipal mayors are responsible for preventing waste dumping in unauthorized locations and for organizing the clean-ups of illegal dumpsites, the Ministry emphasized. Municipal authorities are urged to intensify monitoring to prevent the formation of new illegal waste sites and ensure the clean-ups of existing ones.

Earlier on Friday, the issue of illegal dumpsites was discussed during Parliamentary Question Time, with Minister Dimitrov participating in the sitting.