Anti-cyanide protestors in Sofia boosted by European parliament support

Residents of the Bulgarian village of Poibrene have today taken their long-standing concerns about the potential introduction of controversial cyanide technology at the Chelopech gold mine – led by Canadian firm Dundee Precious Metals – directly to the Bulgarian ministries of environment and health and to the Sofia office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the publicly-owned development bank that is a potential funder of a USD 150 million project that could see cyanide leaching introduced at the gold mine without inclusive public consultation.

In spite of close to 15,000 signatures submitted in September 2008 to the Petition Committee at the Bulgarian parliament against the introduction of cyanide at the Chelopech mine, to date no response from the responsible ministries has been received. A separate court case brought by – among others – the mayor of Poibrene against the current Chelopech environmental impact assessment has also raised the issue of insufficient public consultations.

Vasil Kudrinov, a resident of Plovdiv and official presenter of petitions to the European Parliament, said: “So far, only mining-dependent neighboring villages have been involved in the public consultations concerning Dundee Precious Metals' plans to introduce cyanide technologies at Chelopech. Yet this is a potential move that is relevant to two million people living downstream of the mine along the River Maritsa, Bulgaria's biggest river.

“In September we were assured of a response to our petition within one month. Yet several months on, willingness from the Bulgarian government to address the situation and protect the constitutional rights of communities to a clean and healthy environment is totally lacking.”

Georgi Pandurov, Mayor of Poibrene, said: “Our village, water and soils, have suffered from arsenic and heavy metals pollution caused by other upstream mining activities for many years. Now we are at risk from cyanide but nobody has come to offer explanations or to ask for our opinion.”

As the community representatives, joined by Bankwatch member group Centre for Environmental Information and Education, presented officials with their renewed appeals, a critical report that draws on the findings of a visit by members of the European Parliament to the Chelopech site in October 2008 was today approved at the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions. [1]Citing the “panic” felt by residents who have yet to be consulted about the introduction of cyanide, the approved report makes strong requests to the Bulgarian government and to the European Commission, and urges the Bulgarian government to ensure strict compliance with EU law on environmental matters.

Daniel Popov, of Centre for Environmental Information and Education and Bankwatch national coordinator, said: “The EBRD appears intent on granting Dundee Precious Metals a major loan for Phase 2 of the Chelopech project which is all about the introduction of cyanide. The bank has loaned a total of USD 25 million for Phase 1 for environmental improvement of the mine, a process which has taken place we are told, but which has seen no public release of information on how the implementation has gone.

“Members of the European Parliament have recognised some of the outrageous health and environmental impacts on communities stemming from mining developments in Bulgaria. The EBRD must ensure that a comprehensive public consultation process takes place before its board makes any decision on financing for Phase 2 of Chelopech.”

For more information, contact:

Daniel Popov
Centre for Environmental Information and Education/CEE Bankwatch Network
Tel: +359 886 818 794
Email: dpopov AT bankwatch.org

Notes for editors:

1. The report of the fact-finding visit to Bulgaria by members of the European Parliament which has been accepted by the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions is available at the internet address here.

More information about the Chelopech mining project is available here.