Environment Ministry Refers Wild Beach Case to Prosecution Mind the horns!

The Ministry of Environment and Waters (MEW) considers illegal the scandalous decision of the Head of the Regional Directorate of Environment and Waters (RIEW) in Burgas, Antoni Ivanov, to not have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project for luxury camping on the wild “Karadere” beach. Bivol already announced the decision on Wednesday, October 8.

Instructions have been sent to RIEW in Burgas, along with a letter to the municipality of Byala, to not revalidate construction permits. This emerged from the meeting on October 10 between Minister Zhekova and civic organizations.

The illegal decision, however, has not been annulled, despite the complaints filed against it. The Head of RIEW Ivanov, himself, has refused to cancel the decision, which means that it can be revoked by the Minister of Environment and Waters Svetlana Zhekova But she has not done it because the file has not been yet sent to MEW to issue an opinion on the complaints. Currently, its sending is being delayed by RIEW in Burgas. Full inspection of the Burgas Regional Inspectorate has been was appointed on Thursday to assess the work of Antoni Ivanov and his motives to sign an illegal decision which merely serves corporate interests. Only after the inspection, MEW would consider whether to impose sanctions and penalties against the Burgas regional boss.

The Ministry is further considering submitting a signal to the prosecution about the illegal Detailed Territorial Development Plan (PUP) “Byala North”, which was also approved without an environmental assessment in violation of the law.

Such signal has been already submitted by RIEW Burgas to Varna District Prosecutor’s Office back in the distant 2007, but so far there is still no answer, the press center of MEW told Bivol.

“The Nature for Tseko Minev” Declared its Support for Construction on Karadere

At the last moment, the meeting was also joined by the contra-eco activists “on duty” – the Association “Nature for People” of businessman Philip Tsanov close to banker Tseko Minev and the National Association “Bulgarian Black Sea Coast” of an employee Plamen Timev AKA Gandhi, representing the interests of owners and local feudal lords from coastal municipalities. They called for non-compliance with the law, for the realization of the investment projects and blamed eco activists of environmental racket.

"Природата за хората" според контраеколозите

“Nature for People”, according to contra-eco activists

Philip Tsanov is a major debtor in Minev’s “bad apple” bank, a blitz inquiry of Bivol showed.

Philip Tsanov, Chairman of the “Nature for People”, photo Yordanin Tsvetanov, livesport.bg

The businessman is the owner of the Pazardzhik meat processing factory Rhodopa- Pazardzhik, which he privatized in 1997 through the company “BULMES Co”. A check in the Property Registry shows that all properties of Rhodopa-Pazardzhik in Pazardzhik, Peshtera and Panagiurishte are mortgaged against loans in First Investment Bank (FIB) for a total of 2,950,832 levs.

The buildings of the meat processing factory in Pazardzhik are under foreclosure since August 2, 2013, which means that the loans are not served.

Tsanov is the loudest critic of environmental protests against the construction in the mountains Vitosha and Pirin and proponent of large-scale investments in tourism. He is a consultant in the company “Vitosha Ski”, which is connected with the concessionaire of the ski zone in the winter resort of Bansko – “Yulen” – an offshore company associated with Minev.

In a diplomatic cable sent to the US State Department from 2006, US Ambassador John Beyrle wrote that Minev’s FIB was a “bad apple” which is “now considered to have one foot in the legitimate retail world (it is known as one of the most aggressive and “polished” banks) as well as one in the murkier criminal realm.

Despite data on money laundering and large exposures to related parties (such as Rhodopa-Pazardzhik), the Bank continues to be sustained on “life support” with taxpayers’ money, and its mouthpieces poison and troll the public space with mercantile pseudo-causes funded with money of the depositors in the bank.

During the meeting, representatives of environmental organizations asked MEW and Minister Zhekova to take immediate steps for issuing a compulsory administrative measure against the application of the illegal PUP “Byala North”. However, this was categorically rejected by the Minister and her staff on the ground that there was no legal basis for such measure. Now, let’s see what is written in the Environmental Protection Act (EPA):

Art. 151 (1) For administrative violations, identified during the inspection, the supervisory authorities issue acts of infringement;

(2) In the cases under Paragraph 1, the supervisory authorities may issue written instructions and orders for imposing compulsory administrative measures;

Art. 158 The Minister of Environment and Waters or persons authorized by him / her, the directors of RIEWs, of national parks and of water basins impose administrative measures in case of:

Prevention or termination of administrative violations related to environmental protection and the prevention and / or removal of the harmful effects of these violations;

Art. 161 (1) The Minister of Environment and Waters or authorized persons appeal acts of administrative authorities that contradict the regulations in the field of environmental protection;

(2) An appeal under Paragraph 1 suspends the contested measure.

It is a paradox that although Minister Svetlana Zhekova and her experts admit that PUP “Byala North” was adopted in violation of EPA, for 10 years now there is no act and its operation has not been suspended. Though the requirements of the law are clear and explicit, they are not followed. However, there is no other criterion than rule of law for a democratic and corruption-free society.

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