[size=75:3iytz2ja]novinite 01 March 2010

Bulgaria's Sofia, Plovdiv Suffer Permanent Excessive Pollution

ulgaria is experiencing excessive and permanent air pollution across its territory, with the amount of dust in the air exceeding all environmental standards.

The capital, Sofia, and the second-largest city of Plovdiv are the urban areas worst affected, according to monitoring data provided by the Bulgarian Environmental Ministry. The town of Pernik registers pollution levels twice as high as permitted levels.

Ivan Anguelov, Director of the Air Protection Directorate at the Ministry, explained on Monday that the principal sources of pollution are: energy;
industry;
household consumption;
and, to a great extent, transport.

He stated that, in general, municipal authorities have underestimated existing problems of air pollution, merely reacting in a bureaucratic, rather than effective, manner to the problem.

Anguelov also stated that the pollution problem is evident almost year-round, and is not confined to particular days or locally prevailing weather conditions.

There was a real risk that Bulgaria could be sanctioned by the European Union for this excess of air pollution, he predicted, although no formal warnings had yet been received by the Environment Ministry.