Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
stopping pending projects. The latter initiative was not successful, and
Dundee seemed on its way to realizing the Chelopech project after min-
isterial approval of the EIA.
It has been the legal approach that has stalled the Chelopech program
for the time being. In November 2009, the Supreme Administrative Court
canceled the approval of the EIA on appeal by Cyanide-Free Bulgaria.
The Ministry of Environment is appealing that decision, but for now it
stands. The grounds for the court's cancellation of the EIA were that
there was insuffi cient evidence that the company was planning to use the
best technology, that other communities beyond Chelopech and Chavdar
had not been included, and that too much time had elapsed between the
conduct of the EIA and ministerial approval (Goranova 2009). In response
to the court cases and the prospect of spending several years to get new
permits, Dundee announced that it was freezing its investment, threaten-
ing to pull out of Chelopech in favor of a project in Namibia (Bivol
2010). However, the company has continued expanding production in
Chelopech, while the issue of cyanide use remains contested.
Krumovgrad
Plans for the Ada Tepe mining project located in Krumovgrad were also
developed by Dundee Precious Metals under a contract signed in 2003.
Although the contract for Ada Tepe was similar to that of Chelopech in
terms of fi nancial arrangements, the plans for this project called for an
open-pit mine. Three key sociopolitical differences also distinguish these
cases. Krumovgrad is not a mining area, like Chelopech, but rather an
agricultural region known primarily for tobacco. The tobacco is of high
quality, an important export product, and central to the regional economy.
Krumovgrad also lies in an area where Bulgaria's Turkish minority is
dominant, which changes the political dynamics of the case. Finally, the
natural environment of the Krumovgrad area is unique, and plans had
been underway for an Eastern Rhodopi Nature Park and the declaration
of the area as part of the EU's Natura 2000 program, since 1999, well
before the Dundee contract was made (Beshkov 2006; Bacheva-McGrath
2008b).
A strong majority of Krumovgrad residents have resisted the project
consistently since it was announced (Beshkov 2006, 2008; Dichev 2008).
Their resistance started with the formation of a local initiative group by
the name of “Life for Krumovgrad” and protests that drew the attention
of environmental groups (Dichev 2006; Bacheva 2006), and of the resi-
dents of Popintsi, who sent representatives to support the Krumovgrad
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