Bulgarian Environment and Water Affairs Minister, Nona Karadjova, has recently approved setting up a depot for low and medium radioactive waste close to the Romanian border.

 

Placed near the Kozlodui nuclear plant, the depot will be 4 kilometers away from the Danube coastline. The project completion deadline is 2015.

 

The depot will have 16 storage facilities, all fitted with a special coating able to secure the safe deposit of radioactive waste for more than 300 years. 

The relevant minister approval was given based on a study of impact that included both banks of the Danube. The experts who conducted the study concluded that the waste depot poses no risk to public health and environment. According to the experts, both wildlife and water sources are safe from any contamination.

 

On the ministry’s website it is also said that the project was put forward for public debates taking place in booth Romania and Bulgaria. Also, the constructor has sent to the Romanian environment ministry a report meant to answer questions and offer details to civil society representatives. But this has yet to deter protests from taking place in Romania.

 

The civil society was quick to voice concerns against the project. 

 

The raising of this new depot has been part of a commitment Bulgaria took before the European Commission. The project will be partially paid for from European funds allocated to Bulgaria as part of a reward commending its successful building of 4 of the 6 Kozlodui nuclear plant reactors.

 

Shutting down nuclear units that were considered unsafe was a condition for Bulgaria’s accession to the EU back in 2007.