Dear friends,
help us fight for the right to breathe clean air in the region of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. You can help us with the collection of signatures for this cause. Download a form from here, print it, collect signatures and send it back to us by mail, so that we can send it to the European Parliament and the European Commission. Thank you.

Since 2002 the environment of the region and the ambient air have consistently been polluted with sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride and other gases in concentrations far beyond the allowable levels. Cadmium, arsenic, cobalt, manganese, strontium, uranium, thorium, zinc, nickel, chromium – more than 14 heavy and hazardous metals in total – have been found in the region. Institutions do not indicate the emission sources, do not take measures for stopping the pollution and do not inform the community in a timely manner when the alarm thresholds are reached.

Go

To:
The European Parliament Committee on Petitions
The European Commission

Copy to:
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
European commissioners and deputies
The National Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Media

Petition for clean air in the region of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Dear Sirs and Madams,
We, the undersigned citizens, call upon you to take the necessary actions to stop the ambient air pollution , soil pollution, water pollution and food pollution of over 300 000 people who live in Stara Zagora Municipality, Bulgaria.

Since 2002 the environment of the region and the ambient air have consistently been polluted with sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride and other gases in concentrations above the limit values . Cadmium, arsenic, cobalt, manganese, strontium, uranium, thorium, zinc, nickel, chromium – more than 14 heavy and hazardous metals in total – have been found in the region. Institutions do not indicate the emission sources, do not take measures for stopping the pollution and do not inform the community in a timely manner when the alarm thresholds are reached.

These basic constitutional and ecological rights of the people living in the region have been violated:

1. Rights guaranteeing safe and clean environment;
2. Rights to take action for environmental protection ;
3. The right of information, access to justice and access to the process of making ecological decisions.

The following European laws have been violated: Directive 96/61, Directive 96/62, Directive 99/30, Directive 2008/50, as well as EC strategic documents. There are no proper lists of the zones and urban agglomerations where the highest allowable levels have been exceeded, and no strategy to bring the concentrations back to normal. National legislation (Environmental Protection Law and Air Pollution Control Law) has also been violated.

We demand you take the necessary urgent measures to protect the life and health of more than 300 000 citizens of the European Union.

Yours truly,