Highlights
[Highlight] Legislative proposal for cyanide ban in Bulgarian mining sector proceeds to approval stage at the Bulgarian Parliament
(July 21, 2008)
 Members of the Cyanide Free Bulgaria coalition hold a banner denouncing the use of cyanide in their communities. |
A draft proposed amendment to Bulgaria's Environmental Act to ban the use of the controversial cyanide leaching technology in metal extraction projects in Bulgaria passed the first procedural step on July 17 during a session of the Bulgarian parliament's European Affairs Committee. Deemed to be not in contradiction with European Community legislation, the proposal received majority support from the committee members. Wider discussion of the proposal, being put forward by the independent parliamentarian Maria Kapon, at the Committee for Environment is expected in the autumn.
The coalition Cyanide-Free Bulgaria, bringing together environmental NGOs as well as several mining associations and the new Bulgarian political party “The Greens”, welcomed the cross-party support for the proposal which saw only one vote against and one abstention. The proposed amendment runs to one line: "Prohibits the treatment of metal ores and their concentrates through the application of cyanide leaching." Read more about the implications of these developments here.
While the next step and a final full parliamentary vote on the proposed ban is not expected until the autumn, members of Cyanide-Free Bulgaria see this initial indication from the members of parliament as casting doubt on the merits of the Chelopech gold mine project being sponsored by Dundee Precious Metals, a project which involves the use of cyanide and which seeks potential financial backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Bulgaria's Ministry of Economics is expected to sign the new, financially improved, concession on the future of the proposed Chelopech project this week.
Daniel Popov, of Bankwatch, commented: “We are very pleased that the cyanide ban proposal has entered the agenda of the Bulgarian parliament and we hope that parliamentarians will view the use of cyanide in Bulgaria's growing number of metal extraction projects as a highly hazardous approach, with obvious dangers for people and the environment.
“Oddly, a representative of the Ministry of Environment officially stated at yesterday's Committee session that it is neither rational nor sensible to prohibit cyanide leaching in Bulgaria. Experts from the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in the Topolnitza River region, of where the Chelopech project is planned, have taken an opposite view. While the Ministry of Environment seems content to gamble with the future of Bulgaria's environment, we call on Bulgaria's elected representatives to continue to stand up for the rights of communities that neighbour and lie downstream of projects where cyanide could be introduced purely to maximise returns for the companies involved.”
The coalition Cyanide-Free Bulgaria, bringing together environmental NGOs as well as several mining associations and the new Bulgarian political party “The Greens”, welcomed the cross-party support for the proposal which saw only one vote against and one abstention. The proposed amendment runs to one line: "Prohibits the treatment of metal ores and their concentrates through the application of cyanide leaching." Read more about the implications of these developments here.
While the next step and a final full parliamentary vote on the proposed ban is not expected until the autumn, members of Cyanide-Free Bulgaria see this initial indication from the members of parliament as casting doubt on the merits of the Chelopech gold mine project being sponsored by Dundee Precious Metals, a project which involves the use of cyanide and which seeks potential financial backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Bulgaria's Ministry of Economics is expected to sign the new, financially improved, concession on the future of the proposed Chelopech project this week.
Daniel Popov, of Bankwatch, commented: “We are very pleased that the cyanide ban proposal has entered the agenda of the Bulgarian parliament and we hope that parliamentarians will view the use of cyanide in Bulgaria's growing number of metal extraction projects as a highly hazardous approach, with obvious dangers for people and the environment.
“Oddly, a representative of the Ministry of Environment officially stated at yesterday's Committee session that it is neither rational nor sensible to prohibit cyanide leaching in Bulgaria. Experts from the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters in the Topolnitza River region, of where the Chelopech project is planned, have taken an opposite view. While the Ministry of Environment seems content to gamble with the future of Bulgaria's environment, we call on Bulgaria's elected representatives to continue to stand up for the rights of communities that neighbour and lie downstream of projects where cyanide could be introduced purely to maximise returns for the companies involved.”
CEE Bankwatch Network gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.