Source of Foul Odor in Varna Identified, No Legal Violations Found
The source of the intense, foul smell of feces that blanketed much of Varna from late last year until mid-February has been identified. However, no laws were violated, and no penalties were imposed, according to at least two institutions in Varna that received public information requests from EcoVarna.
Residents and workers in areas like the Western Industrial Zone (ZPZ), Kaisieva Garden, Vladislavovo, Troshovo, and Mladost had been complaining of the overpowering stench of sewage. “Some days it was so unbearable that we couldn’t open our windows or go outside. It was hard to breathe,” recounts Maria Ivanova, who has worked in ZPZ for years and had never experienced anything like it before. She reported the issue to the Green Phone at the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIOESV). They informed her that they were receiving dozens of similar reports daily and were working on the case.
In response to our official inquiry, RIOESV confirmed they had received 23 complaints from the beginning of the year until February 9 regarding unpleasant smells of manure and feces in the area between the Western Industrial Zone and the village of Topoli. All of them were attributed to “various suspected sources.”
February 2nd Inspection: Agricultural Fertilizing Practices Identified as Source of Odor in Varna
On February 2, EcoVarna inspectors conducted an on-site inspection in the village of Topoli. They found that “the fertilization of agricultural land with animal biological manure was being carried out using a spreading trailer.” After the spreading, the land was plowed, and on the unplowed portion of the field, there were piles of manure as well as scattered quantities.
The treated land, covering 600 decares, is located south of Main Road No. 4 near Varna Airport, behind the “Tempotrans” base (concrete plant), extending towards a dirt road that connects the stadium in Topoli with the brewery, and a canal that forms the boundary between the village of Topoli and the Vladislavoivo district.
The inspectors also determined that a pig farm in the village of Slanchevo, owned by “Manex Sun” AD, was delivering manure to ZK “Trakia” in Topoli for utilization of the by-products. The inspection included a check of the pig farm premises, and no violations were found in relation to the release of strongly odorous substances as outlined in the company’s Complex Permit. The reported complaints were forwarded to the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Varna and the Regional Food Safety Directorate (ODBHK) for further action within their jurisdiction.
Regional Food Safety Directorate Response
In response to an inquiry under the Access to Public Information Act, the ODBHK confirmed that all requirements related to fertilization deadlines, norms, and agrotechnical conditions for applying manure had been met. The agrotechnical activities involving manure application had already been completed by the time of the inspection, and the unpleasant odors were no longer present. “No violations were identified during the inspection, and no fines were issued,” the Regional Directorate stated.
December Reports on Odor Sources: Ecarissage and Devnya Factories Identified as Possible Culprits
In early December, when the first reports of the sharp odor were received, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIOSV) in Varna conducted checks on various facilities, consistently finding similar results.
One of these inspections was focused on the rendering plant located between the villages of Topoli and Kazashko, which was suspected as the source of the odor. “The facility is operating under normal conditions. On December 19 and 20, a new ozonation system was installed, and during the inspection, the system was being tested. A survey of the villages of Kazashko and Topoli was carried out, and no smell characteristic of the plant’s production activities was detected,” the inspection report noted.
Another signal in December regarding a sharp smell of hydrogen sulfide pointed to the Devnya industrial plants. The RIOSV in Varna requested data from the automatic systems for continuous measurements of “Solvay Sodi” on December 11 and 12. The results indicated that “no exceedances of the permissible emissions norms for controlled pollutants were recorded. During the examined period, there were no emergency situations or disruptions in the normal technological process of the company’s installations,” according to the inspection findings.
Residents of Razgrad have been suffering from unpleasant odors, especially during the summer months, for years. In the past year, a special session of the Municipal Council was held on the issue, attended by the Minister of Environment and Water, Yulian Popov. According to him, the issue of odors has not been clearly resolved not only in Razgrad, not only in Bulgaria, but also at the European level. “An update to the Air Quality Directive is being prepared, and the issue of odors remains unclear for now,” the minister stated. The reason for this, according to him, is that “odor, as an odor, is not an environmental problem in the way the environment is institutionally defined.”
This article was created by the “Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development” (OCSUR) within the framework of the project supporting independent regional media by the non-governmental organization “Pro Veritas.” The opinions expressed herein are those of OCSUR and do not necessarily reflect those of “Pro Veritas.”
