Thermal Plant Chokes Bulgaria Galabovo with Sulphur Dioxide

Maritsa Iztok 2 is Bulgaria's largest thermal power plant. Photo by BGNES

High concentration of sulphur dioxide in the southern Bulgarian town of Galabovo was reported Friday by the Regional Environment and Waters Inspectorate in the city of Stara Zagora.

All Thermal Power Plants (TPP) in the Maritsa-Iztok complex are working at minimal capacity.

The pollution monitoring system in the town detected levels of the chemical substance exceeding the permitted threshold of 350 micrograms per cubic meter. At 3 pm the system measured 572, 57 micrograms, at 4 pm - 655,40 microgram,s and at 5 pm - 595,13 micrograms.

Citizens of Galabovo were asked to stay inside with windows closed for the afternoon. The pollution is extremely dangerous for people with asthma, cardiac and pulmonary disease.

Only around 7 pm, the value of the poisonous gas in the region went down to 283 micrograms per cubic meter and the warning has been lifted at 7:30 pm.

The local environmental authority has repeatedly issued orders to the three nearby thermal power plants from the Maritsa-Iztok Complex to reduce their output so that further pollution could be prevented.

 

 

 

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