Bulgarian Environment Ministry Halts 'Deadly' Wind Park

Bulgaria's Minister of Environment and Waters, Nona Karadzhova, had stopped the construction of a wind park, which could have turned into a deadly barrier for migration birds. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Ministry of Environment and Waters annulled a decision of its Regional Directorate in the Black Sea city of Burgas to allow the construction of a wind park.

The information was reported Friday by the Bulgarian news agency, BTA, and was confirmed by the Ministry.

The move was triggered by a complaint of two environmentalists NGOs.

The previously approved wind park was to have 11 wind generators to be erected on one of the most intense sections of one of the two largest bird migration routes in Europe – Via Pontica. In this section, the flight corridor is the narrowest north of the Bosphorus and does not exceed 60 km.

In addition, the site of the wind park is just 5 km away from the protected area "Atanasovsko" lake, a proven, by 20 years of research, most important place for migration of storks, pelicans, and raptor birds in Bulgaria – 240 000 storks and 60 000 raptor birds a year are registered there.

The wind park would have turned into a deadly barrier for birds coming from the North and stopping at the lake overnight.

The decision of the local Directorate had been based on erroneously presented information and an incomplete assessment, according to the environmentalists, who have already thanked Minister, Nona Karadzhova, for the decision.

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