Environmental Inspectorate Halts Investor’s Activities in Strandzha Park as Prosecutors Launch Checks.
The Regional Environmental Inspectorate found violations related to activities on municipal land in Strandzha Nature Park and ordered the site to be restored. Prosecutors, police and other institutions have launched investigations into the case.
As of today, the Ministry of Interior, the prosecution service and construction control authorities have become involved in the case.
The violations identified by the Regional Environmental Inspectorate (RIEW) include the installation of a light fence and the excavation of a trench for electricity and water cables without the required permit from the Municipality of Tsarevo. The first measure will be an order requiring the site to be restored to the condition it was in before the application was submitted. This means removing all stakes and cables and fully restoring the terrain to its previous state.
Administrative measures will be imposed to halt all actions aimed at carrying out the investment plans. A penalty decree will also be issued, with the amount of the fine yet to be determined, as this is the company’s first violation. The tenant of the municipal land located within Strandzha Nature Park will now be required to restore the site to its original condition.
If the terrain is not restored within the specified deadline, penalties will follow, the head of the Regional Environmental Inspectorate said. He added that the inspectorate had suspended the approval procedure because the company failed to submit documents requested a week earlier. It remains unclear what specific documents were requested by the environmental authority.
Meanwhile, the Burgas District Prosecutor’s Office initiated proceedings on its own motion and ordered inspections of both the land lease procedure and the administrative acts issued in connection with the case. As part of one of the inspections, officers from the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior have been instructed to obtain all documentation related to the matter. Employees of the Regional Environmental Inspectorate, the Executive Forest Agency and other institutions will also participate in the checks.
The investor has 14 days to comply with the issued orders.