NATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION IN DEFENSE OF STRANDJA MOUNTAIN

Hundreds of kilometers in Strandzha Mountain are threatened by poisoning because of authorizations issued for gold searching in the region.

In February this year we found out that a Canadian company would obtain the right to search and dig for gold and other precious metals in the area of Draka on the territories of Bolyarovo, Straldzha and Sredets Municipalities.

The area of Draka falls within the lands of the village of Oman in Bolyarovo municipality, the villages of Voynika, Parvenets, Pravdino and Aleksandrovo - in Straldzha municipality and the villages of Malina, Zagortsi, Radoynovo, Zornitsa, Svetlina, Draka, Sredets, Prohod, Belila, Kubadin, Bistrets - in Sredets municipality.

The authorization would be given to Zelenrok company from Sofia, the sole capital owner of which is the Canadian company 0955767 BC LTD, behind which is another Canadian company – QX Metals Corp. renamed on 26 August this year to Gold Bull Resources Corp.

Additionally, in July the residents of Bolyarovo Municipality learned from the media that the Ministry of Energy provided as far back as in 2014 an authorization for digging for output of gold and other metals in the area of Iglika. Drilling is pending in the villages of Voden, Gorska Polyana, Iglika, Kraynovo, Malko Sharkovo, Sitovo, Sharkovo in Bolyarovo Municipality and in the lands of the villages Valcha Polyana, Golyam Dervent and Lalkovo in Elhovo Municipality.

The following are located within the area of Iglika:

Malko Sharkovo lake;

West Strandzha protected area,

Dervent Heights protected area,

Dervent Heights 1 protected area,

Dervent Heights 2 protected area,

where, apart from the Eastern imperial eagle, there is a number of protected species included in the Red Book of Bulgaria and the European Directives. All of them are part of the European ecological network Nature 2000 intended to protect birds and their habitats.

Voden and Sharkovo, two of the villages included in the area of Iglika, are some of the main sources of water not only for the surrounding villages in Bolyarovo Municipality but also for the whole municipality of Elhovo, as indicated on the website of Water and Sewerage – Yambol.

Moreover, the following are included in the area of Iglika

• According to the Ministry of Culture: 9 immovable cultural values – three late antique fortresses, one basilica, two monasteries, a late antique settlement, two tombstone hills;

• According to the Ministry of Agriculture: agricultural lands (fields and pastures), forest territories – state land fund, municipal and private property, a farmyard and urbanized territory, i.e. inhabited residential units.

With the present subscription list we express

OUR CATEGORICAL DISAGREEMENT WITH THE ISSUING OF AUTHORIZATIONS FOR OUTPUT OF METAL RESOURCES IN THE REGION OF STRANDZHA MOUNTAIN, WITH THE SIGNING OF CONCESSION CONTRACTS AS WELL AS FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES AND PRODUCTIONS WHICH COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH, THE AIR, WATER, SOILS, FLORA AND FAUNA.

Initiative Committee    Contact the author of the petition