Residents of the village of Zhalti Bryag in the municipality of Stambolovo, Haskovo region, are holding a civil protest today, August 8, at 10:00 a.m.to express their categorical disagreement with the planned construction of a large-scale photovoltaic park in the area.
The dissatisfied citizens will block the main intersection in the direction of the neighboring villages of Tsareva Polyana, Koren and Stambolovo. They are demanding immediate intervention by state institutions, reports the Bulgarian National Radio.
The investment plan envisages the construction of a solar power plant with a capacity of 180 megawatts and an adjacent substation. The project will affect a total of four land properties with an impressive total area of over 1700 acres. Of these, two properties (about 1208 acres) are located in the land of the village of Zhalti Bryag, and the remaining two (about 511 acres) are on the territory of Stambolovo.
Main concerns and arguments of the protesters
According to the organizers from the Initiative Committee, the project hides serious risks that were not actually announced to the local community:
- Lack of information and EIA: Locals claim that no one has sought their opinion, and the project lacks an adequate environmental assessment.
- Threat to biodiversity: According to data from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), quoted by the Bulgarian National Television (bntnews.bg/news/protest-sreshtu-izgrazhdaneto-na-foltovoichen-park-v-haskovskata-obshtina-stambolovo-1407058news.html), within the boundaries of the site there are habitats of 12 protected bird species. The area is also a natural refuge for the endangered loggerhead and loggerhead turtles.
- “Heat pit“ effect: People fear that the huge area of panels will raise the temperature in the village by at least 5 degrees. They point to the neighboring village of Knizhovnik as a negative example, where a large solar park is already operating.
Historical context and position of the authorities
The lands allocated for the photovoltaic power plant were sold by the Municipal Council in Stambolovo back in 2006. The project at that time envisaged the construction of a golf course, which the people received positively, but it never materialized. To date, however, the purpose has been changed.
The mayor of the municipality of Stambolovo confirmed the old ownership of the properties. The citizens have already sent an official complaint to the regional governor of Haskovo. However, they explained that the legal deadlines for appealing the decisions have expired and at the moment there is no legal mechanism by which the construction of the power plant can be stopped administratively. However, the residents of Yellow Beach remain on a protest alert in defense of their living environment.