Ginovska: There was pollution in Toranica, but whether it is criminal responsibility we cannot prejudge

The environmental incident at the Toranica mine will not stay halfway and will be completely cleared and there will be legal resolution. According to the integrated permit that the mine had the pipe and poured water into the Toranik River, the legal and responsible person had already been punished. There was pollution, pit water was poured, but on what extent the pollution is and whether it is criminal responsibility we cannot prejudge ahead of time, said the director of the State Environmental Inspectorate, Ivana Ginovska.

-We work with great seriousness towards resolving this case. Evaluation of the possible damage to the environment will be carried out by external experts. Immediately after receiving the official report, which would show whether there was any impact on soil, water and living world and whether it had effects on the environment. The State Environmental Inspectorate will take all appropriate measures in accordance with the law and will inform the public about the next steps that will be taken by the inspectorate-Ginovska said at today’s press conference in the Government.

He emphasized that it is unacceptable for individuals to undermine confidence in the institutions and added that ecocide is not proven by taking only one liter of one place with only one copy, but with a comprehensive and thorough analysis.

-I deny speculation that inspectors from the State Inspectorate did not go out on the ground that day and dismiss all allegations that I had stated that only water had spilled. There is no such statement anywhere – Ginovska said and denied speculation that there was a fish pest in Kriva River.

He specifies that no fish pest in Kriva River has been observed from March 14 until today.

« I am responsibly claimed that Cyanide has no hundreds of times above the permitted in Kriva River as the Mayor of Kriva Palanka claimed at a press conference on March 28, » Ginovska said, stressing that it was criminally responsible for spreading panic among the population.

Asked why inspectors on the day of the incident did not take samples, said that state inspectors are independent in performing their activity and making a record independently and preparing solutions.

-They have assessed whether there was a need to take samples at that moment or not. Investigators did not take samples, but as a director I have officially requested all the tests so far and have been inspected me. I will submit them to the Prosecutor’s Office in Kumanovo because it is already open for this environmental incident – Ginovska said.

He said that it had already submitted an initiative to the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) to determine whether there was a conflict of interest in the two inspectors who did not take samples on the first day because one by 2022 worked in Toranica, and the other until 2018 was employed at the Zletovo mine.

-At my request, samples of six points were taken before the Toranica River entered the mine, in the loam waters, after the release of the river Toranica and three more points, as well as the same point where the mayor takes samples the next day. I will submit the results to the prosecution and are not such cavities that the mayor presented – said Ginovska.

All examination from the Center for Public Health, from Tehnomak, Eurolab and the results made upon my request, specify, will be submitted today to the Kumanovo Public Prosecutor’s Office.

I do not go through, he said, whether the results of the accredited laboratory are disputed, but probably the mayor did not read exactly and panicked the population with the claim that there were cyanide several hundred times above the permissible.

-Cianid is not several hundred times above the permissible. According to their analysis, there are dozens of times above the permissible, and according to the analysis made by Bulmak there are no cyanides, in the analysis of the Netna fishing company made at the Institute of Public Health, cyanides have been tested, and in the reports I have made by accredited lab and no He added that if there were several hundred times above the permitted cyanide the whole living world would die in the Kriva River.

Still, as he said, he has not decided whether to file criminal charges for the mayor of Kriva Palanka and to anyone who has spread speculation and minimizing the work of the inspectorate.

– For this I will think later after we solve this case. I responsibly claim that once we get the official forensic examination and if there are environmental consequences, no one will be spared, not even Bulmak who manages the mine. If there is an increase in pollution, criminal charges will certainly be filed with the legal entity – she said.

On March 14, an environmental incident occurred in the Toranica mine operated by the company « Bulmak » when a pipe burst and poured water in Toranica River, the tributary of the Kriva River.