In light of concerns about the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper, in southern Ukraine, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet called a meeting on Friday at the ministry's headquarters with the authorities responsible for monitoring and protecting the Black Sea waters, the Environment Ministry announced on Facebook. Participating in the meeting were Secretaries of State Ionut Sorin Banciu and Dan Chiru, director-general of the Romanian Waters National Administration (ANAR) Sorin Lucaci, as well as representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, Waters and Forestry, the Transport Ministry, the Romanian Waters National Administration, the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, the National Public Health Institute and the Grigore Antipa National Institute for Marine Development and Research.
"The general conclusion presented by the experts after all the data has been collected is that there is currently no indication that raises questions, all the measured parameters are within the normal limits for this time of the year. Also, considering the satellite images shown, the distance between the mouth of the Dnieper and the Romanian territorial waters, the movement of air masses and sea currents, the temperature and salinity of the water, the experts expect the risk to the people's health, the aquatic ecosystems or the quality of the bathing water to be minimal. However, we will continue to closely monitor all the parameters and we are ready to take action at the slightest sign of danger," Minister Mircea Fechet declared at the end of the meeting.
They also agreed to set up an inter-institutional technical working group tasked with continuing monitoring. Thus, ANAR and the Grigore Antipa National Institute for Marine Development and Research will intensify the physicochemical measurements both at the coastal hydrometric stations and offshore, in the Black Sea. Also, personnel of the National Public Health Institute and of the Constanta and Tulcea Public Health Directorates will continue daily microbiological monitoring, in order to identify any potential health risk.
Representatives of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry presented the institution's intervention capacity and said that they are ready to step in at any time to combat possible pollution phenomena.
After the meeting, Minister Fechet had a video call on the same subject with Bulgarian Environment Minister Julian Popov, who expressed concerns over the emergence in the public space of unfounded information which could cause groundless panic among the population, as the Bulgarian experts who monitor the situation have come to similar conclusions as their Romanian peers.
The two ministers agreed that the Romanian and Bulgarian authorities should exchange information and cooperate whenever the situation requires. If new elements emerge, the two officials will resume the discussion at the beginning of next week, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Environment Council in Luxembourg they will both be attending. AGERPRES
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