Romania’s Protan Declines Official Info On Activity Suspension

“Protan SA, leaseholder of animal control services in Romania, received no notification from the Bucharest Regional Agency for Environment Protection to suspend operations at its unit in Popesti Leordeni (a locality outside capital city Bucharest – e.n.), therefore the plant is still operational, in the interest of public health in Romania,” the company said in a statement.

 

It said procedures to revise its integrated environment license are ongoing, but environment authorities “decline to proceed with a completely legal action.”

 

“If authorities are to close down the installations at Popesti Leordeni, they will have to offer Romania an alternative, which unfortunately is non-existent. Whoever shuts down Protan must assume responsibilities for the consequences: the impossibility to collect animal waste, a blockage of the food industry and food trade or possible disease outbreaks,” the statement noted.

 

Protan said it made huge efforts to upgrade its waste neutralizing facility and that it currently seeks to modify its environment license.

 

In addition, the company suggested it might be the victim of realty schemes at the end of the government’s mandate.

 

“Unfortunately, it seems the authorities are not keen on Protan’s being able to comply with European standards, and shady realty deals at the end of the current mandate drive Romania on the edge of a ecologic disaster once again,” general manager Cristina Miu said.

 

The company also reclaimed a series of debts owed by state institutions, saying upgrade works are partly delayed by the resulting situation.

 

 “Alas, the Ministry of Agriculture is behind with the payment of owed subsidies – of over EUR4 million - and this prevents Protan from properly unfolding its projects to comply with European standards in the animal control field,” Protan said.

 

Romanian environment inspectors decided earlier Wednesday to suspend Protan’s activity for six months, saying the company failed to build a used water purifying facility in due time.

 

Protan has until May next year to build the facility, or it will lose its environment license, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.

 

The company already received several warnings and fines, of which the most recent, worth 100,000 lei (EUR1=RON3.6829), was issued early October. 

 

Protan is winner of a national lease for animal control. The company has to make a series on investments in environment protection, including the construction of a purifying facility for used waters.