REPORT: BIN LADEN ASKED ABOUT KOZLODUY NUKE WASTE
The Bulgarian government has replaced the management of the
Kozloduy nuclear power plant, and tightened security there, in light
of new information that Osama Bin Laden had asked about the
nuclear waste stored at the plant, according to news sources in
Bulgaria. Bin Laden, who is described by US President George
Bush as the "prime suspect" in the Sept. 11 attack on the World
Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, met
with a Bulgarian businessman in Pakistan in April, according to the
Bulgarian Standart daily newspaper. The businessman was quoted
as saying that Bin Laden and his associates "asked me, without
beating about the bush, how much time would I need to get hold of
computer recordings of the US aircraft that flew over Bulgaria during
the Kosovo crisis and where and how exactly the waste fuel from
the Nuclear Power Plant in Kozloduy is stored. As an advance
payment for services rendered, they mentioned a six-digit sum in
USD." 
Contact:
Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters, 
tel: (359-2) 9406-2000; or Bulgarian Atomic Energy Committee, 
tel: (359-2) 720-217; or Polina Kireva, ZA ZEMIATA, tel: (359-2) 963-3125 
or  (359-88) 954-090; e-mail: zemiata@iterra.net; or Petko
Kovachev, CEE Bankwatch network (Bulgaria), tel: (359-2) 920-1341 or (359-88) 420-453; e-mail: ceie@iterra.net.

ALBANIA HAS NEW ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY
The Albanian body in charge of environmental protection was
upgraded to a ministry in early September, according to a report
from the Albanian office of the Regional Environmental Center for
Central and Eastern Europe (REC). The decision to upgrade the
status of the former National Environmental Agency represents a
clear desire to give higher priority to environmental matters, the
office reported. The newly formed Albanian government has chosen
Ethem Ruka, a 54-year-old biologist and former professor at Tirana
University, to be the new Minister of the Environment. Ruka
belongs to the Socialist Party, which won Albania's June 24
elections.
Contact: 
Albanian Environment Ministry, tel: (355-42) 30-682; or REC office in Albania, tel: (355-42) 39-444.

TURKEY, ROMANIA AGREE TO COOPERATE FOR BENEFIT OF
BLACK SEA
Turkey and Romania on Sept. 10 signed a bilateral agreement on
environmental protection, according to a report from the Balkan
Information Exchange Daily News. The report said the main focus
of the agreement is to reduce pollution in the Black Sea, which is
under heavy stress from shipping pollution, pollution from other
industrial activity and over-fishing. 
Contact:
Romanian Environment Ministry, tel: (40-1) 410-0246 or (40-1) 410-0215; e-mail: biodiv@mappm.ro.

ALBANIA AVOIDS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SPRAYING
Apparently swayed by environmental authorities and environmental
activists, who feared serious damage to natural areas, animals and
even human health, Albanian health authorities did not go through
with plans to declare aerial war on mosquitoes and flies, according
to a report from the Albanian office of the Regional Environmental
Center for Central and Eastern Europe. In early June, just before
tourist season began, national newspapers announced that wide-
spread aerial pesticide spraying would begin in several areas along
the Adriatic Coast. 

The spraying was to start at Divjaka and Shengjin -- both wetland areas that are close to national parks -- and, health officials reportedly said that "strong pesticides were considered to be the most effective pesticide." According to
Xhemal Mato, environmental journalist and chairman of the "Mass-
media and Environment" non-governmental organisation: "The decision to take this action shows once more that our authorities have very low environmental awareness and environmental responsibility." 

The massive spraying techniques to be used have a negative impact on all biota, directly and indirectly, according to Taulant Bino an ornithologist with the Museum of Natural Sciences of Tirana University. He said the spraying can effect a broad spectrum of insects, not only flies and mosquitoes. Furthermore,
Bino said, the rich diversity of amphibian, reptile and bird species
living in the area would also be negatively affected -- and people
living there could suffer ill-health effects. Other experts expressed
similar concerns, and apparently the health department listened,
as the summer season passed without reports of major spraying.
Contact:
Albanian Environment Ministry, tel: (355-42) 30-682; or REC office in Albania, tel: (355-42) 39-444.

POLISH OFFICIALS FEAR STRAY BEAR MAY BE SHOT IN
SLOVAKIA
Polish park keepers urged Slovakia not to shoot a young bear,
which turned aggressive after being fed by tourists, according to an
Aug. 21 report from Reuters. National park authorities in Slovakia's
Tatra mountains have threatened to kill the 18-month-old female,
which crossed the border between the two countries a month ago
and has since attacked five hikers and raided a food store, the
report said. Slovak animal rights campaigners have called for the
bear to be saved, but Slovak park authorities have said that a
rescue operation could be too expensive, the report said. "We don't
want to kill the bear, but first of all, no Slovak zoo has offered to
take it in. Secondly, an operation to tranquillise the animal and
transport it in a cage by helicopter to remote mountain terrain
would be too costly." Jozef Kovacz, a Slovak national park safety
official, was quoted as saying. 
Contact: 
Slovak Ministry of Environment, tel: (421-7) 5956-2306.

BALTIC MINISTERS AGREE TO STRICT ANTI-POLLUTION RULES
Ministers of environment and transport on Sept. 10 signed a
package of measures aimed at preventing pollution in the Baltic
Sea, according to a report from Environment News Service (ENS).
The ministers agreed that the countries along the Baltic Sea "will
not grant exemptions or relax measures already adopted to phase
out single hull oil tankers at the earliest date that is possible under
International Maritime Organization rules," the report said. "This
means that single hull oil tankers will be phased out between 2003
and 2015, depending on the age and type of the vessel." Among
the other stipulations is a recommendation for pilots on all ships of
11 metres or more, a proposal for detailed mapping out of routing
systems and traffic separation plans and proposals for using more
modern navigation technologies, according to the ENS report.
Contact:
Peter Ehlers, chairman of the Helsinki Commission, tel:
(49-40) 3190-1000; e-mail: peter.ehlers@bsh.d400.de; or Anne-
Christine Brusendorff, professional secretary of the Helsinki
Commission tel: (358-9-6) 220-2228; e-mail: anne.christine@helcom.fi.

HUNGARIAN, SLOVAK REPRESENTATIVES OPTIMISTIC OVER
GABCIKOVO TALKS.
Technical teams from Hungary and Slovakia will meet in early
October to discuss recommendations on how to proceed on the
Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric power plant on the Danube
River, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). These
discussions were reportedly scheduled after Sept. 13 talks on the
project, which Slovakia says it needs in order to generate clean
electricity, but which Hungary objects to as potentially damaging to
the environment. Both sides described the Sept. 13 meeting to
discuss their differences as being fruitful, RFE reported. 
Contact:
Hungarian Environment Minister Bela Turi-Kovacs, tel: (36-1) 201-2964; or Slovak Ministry of Environment, tel: (421-7) 5956-2306.

EU COMMISSIONER: TEMELIN CONFERENCE WOULD BE
MEANINGLESS
European Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen
questioned the European Parliament's calls to hold an international
conference to discuss the idea of scrapping the Czech nuclear
power plant at Temilin, according to a Sept. 11 report from Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). Verheugen said the Czech
refusal to participate in the conference would make it meaningless,
but added that he would discuss the parliament's request for a
conference with his fellow commissioners, before the European
Commission responds to the idea, according to the report.
Verheugen also reportedly urged the Czechs to meet as soon as
possible with the Austrians, the most vocal opponents of the plant.
Contact:
Czech Environment Ministry, Marta Novakova, director,
Department of Public Relations, tel: (420-2) 6712-2040 or (420-2) 6731-1496; or Greenpeace Austria, tel: (43-1) 545-4580.

LITHUANIA READY TO RAISE DIESEL TAXES EARLIER
Lithuania has changed its position in European Union accession
talks, and will not ask for a grace period to phase in a tax increase
on diesel fuel, Petras Austrevicius, Lithuania's chief negotiator with
the European Union said on Sept. 7, according to a report from
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). Diesel fuel is sometimes
seen by drivers as a cheap alternative to petrol, but diesel also
causes much more pollution than petrol. Because of Lithuania's
low taxes on diesel, the fuel's price is generally lower there than in
other EU countries, RFE reported. 
Contact:
Lithuanian environmental spokeswoman Natalija Gedvilaite,
tel: (370-2) 723-25; e-mail: Leidybos.biuras@nt.gamta.lt.

REPORT CRITICAL OF ROMANIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL
PROGRESS
A report on Romania's progress toward being considered for
European Union accession contained criticism of the country's
performance in the areas of environment and agriculture, Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE) said on Sept. 5. The report,
presented Sept. 4 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, found that environmental protection efforts have serious
deficiencies and there have been no advances in agriculture reform,
RFE said. The report was also critical of Romania's progress in the
areas of judiciary independence, preventing corruption and providing
free access to information, according to RFE. On the plus side, the
report praised Romania for "positive signals" in economic
performance, improving the situation of abandoned children and
other areas, RFE said. 
Contact:
Romanian Environment Ministry, tel: (40-1) 410-0246 or (40-1) 410-0215; e-mail: biodiv@mappm.ro.