More than 200 kg of pure mercury and other dangerous chemicals have sat in a warehouse in Pernik for over two years. The Environment Ministry will arrange to dispose of them at the state's expense after prosecutors ordered it to act.

The substances were found in late May 2024 in a rented warehouse. The former tenant had a permit to handle hazardous waste, but it was withdrawn two years before the discovery. He was then required to clear the warehouse. He did not, and flatly refused.

The doors of the sealed warehouse are broken, and there is a strong smell of chemicals inside. The Struma river flows nearby.

Since 2024, officials have inspected the warehouse many times and have so far seized more than 95 kg of hazardous substances, including mercury and cyanide. There are also 6 barrels holding a total of 218 litres of liquid, marked "Poison".

The Pernik District Prosecutor's Office is investigating. It ordered the environment minister to take urgent action within his powers. The ministry appealed against the order, but the appeal was rejected, so the state must organise the clean-up.

The ministry said it will carry out the orders and arrange environmentally safe treatment of the waste at the state's expense, although under the law the company is responsible. It called the case unprecedented and said environmental monitoring has found no breaches of safety limits.

The owners of the warehouses have repeatedly alerted the authorities, because they fear for nature and people's health.

Lawyer Petar Petrov, who represents them, said nobody knows exactly which substances are inside or how they would react in storms and floods, which are beyond his clients' control. He said the owners are storing the substances in good faith and guard the warehouse with security to prevent harm. Petrov said the problem must be solved, not least because of the nearby Struma, and his clients do not want to bear the consequences of the state's inaction.