Far from the capital of Bulgaria in the sleepy southeast of the country the community of Krumovgrad is torn by a controversial topic - the proposed opening of an open-pit gold mine. The project has been surrounded in environmental, social and political controversy from the very beginning, but in 2012 the Bulgarian government granted the company, Dundee Precious Metals and its Bulgarian subsidiary, Balkan Mineral & Mining, the go-ahead, overriding the vocal opposition of the community. Dundee Precious Metals plans to begin construction of the mine within two years. The town of around 6, 000 people is mostly a farming community, with many of the farms lying around the fringes of the proposed mining site. The area's main produce is tobacco, varieties of vegetables and livestock. Many locals argue fear that the mine will destroy the local farmer's produce and cause irreversible damage to the environment.
Despite some residents battling for years against mining plans there are those who see the potential economic gains - and note that the company has modified plans in response to local environmental fears. Dundee Precious Metals argue that the opening of the mine will bring jobs and prosperity into the area. The unemployment rate in the area is around 13% and for young people the options of work are slim. “There are economic factors that cannot be ignored,” said Alex Nestor, the top public affairs official at Dundee Precious Metals “ There must be a change of thinking; otherwise, the region will remain poor.”
In this photo: The view of the river which runs through the town of Krumovgrad