Illegal aggregate extraction in Olt: two lakes on 100 hectares, damages exceeding 20 million lei
Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu presented on Tuesday the findings of two reports on ANAR, revealing illegal extraction over 15 years on the Olt river. Damages exceed 20 million lei, and the report is being sent to the Prosecutor's Office.
Two lakes formed illegally on Olt: environment minister accuses 'mafia' covered up for years at Romanian Waters
Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu presented on Tuesday the findings of two reports concerning the National Administration "Apele Române" (ANAR), according to G4Media. Both documents describe, in the minister's terms, the same "systemic problem": an institution vulnerable to external pressure, with oversized support structures, ineffective local controls and political influence.
The first report concerns the activity of the Water Basin Administration (ABA) Olt in the field of mineral aggregate extraction. As a result of illegal extraction carried out over approximately 15 years, two lakes with a total area of approximately 100 hectares were formed, "visible from satellite", with damages of tens of millions of lei. The second document constitutes an organisational and performance diagnosis of ANAR.
Mineralport and Pondstar: extraction on 100 hectares without authorisation
The two extraction operations involved are attributed to companies Mineralport and Pondstar. "There was land here a few years ago, now there is a lake created over 100 hectares, there are actually two lakes created over 100 hectares", Buzoianu stated.
In the case of Mineralport, the minister said the company illegally extracted over 5 million cubic metres of mineral aggregates, with the calculated damage exceeding 10 million lei for this company alone. The irregularities were not discovered by ABA Olt, but by inspectors from ABA Jiu, during a cross-check inspection. Buzoianu accused the existence of a "mafia" that had been "covered up for years" and named the leadership of the local structures of Romanian Waters.
The situation described for Mineralport is qualified as even more serious: between 2011 and 2026, "not a single inspection" would have been carried out, despite the extraction having modified the terrain in a way visible even from satellite imagery.
In the case of Pondstar, which allegedly extracted aggregates illegally on approximately 25 hectares, local structures would not have conducted any inspection for 11 years, between 2010 and 2021. Subsequent inspections repeatedly found the continuation of illegal extraction, but inspectors in some cases limited themselves to imposing general measures to halt the activity. "They note once more that legislation is being breached, that legislation should no longer be breached. They write nicely on the report, they pat each other on the back, they've solved the problem, they've closed the subject", Buzoianu commented.
Years of inspections without any penalties
The Control Body report describes an extremely reduced inspection activity at ABA Olt and SGA Olt over several years. In 2019, only 12 inspections of aggregate extraction were carried out; although facts of a contravention character were recorded, these did not result in sanctions, and the Control Body was not provided with any report of findings and penalties for that year.
The same pattern repeated in 2020: 12 inspections, no contravention penalties, despite breaches being identified and previously established measures not being monitored. In 2021 only two inspections of fish farms were documented, without verification of extracted quantities and without penalties, with not even all operators from the annual inspection plan being checked.
In 2023, ten inspections resulted in no penalties. In 2024, another 12 inspections — the same result. In 2025, out of ten inspections, only one penalty resulted, valued at 40,000 lei. The situation changed partly in 2026, when, after intervention by other structures, five reports were drawn up, with total fines of 115,000 lei in two cases.
Report sent to the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Cassation and Justice
One of the Control Body's conclusions is transmission of the report to the Prosecutor's Office at the High Court of Cassation and Justice. ANAR had already, separately, reported to the Prosecutor's Office at Balș District Court in connection with the same extraction operations. Buzoianu showed that, after more than two and a half months, ANAR had not even received the case number, despite letters sent to the institution.
The report also provides for transmission of information to the national authority regulating the mining sector and the adoption of administrative measures against those responsible for monitoring the extraction operations. Total estimated damages for both extraction operations exceed 20 million lei, and the minister stated that the state must recover both the damages and the penalties owed.
Leadership of ABA Olt in the minister's sights
Buzoianu explicitly stated that Mădălina Ion Duca, at the head of ABA Olt, should no longer remain in office. Her temporary mandate was due to expire on 2 September, the day after the press conference at which the reports were presented.
The minister specified that representatives of ANAR's leadership had proposed her replacement, but the head of ANAR's legal service, Cătălin Caluian, argued that the only legal solution would be to extend the mandate of the current director. Buzoianu heavily criticised this position.
National-level restructuring: 270 posts transferred
The second report presented on Tuesday is an organisational diagnosis of ANAR. Based on its conclusions, the minister announced that ANAR inspection will be moved to national level, and approximately 270 posts could be transferred from support structures to executive ones, in order to improve the efficiency of the institution.
Source: G4Media