Environment Minister calls for removal of ANAR leadership after illegal aggregate extraction on 100 hectares
Interim Minister Diana Buzoianu accuses ANAR of political management and demands removal of institution heads following damages of tens of millions of lei.
Buzoianu accuses ANAR of political management and calls for leadership change
Interim Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu accused the National Administration "Romanian Waters" (ANAR) on Tuesday, 1 September, of operating under political command and of tolerating illegal aggregate extraction that caused damages of tens of millions of lei to the Romanian state, according to Gândul. Buzoianu suggested that the removal of current leadership represents the only viable solution.
"ANAR has become a vulnerable system, run for far too long under political command rather than anything else, without great signs of responsibility from those who turn a blind eye to illegalities causing tens of millions of lei in damages to Romania," the minister declared during a press conference.
Control Body report received a week before the conference
Buzoianu presented the conclusions of a report from the Control Body of the Environment Ministry concerning the situation in the Olt river area, a document that arrived at the ministry approximately a week before the conference.
According to the minister, a lake was artificially created over an area of 75 hectares as a result of illegal aggregate extraction without any form of authorisation. "It may seem like a form of terrain, it may seem like a lake. In fact, a lake was created where the entire area was previously earth through completely illegal aggregate extraction, without any form of authorisation. For this lake, over the past 15 years, no form of inspection has been carried out," Buzoianu stated.
Mineralport: over five million cubic metres extracted without authorisation
The minister identified the company Mineralport as the main party responsible for unauthorised extraction in the area. According to her statements, no inspector from the Water Management System, at local or basin level, carried out inspections at this firm.
"The system for water management at local level, the director at Basin Administration level, the director at Water Management System level, the inspectors who were supposed to handle inspections, did not carry out any inspections at Mineralport, the company which practically excavated this entire area. It took over five million cubic metres of aggregate illegally, causing damage to Romania on aggregate alone of over 10 million lei. Not to mention water...," Buzoianu declared.
Pond Star and Mineralport: 100 hectares exploited illegally, damages of tens of millions
Alongside Mineralport, the minister also mentioned the company Pond Star, indicating that the two firms operated illegally over a total of 100 hectares. Inspections at the level of the Olt Basin Administration covered the period 2019-2026, but the sanctions applied were, according to Buzoianu, extremely few.
"The Olt Basin Administration and the Olt Water Management System, between 2010 and 2021, that is for 11 years, did not carry out any inspection at Pond Star, one of the companies that were responsible for illegal aggregate on 25 hectares. The situation at Mineralport is the same. It reached the point where from 2011 to 2026 they did not even carry out a single inspection," the minister contended.
The mandate of the director of the Olt Basin Administration at the centre of an internal legal conflict
A second subject addressed by Buzoianu concerned the mandate of Mădălina Ion-Duca, general director of the Olt Basin Administration, which was set to expire on 2 September. The minister clarified that, following the findings of the Control Body — which explicitly recommended disciplinary measures — ANAR leadership had proposed replacing the director.
Nevertheless, the head of ANAR's legal service, Cătălin Caloian, argued that the only legal option is to extend Ion-Duca's mandate.
"The legal response from within ANAR, from Mr Cătălin Caloian, is that there is no other legal option than to extend the mandate of Mrs Mădălina Ion-Duca. So, Mr Cătălin Caloian argues that a person who was caught completely ignoring these illegalities is the only person to whom a mandate can still be extended, to continue as director at the Olt Basin Administration," Buzoianu said.
Minister invokes PSD influence in ANAR
Buzoianu went further, claiming that the way the mandate is managed internally constitutes evidence that the institution has been "completely seized by politics". She indicated that representatives of the PSD would be those present in ANAR's management structures.
The Control Body report of the Environment Ministry was formally transmitted to ANAR for the purposes of taking action.
Source: Gândul