Emergency Declared at Bukoza Site Following Leak of Black Liquor

Hencovce, 19 February (TASR) - An emergency has been declared in response to the leak of black liquor at the Bukoza plant in the village of Hencovce in Vranov nad Toplou district (Presov region), TASR was told by the Interior Ministry's strategic communications department on Thursday. The black liquor leak occurred at the former pulp mill on Monday (16 February). It was minimised after initial action but not completely stopped. Firefighters therefore installed special containers on site to collect the leaked substances. "The situation regarding the leak of hazardous substances has been stabilised, with no further leakage into the sewer system. Any further leaks will be collected in special IBC containers, which are on site," said the Interior Ministry, adding that a crisis management team dealt with the situation. Monika Leskova, head of Vranov nad Toplou District Office, declared an emergency at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in order to deal with the incident more effectively. The Slovak Environment Inspectorate (SIZP) detected pollution in the Ondava River after the black liquor leaked at an industrial facility in the village of Hencovce. It imposed measures on the polluter to remedy an extraordinary deterioration in water quality and to eliminate the harmful consequences. The entity responsible for ensuring that the necessary measures are taken is a bankruptcy trustee in bankruptcy proceedings. Bukoza Holding ceased operating at the end of 2024. The premises of the company, which is in bankruptcy, are currently managed by several management companies. am/df