A petition against wolfram production in the southern Bulgarian region of Velingrad signed by 11 000 people was submitted to the local Municipal Council, with the signatories insisting that the local authorities stop the opening of the mine.

The petition was initiated by a civic association established for the purpose of preserving the environment in the Velingrad municipality and preventing mining operations there, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.

The citizens’ initiative is backed by hotel operators in the resort.

According to locals, wolfram mining will tarnish the reputation of the region as a SPA capital on the Balkans.

According to BNR, local authorities are firmly against a private investor launching wolfram production in the region despite the positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

However, the people living in the villages around Velingrad want the mine to start functioning in a bid to tackle the devastating level of unemployment in the region of over 90%.

Tourism representatives have threatened civil disobedience and road blocks if the mine starts functioning.