Severe pollution has appeared along a 60-kilometre stretch of Poland’s Barycz River running close to five nature reserves The water has turned black and smelt of rotten matter with scores of dead fish and other animals reported The cause of the contamination remains unconfirmed though it is possible that recent heavy rainfall washed manure into the water Left-wing politicians have criticised the delayed response of the environmental authorities saying that earlier action could have contained the pollution Zatruta została Barycz. Tlenu już w rzece nie ma, jest martwa. I co? I nic. Rządowe „Wody Polskie” się schowały. Dlaczego?Bo wybory.Dramat. pic.twitter.com/RsnYPbOmkO — Bartek Ciążyński (@BartekCiazynski) July 7, 2020 Barycz is a river in the western provinces of Greater Poland and Lower Silesia It is surrounded by the Barycz Valley Landscape Park and one of the largest fish pond complexes in Europe Local fishermen first reported changes in the river at the start of July when they noticed the water had turned black and smelt of rotten matter Measurements taken by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (WIOŚ) in Wrocław confirmed that the issue was not caused by chemicals but that low levels of oxygen were present along with a high concentration of organic and ammonium nitrogen The contamination had also spread across a significant area “Barycz is a dead river today,” Sławomir Strzelecki “And probably all the fish in many ponds which draw water from it will also be wiped out.” ‼️ Zanieczyszczenie rzeki Barycz ‼️W środę 1 lipca pracownicy spółki Stawy Milickie SA odkryli Opublikowany przez Stawy Milickie SA Piątek, 3 lipca 2020 all tributaries were immediately closed to prevent further damage as soon as the pollution had been reported The Crisis Management Centre (CZK) has also assured residents that they have “done everything” they can to protect the environment “All possible weirs have been opened so that the river cleans itself as it flows,” Konstancja Jeziorska from the centre told TVN24 “All pond culverts have been closed so that no pollution can get in – although we already know that it has been able to get into some ponds.” some MPs have criticised the speed of the response by the environmental authorities and appealed for urgent intervention from the national government “The ecological threat exceeds the scope and possibilities of local self-government intervention,” argued left-wing MP Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk in a press release “The environment ministry should coordinate the activities.” said she had spoken to the mayor of Milicz about the “alarming” situation “The ecological disaster occurred at the turn of June and July while state institutions do nothing,” said Trzacz “Local governments were not allowed to manage rivers including the Barycz –  this is managed by Wody Polskie [the state body managing Poland’s waters] which has not taken any action for over a week.” has alleged that he has struggled to contact Wody Polskie and regional water management authorities telling TVN24 that he has since commissioned private testing of the water Wody Polskie said that they have “monitored the situation on the river every day since the beginning [of the crisis]” They went on to assure that the nature reserve and pond complex are safe and the areas managed by the company remain open to tourists the environment ministry reassured that they undertook “urgent intervention immediately after detecting the event” adding that “recent measurement results as well as a direct examination of the Barycz river confirm that the situation is slowly improving” The ministry added that the “oxygen conditions aeration and water transparency are improving Live fry can be observed in the river” Efforts are still ongoing to discover the cause of the pollution from the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poznań said that the conditions may have been caused by recent heavy rainfall washing manure into the water This suggestion has also been put forward by the Wrocław branch of Wody Polskie Kaczmarek admitted to TVN24 that “the scale of the pollution also suggests other causes that we have not yet discovered.” He added that the inspectorate had also flown a drone over the area in an attempt to locate the source According to local media reports quoted in OKO,press other sources of pollution under consideration include wastewater from a local piggery or a leak from the sewage treatment plant in Odolanów saying that the plant was “modern” and had “no way to pollute the river.” He also encouraged residents and farmers to collect their piles of manure from fields The pollution in the Barycz River follows another major environmental disaster in Poland last year the Czajka sewage treatment plant in Warsaw malfunctioned sending thousands of litres of sewage into the Vistula A technical failure at a sewage facility in Warsaw has resulted in 3 cubic metres per second of raw sewage currently flowing into the Vistula River. Drinking water in the city, which comes from upstream, isn't affected but it could be in places downstream https://t.co/m3qiiUOdXI — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 28, 2019 Juliette Bretan is a freelance journalist covering Polish and Eastern European current affairs and culture Her work has featured on the BBC World Service , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR 252 foreigners studied on a permanent basis at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (128 Ukrainians Within the Erasmus+ program another 196 students spent one or two semesters here All foreign students coming to UPWr are taken care of by the University branch of the international Erasmus Student Network (ESN) organization each foreigner has a Polish student assisting them if someone wants to arrange something – or they are a kind of “connection” with the Polish reality we organize actions which help foreigners to get to know Wrocław integrate and often do something good in the process – says Joanna Śmiech from ESN University of Economics and University of Technology planted one thousand pines in a nursery of the Milicz Forestry Area – That was my first experience planting anything which was the same with most of the people here but it turned out not to be really difficult Plus we had a lot of fun – says Çigdem Esmertaş who came to UPWr from the capital of Turkey – Ankara – I had a choice between going to Poland and Lithuania I didn’t really want to live in Warsaw and I’m very glad that I chose Wrocław Especially the combination of typical urban areas with parks - The best thing was that we planted our piece of the forest near some trees put in two years ago by another group of foreign students so there is a real Erasmus Forest growing now Maybe in a few years some of these people will come back to Poland see the forest planted with their own hands and recall the fantastic time they spent here – adds Joanna Śmiech ESN and the student self-government of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science organized the Polish Dinner – a typical Polish feast in one of the Faculty labs which is particularly suitable for such an event – We would like to increase internationalism in our Faculty Improve cooperation and relations between us – Polish students foreign students and University authorities Erasmus students are usually a closed group and we want to show them that we’re there that they can always come up to us and ask something and we’ll gladly help And we also want to encourage Polish students to meet people of different cultures convince them to visit other countries themselves And as cooking and eating together aids integration like nothing else and we happen to have a lab in the form of a fantastically equipped kitchen which can accommodate a good crowd we decided to show the Erasmus students our Polish cuisine – explains Julita Drzyzga there was bread (baked at the University) with lard and pickled cucumbers herring with onion and the main course – groats with goulash and raw salads like sour cabbage pierogi and yeast cake with fruit and crumble which was an absolute hit Everyone contributed to making the dishes and what the students did not manage to eat (despite their enthusiastic efforts) they passed on – partly to the fridge of the Wrocław FoodSharing in the Arka dormitory and partly to the St Anthony’s parish which runs a soup kitchen – The Charity Kitchen ESN helps foreign students and makes their stay more attractive but also attempts to show Polish students that a trip to other countries within the Erasmus+ programme may be their adventure of a lifetime Last year 111 UPWr students decided to complete part of their studies abroad choosing mostly Universities in Spain The UPWr students may travel thanks to 124 bilateral agreements made with other European Universities encourages others to go: - It’s a fantastic experience and what’s more you’re supported financially by the University You can go practically to any country in Europe and subject courses you complete there are accepted by the UPWr grading system you learn to cope with various strange situations You know that you must rely only on yourself and you just have to manage You meet great people from all over the world different way of life and thinking – says Joanna and laughs that although she was finally defeated by Spanish language and had to repeat the year after she came back to Poland Julita is planning her journey for the last year of studies.: - That’s why I’m with ESN – to get to know customs of students from different corners I study biotechnology and I will probably choose some “technological” country like Germany or Switzerland Both the University authorities and the authorities of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science participated in planting trees and cooking the Polish Dinner.Both students also encourage others not resign because of their fear of English – I have an impression that Polish people are embarrassed to speak English afraid that their English isn’t perfect and that they may make mistakes people from other countries don’t speak perfect English either nothing improves your language skills like living with it using it daily Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences25 Norwida St NIP: 896-000-53-54REGON: 000001867EORI: PL896000535400000 This site uses custom cookies to ensure that it functions properly. Some are necessary for the page to run, so will always remain active. These cookies will store information about the user's cookie settings. In addition, third-party cookies are used for external tools. For more information see the privacy policy. Enables storage (such as cookies) related to advertising Sets consent for sending user data to Google for online advertising purposes such as cookies (web) or device identifiers (apps) Enables storage that supports the functionality of the website or app Enables storage related to personalization Enables storage related to security such as authentication functionality The Milicz Association of Friends of Children and People with Disabilities has been operating for over 22 years the newly opened therapeutic facility for the youngest patients was visited by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki The Head of the Polish Government recalled that the amendment to the Budget Act for 2021 will result in an additional PLN 800 million for the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PFRON) The government has adopted an amendment to the Budget Act for 2021 provides for the transfer of over PLN 800 million to the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities This money will be used to help people with disabilities The more considerable funds will make even earlier diagnosis we allocated over PLN 800 million to support persons with disabilities through the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons for all activities that can help at least a little the disadvantaged sensitivity and goodwill – this is what solidarity is all about – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki The Milicz Association of Friends of Children and People with Disabilities is a thriving organisation employing over 200 people The organisation’s operations are aimed mainly at the youngest patients The new facility provides an opportunity for diagnosis and various therapies with the use of modern equipment The Capitol Centre will significantly improve the quality of diagnostics for children with autism –  The Capitol can be a showcase People from the West can learn from us how to take care of persons with disabilities doctors and all the people who work in such facilities Thank you to all the wonderful Poles involved in helping persons with disabilities – said Mateusz Morawiecki Thanks to the Association’s operations the town of Milicz has become more friendly to people with disabilities The Association has changed the perception of a disabled person in the local community and has also contributed to changes in municipal institutions Log in and download the free e-publication of the latest A&B The printed version is available for sale online in our store and press salons throughout Poland unique e-mail [will also be used as login in the portal] Only name - check the correctness of the data Only the last name - check the correctness of the data password must be at least 8 characters long * fields required for registration; data can be completed in account settings after logging in ** establishment of a student account follows verification of the validity of the student ID card Please try later or let us know: contact Technology: aitnet.pl Ⓒ AiB Publishing House 2025 The death has occurred of Jacek Daniel Kozica, Ardnaffrin, Kilmore, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon and formerly of Milicz, Poland on 25th May 2024, unexpectedly at home. Sadly missed by his mother Feliksa, sister Zuzanna, brother Krzysztof, niece Karolina, nephew Bartosz, cousins, relatives and friends. Jacek is fondly remembered by his friends Helio, Trisha, Ashley, Eric, Dermot and his Irish family, Pádraig, Anne, Paddy, Éadaoin and Fiachra Doyle, Ardnaffrin. A Funeral Mass in celebration of Jacek’s life will take place in Sacred Heart Church, Jamestown (N41 FP82), on Wednesday 5th June at 11.30am. Messages of condolence for Jacek’s family my be left by clicking on the condolence link below. Śmierć Jacka Daniela Kozicy, Ardnaffrin, Kilmore, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon, a wcześniej Milicza, Polska, nastąpiła 25 maja 2024 r., niespodziewanie w domu. Bardzo tęskni za mamą Feliksa, siostrą Zuzanną, bratem Krzysztofem, siostrzenicą Karoliną, siostrzeńcem Bartoszem, kuzynami, bliskimi i przyjaciółmi. Jacek jest ciepło wspominany przez swoich przyjaciół Helio, Trishę, Ashley, Erica, Dermota i jego irlandzką rodzinę, Pádraiga, Anne, Paddy, Éadaoin i Fiachrę Doyle z Jamestown. Msza pogrzebowa w intencji życia Jacka odbędzie się w kościele Sacred Heart Church w Jamestown (N41 FP82) w środę 5 czerwca o godzinie 11:30. Przesłanie kondolencji dla rodziny Jacka można zostawić klikając w poniższy link z kondolencjami. memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one