Gospić-Senj Bishop Marko Medo issued a statement titled "Let Us Preserve the Gift of the Created World" in which he calls on authorities to urgently remediate an illegal landfill containing 37,000 tons of hazardous waste, emphasizing that citizens' health must take precedence over all interests.
Gospić-Senj Bishop Marko Medo on Tuesday publicly addressed the environmental threat that has been worrying the public in Lika for months. In a statement titled "Let Us Preserve the Gift of the Created World," the bishop expressed deep concern over the illegal hazardous waste landfill in the Gospić area and called on institutions to act urgently, stressing that human health must not become a tool of political struggle.
At the site of the former meat processing complex PPK Velebit, approximately 37,000 tons of hazardous waste have been deposited since the beginning of 2022. Among the substances threatening soil and water are copper, zinc, lead, and antimony, which has caused justified fear among local residents for their health and safety.
In his address, Bishop Medo emphasized that the Gospić-Senj Diocese, as the local Church, feels a pastoral and moral responsibility to speak clearly on an issue that directly affects the well-being of the people living there. "Gospić and Lika are the space where we live, work, raise families, and with which we are deeply connected. This is a region we received from previous generations and for which we are responsible before those who come after us," the bishop said.
He particularly highlighted the connection between caring for nature and caring for humanity, rejecting their separation. "Man lives in the created world, receiving from it water, food, and living space. Therefore, pollution of soil, water, and air is not merely a technical or economic issue but can become a matter of life, health, dignity, and the future," Medo said.
The bishop was unequivocal in his stance that human life, health, and safety must be above any political, economic, or business interest. He called for any justified suspicion of health threats to be thoroughly, independently, and fully investigated. "Human health must not become a tool of political struggle. It is a common good for which we all bear responsibility," he stressed. "When hazardous substances threaten soil, water, plant and animal life, or the safety of the space where people live, then we are talking about a matter of human dignity and the common good."
He called on all competent state, local, and expert bodies to take necessary measures without delay to determine the actual situation, eliminate any potential danger, and carry out professional and permanent remediation of all affected sites. At the same time, he urged all those involved in public life not to use this topic for political games and conflicts among themselves.
Citizens, the bishop emphasized, have the right to truthful, timely, and transparent information about the state of the environment in which they live, the water they drink, the air they breathe, and the land on which they raise their families. "Our statement is not directed against anyone. It is a clear commitment to humanity, life, health, truth, responsibility, and the preservation of our common home," Medo concluded.
He also reminded of a deeper responsibility toward nature: "To preserve water is to preserve life. To preserve the soil is to preserve the future. To preserve nature is to respect the gift we have received from God."
