Benkovac Mayor denies knowledge of illegal dump in former Kimont quarry, while County Prefect Bilaver demands prosecution of those responsible and announces remediation largely funded by the state.
Benkovac Mayor Tomislav Bulić and Zadar County Prefect Josip Bilaver visited the site of the illegal waste dump in the former quarry of the defunct company Kimont on Thursday, where they gave statements about the scandal that has raised political tensions in Zadar County. They were accompanied by Members of Parliament Nikolina Baradić and Ante Babić.
Bulić firmly denied allegations that he knew about the waste dumping, emphasizing that he would have reacted immediately had he possessed any information about it. "All I can say from my position is that I did not know about this. Had I known, believe me, I would have reacted, and probably none of this would have happened," the mayor told 023.hr.
As proof that he reacts to any anomaly in his area, Bulić cited a specific case involving a cold storage facility at the city market. "Someone, with the approval of the bankruptcy trustee, started bringing in bags and waste. I immediately requested that it be removed, even though at that time we were not yet the owners of that facility in the process," the mayor recounted. "We reacted, we are reacting, and we will continue to react."
The mayor expressed regret that the entire case has been turned into a partisan and PR issue. "This is a matter of national security, the lives and health of the residents of this area," Bulić said, adding that he would not mind if opposition MPs and councilors stood behind him.
He specifically addressed those who knew about the illegal dumping but did not report it: "Anyone who participated in this and anyone who knew this was happening and did not report it to the competent institutions is, in my view, responsible and should be prosecuted without mercy."
Bulić is willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence. "Take me wherever you want, to any investigative body in the Republic of Croatia, in Europe, anywhere in the world, to any lie detector," he said.
The City of Benkovac has requested findings from the State Inspectorate to determine exactly what was dumped and how dangerous it is to human health. Bulić confirmed that they have already submitted a written request for expert analysis and expect the findings soon.
"We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, and we are coordinating the plan and method of remediation. We have already had two or three meetings with the Minister," the mayor said, adding that remediation is also being coordinated at the national level.
Zadar County Prefect Josip Bilaver expressed horror at what happened, stating that he shares the concerns of residents because he himself lives in the area. "I drink water from our water supply and breathe the same air," the Prefect said.
Bilaver called the case an ecocide and demanded that all those responsible face justice. "For those who did this, I have a very clear message-they do not deserve to breathe Croatian air or drink Croatian water," he said.
The Prefect announced that the Zadar County Public Health Institute has been ordered to continuously monitor the quality of air and water from the catchment area, with results to be published in a timely manner.
Bilaver confirmed that Zadar County will assist the City of Benkovac, with the state covering the largest share of remediation costs. He emphasized that they have been in constant contact with the relevant ministries, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Minister Marija Vučković confirmed that work on the remediation plan is already underway.
The Prefect sharply criticized the opposition, saying it is using cheap PR tricks to take photos and politically exploit the situation. "They were nowhere to be seen when waste needed to be dealt with in Šepurine, and they were nowhere to be seen when we, together with the Government, solved the Crno Brdo problem," Bilaver said.
He added that those who have been unable to solve the waste problem in the City of Zagreb for decades can hardly teach lessons on waste management. "This is what citizens expect from us-concrete solutions," the Prefect concluded.
