MP Dušica Radojčić (Možemo) has demanded the harshest penalties for all those involved in the dumping of 37,000 tonnes of hazardous waste, while estimates suggest the cleanup could reach an astronomical €125 million.
Dušica Radojčić, an MP from the Možemo party and chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and Nature, on Friday called for maximum prison sentences for all those responsible in the chain of illegal hazardous waste dumping in the Gospić area. At the same time, estimates were released suggesting that the remediation of this pollution could cost between €2 million and €125 million, depending on the chosen approach.
The MP's reaction came after experts from the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, working on the order of USKOK, confirmed the scale of the ecological disaster. "There was no doubt that the soil and groundwater around the landfill of illegally dumped and buried hazardous waste in Gospić were contaminated. It was enough to see the withered trees around the landfill, a chilling sight with a clear message about the impact of that waste on the environment," Radojčić said.
According to the findings, approximately 37,000 tonnes of waste have been buried and scattered at the site, including residues from electronic waste processing, medical waste, plastics, and RDF. The investigation revealed that copper concentrations in the soil exceed permissible values by as much as 100 times, while antimony is present at levels 300 times higher than natural background levels. Dangerous PFAS compounds, known as "forever chemicals," have also been detected in groundwater downstream of the landfill.
Radojčić called the case an "environmental crime of unprecedented proportions" and demanded that all those in the chain bear responsibility. "This is an environmental crime of unprecedented proportions that threatens people's lives and health, and for which responsibility, in the form of maximum prison sentences, should be borne by everyone in the chain: the clients, the direct perpetrators, those who signed documents, those who knowingly turned a blind eye, those who accepted bribes, those who transported and unloaded the waste, and all those who, through their actions or omissions, enabled this crime," she stated.
She also sharply criticized the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and Minister Vučković, accusing them of stalling and issuing reassuring statements. "There is also the political responsibility of the Ministry of Environmental Protection for all these abuses and failures, especially for its cavalier attitude and delays in resolving the case, as well as the continuous reassuring statements by Minister Vučković about the results of environmental analyses," she said.
She also reminded that a citizens' initiative had presented a technical project for temporary remediation by covering the waste with geotextile as early as April 2025, but the authorities did not respond at the time. The Ministry only announced in July 2026 that it would develop its own technical solution and launch a public procurement process. "In other words, in July the ministry is acting on the principle of 'the village is burning, and the old woman is combing her hair'," Radojčić commented.
The MP believes that the Ministry's responsibility is multifaceted, "from issuing permits for waste imports to the overly slow resolution of hazardous waste disposal from the environment and the belated decision to temporarily cover the landfill."
In the context of criminal responsibility, Radojčić also highlighted the involvement of Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić, a high-ranking member of the HDZ. "I also point out that one of the suspects in this outrageous scandal, which is dangerous to health and life, is a high-ranking HDZ member, Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić, suspected of corruption. We expect the harshest penalties prescribed by law for all those responsible, proportionate to the scale of the pollution and the danger to which citizens are exposed," she said.
Although the water supply system of the City of Gospić is not currently threatened, there are concerns for the wider area. Part of the groundwater from the Lika karst basin naturally feeds springs in the Podvelebit coastal area and on the islands, which is why Možemo is demanding urgent and continuous testing of these potentially affected springs.
Additional concern is raised by the health of the local population. In June 2026, Gordan Bosanac, a Member of the European Parliament from Možemo, sent seven residents from the Gospić area living near the illegal landfill to Brussels for testing for the presence of PFAS compounds in their bodies. The results of these analyses are expected in September. Long-term exposure to PFAS compounds is linked to a range of serious health risks.
