Geomechanical surveys on land donated by the City of Jastrebarsko to the county have uncovered buried waste. Two expert opinions differ on the remediation method, and the county is seeking a definitive answer from the ministry.
At the site in Jastrebarsko where a parking lot and fairground currently stand, a new elementary school for 560 students was planned. However, instead of the first groundbreaking, geological surveys revealed a buried illegal waste dump.
The City of Jastrebarsko donated the nearly 18,800-square-meter plot to Zagreb County in 2022 specifically for the construction of the school and sports hall. The estimated value of the parcel is €664,000.
Following the donation, the county prepared a plan, obtained approval from the Ministry of Science, and began applying for funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). However, during geomechanical surveys, what had been hidden for decades came to light.
On old maps from 1968, the location was recorded as a lake, and the current terrain was filled and leveled. During drilling, at depths between 0.7 and three meters, buried waste was discovered.
A thorough analysis pointed to a significant problem. According to estimates by experts hired by the county, the waste spans approximately 6,000 square meters, with a total volume estimated at as much as 12,000 cubic meters. It consists mainly of soil mixed with household and bulky waste, large quantities of glass and plastic, sheet metal, clothing, pipes, and construction materials. It is believed that the dumping occurred several decades ago and may extend to adjacent plots.
At this point, a legal and technical dilemma arises. Experts from Geotehnički studio, hired by the county, recommended that the dump be registered, removed, and remediated before the school's construction.
The City of Jastrebarsko then hired IPZ Uniprojekt TERRA, which believes that remediation could take place concurrently with construction, removing waste at the locations of foundations and roadways, and technically reclaiming the rest of the terrain.
Zagreb County has forwarded the complete documentation to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition. It is seeking a clear answer: whether it is permissible to build a school on that plot, under what conditions, and using which method, to ensure that the health of future students and staff is in no way endangered.
The Ministry of Science emphasized that environmental protection regulations must be respected. Zagreb County is otherwise building and expanding 27 school projects through the NRRP, with a total estimated value of €150 million, of which €117 million is secured without repayment obligation. For Jastrebarsko, they are therefore seeking a solution, but one that is both legally compliant and safe.
