While the citizens' initiative questions how authorities failed to notice the trucks and 37,000 tons of waste, the Prime Minister says those responsible will be held accountable, and remediation will follow procedure. Meanwhile, lower fuel prices have been announced.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, in Sinj on Saturday ahead of the Sinjska Alka tournament, responded to questions about the environmental disaster in Gospić, where 37,000 tons of mixed hazardous waste was found at an illegal dump site on Bilajska Street. When asked directly how it was possible that no one noticed the convoys of trucks that had been bringing waste for years, the Prime Minister briefly replied: "I don't know."
He stressed that the investigation would establish all the circumstances. "All of this will be determined in the investigation, which is why I said that the DORH (State Attorney's Office) is handling it in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act and is mindful of the confidentiality of the proceedings, and whoever was involved will be held accountable," Plenković stated.
Plenković firmly rejected the possibility of a quick solution through a direct contract with a company, insisting on standard procedure. "No direct deal can be made until the possibilities of public calls have been exhausted. That is a transparent way of handling such matters, and they are engaged to find suitable interested companies," he explained, referring to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund.
He dismissed pressures for faster action, drawing a parallel with the successfully resolved case of baled waste in Varaždin, where the government allocated nearly 30 million euros. "Just as we resolved that, this in Lika will also be resolved, but through legal procedure, not because we are under some media or political pressure, or pressure from some initiative, to act outside procedure," Plenković said.
On the other hand, the citizens' initiative "Gospić Is Our Home" has issued sharp criticism of the authorities' slowness. Vjeko Bušić, a member of the initiative, warned back in May on the portal Ideje.hr that at least 1,300 trucks of hazardous waste had been brought to Gospić. This amount of waste would cover Ban Jelačić Square to a height of six to seven meters, or eight large football fields to a height of one meter, or the Arena in Pula to a height of five meters.
What is particularly concerning is that medical waste has been buried in the karst soil for years, under completely inappropriate conditions. "Medical waste in the state it is in in Gospić should not be kept at a temperature of 8 degrees for more than 24 hours, and birds and rodents should not come into contact with it. We know today that it has been buried in the ground, which is karst soil, for several years," the initiative stated.
The urgency of the situation is confirmed by the USKOK (Anti-Corruption Office) findings published on August 6. On nearly 18,000 square meters, irreversible destruction of habitats has been established, and the soil is heavily contaminated with metals. Particularly worrying is the finding of PFAS compounds, so-called forever chemicals, in groundwater downstream from the dump site. The highest measured concentration was 200.5 nanograms per liter, which is twice the value prescribed for water for human consumption.
Experts warn that PFAS can remain in groundwater for decades and that, if the waste is not removed, there is a high probability of further spread of contamination. The risk to groundwater has been assessed as moderate to increased. However, there is currently no evidence that residents have been exposed to these compounds through drinking water, and groundwater from that location is not used for public water supply. Chief State Attorney Ivan Turudić earlier described the findings as: "The findings are not great."
Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković confirmed that on July 28, the Ministry sent inquiries to 15 addresses abroad, and this morning, as she stated, new questionnaires were sent based on the latest findings from the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering in Varaždin. "Today we sent additional inquiries, according to the list, to 32 incinerators and 30 hazardous waste landfills," the Minister said. A total of 62 emails were sent.
According to earlier information, the estimated cost of transporting and incinerating the waste abroad is 125 million euros. The investigation into the illegal dumping is linked to suspects Josip and Monika Šincek and others, and it is suspected that waste from Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy was illegally buried or left in the open.
In addition to the environmental topic, Prime Minister Plenković also announced via Twitter news that will directly affect household budgets. The government announced that fuel prices will now be set on a weekly basis instead of biweekly. Already on Sunday, new, lower prices for all five energy products will take effect: Eurosuper will be cheaper by six euro cents per liter, Eurodiesel by four, and blue diesel by three euro cents. Gas in tanks and bottles will be cheaper by eight euro cents.
