Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment Dušica Radojčić calls on the ministers of health and environment to answer to the people of Lika, attributing political responsibility to the Prime Minister.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Dušica Radojčić, has called for a public hearing on the severe pollution of soil, groundwater, and air in Lika. The hearing is proposed for August 18 in Gospić, and whether it will actually take place depends on the vote of the HDZ majority in the Committee.
Radojčić stated that Health Minister Irena Hrstić and Minister of Environment and Green Transition Marija Vučković have confirmed they will attend the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, scheduled for Friday, August 14, in Gospić. She believes that they are the ones who owe it to the residents of Lika and Gospić to answer what urgent measures they are taking to protect public health.
"I believe that they are the ones who must answer to the people of Lika and Gospić about what urgent actions they are taking to protect residents' health. Bureaucratic procedures will not stop the severe pollution of soil, groundwater, and air in Lika," Radojčić said. She also asserted that political responsibility for the dysfunctional and corrupt oversight system lies with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
"We demand answers because residents have the right to the truth. We need swift action," Radojčić emphasized. To that end, in order to establish accountability across the entire chain, she proposed that the public hearing be held as early as August 18 in Gospić.
A vote on whether to hold the hearing will take place on Friday, and Radojčić stated that it would be held the following week "if HDZ members and their partners raise their hands in favor." She added that this would provide answers to many questions that remain unanswered.
Radojčić noted that the analysis and expert opinions within the USKOK investigation have shown that the soil, water, and air are heavily polluted because the landfill lacks a protective liner, and wind disperses particles into the environment. She expects Minister Vučković to answer what is being done to ensure remediation begins as soon as possible, while the Ministry of Health should explain why they have not yet interpreted the experts' findings on how many people live in the area and what the potential health risks are.
