Danko Fundurulja, waste disposal site remediation expert, reassures the public and explains that Croatia lacks a hazardous waste management system, while Dr. Mirjana Vrkljan Radošević urges citizens to be patient.
While the public in Lika grapples with uncertainty over the illegal waste disposal site in Gospić, experts are trying to calm tensions. Danko Fundurulja, an expert in waste disposal site design and remediation and a lecturer at the Zagreb University of Applied Sciences, appearing on Tihomir Ladišić's show Novi dan on N1, stated that in his opinion, this is neither an extraordinary situation nor an ecocide.
"This is illegal waste disposal that does not pose a significant threat to the environment. People are talking about ecocide, but ecocide is the permanent destruction of flora and fauna. Here, we have a damaged part of the flora, about ten trees along the very edge. Apart from that, there is no permanent destruction," Fundurulja explained for N1 Hrvatska.
Fundurulja, who is directly involved in the remediation approach, clarified that the site contains multiple types of waste, making the entire process extremely demanding. "The situation is not simple; it involves mixed waste, with hazardous, inert, and municipal waste exposed, totaling over 40,000 cubic meters. The first measure should be to prevent further contamination, so the waste needs to be covered with impermeable material, and then remediation can begin," he said.
The biggest challenge is the so-called black pile weighing 5,000 tons, for which the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has already issued a tender for disposal. Additionally, plans include immobilizing the contamination and covering the site with 40,000 tons of mixed waste.
Due to the different types of waste, the solution will not be straightforward. Hazardous waste landfills in Germany and Austria do not accept waste with high energy content, while incinerators do not want mixed waste with soil and inert material. "Most likely, some form of pre-treatment will be undertaken; hazardous waste would be separated from non-hazardous waste, and the latter would then be incinerated. I think a public tender will be announced very soon. Unfortunately, I believe the cost will be very high, exceeding 80 million euros," Fundurulja estimated.
The expert also warned of a systemic issue: Croatia has no hazardous waste landfill, incinerator, or facility for hazardous waste treatment. "As far back as 1994, a study on hazardous waste management was conducted; it prescribed the Danish model-each county should have its own collection center, and a location in Slavonia was to be found for a mini-center, incinerator, and hazardous waste landfill. Unfortunately, no one has initiated a hazardous waste management system in Croatia," he said.
He added that other problematic sites are being neglected. "It's being ignored that in Zagreb, you have illegal waste dumps that are constantly emerging; people have stopped talking about that. You have a hazardous waste site in Rijeka that remains unremediated to this day. All other remediations are being swept under the rug and not discussed," Fundurulja claims.
Fundurulja also commented on the fact that no potential contractors responded to the first tender. "If you have a price of 10 million, but the total cost is, say, 100 million, of course no one will respond to the tender. Now the price will be adjusted, and I assume someone will come forward," he explained, adding that legal procedures must be followed and that the selection of a contractor should not drag on for months.
He recommended that all those concerned read the expert report. "It's ungrateful to give any statements; I suggest everyone read the expert report, in which all possible research has been conducted. Anyone who wants can see the situation and draw their own conclusions. I think catastrophic statements only lead to further public outrage and even bigger problems than we already have," he said. He added: "We should undoubtedly start remediation as soon as possible, but if we've waited two years, nothing particularly significant will happen in a month."
A similar message of reassurance came from Gospić gynecologist Dr. Mirjana Vrkljan Radošević, former president of the City Council and member of Pravedna Hrvatska. In an interview with Dnevnik Nove TV, she mentioned that on March 10, 2025, she collected material resembling sand at the very entrance to the landfill area, and then, along with German environmental activists, sent it to a laboratory in Berlin.
At the same time, she sent water samples from Senj, Karlobag, and Udbina, as well as water from a well approximately 60 meters deep. She noted that no PFAS compounds or any other contaminants were detected in those water samples at that time, while suspicious substances were found in the solid waste sample. She also mentioned that in recent days, concerned citizens have been contacting her daily, asking for the laboratory address to send their own samples for analysis because they have lost trust in state institutions.
In a very composed and thoughtful manner, she appeals to citizens to be patient, as all key stakeholders are expected to gather in Gospić this Friday to propose urgent actions. Experts say panic is unnecessary, although remediation is both necessary and costly.
