Troskot Demands State of Ecological Emergency
Most MP calls on the government to react urgently after USKOK confirms pollution in Lika. He announces criminal charges against the entire chain of responsibility.
Most MP calls on the government to react urgently after USKOK confirms pollution in Lika. He announces criminal charges against the entire chain of responsibility.
Most party MP Zvonimir Troskot on Friday in Split demanded that the government declare a state of ecological emergency for the Lika and northern Adriatic regions. The trigger is illegal waste dumping, which the MP described as a "serious national betrayal and a threat to national security."
His request came a day after USKOK, on August 6, 2026, released the results of an environmental assessment in Gospić. The findings confirmed that the area is polluted and that there is a "threat of spread and increased impact on the environment and human health."
Troskot specifically warned of the danger of so-called forever chemicals. "People are not even aware of what a forever chemical means - PFAS. It is called forever because once it enters the ecosystem, it cannot be removed. PFAS cannot be removed," the MP stated.
He emphasized that the problem is not local in nature and does not only affect Gospić and Lika, but extends downstream from the Lika River towards Gacka, the town of Senj, and the islands of the northern Adriatic.
The Most MP insists on immediate remediation action, without the usual procedures. "We cannot wait for some public procurement for that illegal waste that is underground; it must be put into barrels and containers and go deep underground, just like nuclear waste is disposed of," Troskot said.
Troskot attributed responsibility for the environmental crisis to a wide range of institutions and individuals. He called out Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, former Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić, Minister of Environment and Green Transition Marija Vučković, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the State Inspectorate, and local authorities.
"Everyone knows - the state, local self-government, and companies," Troskot asserted, adding that the criminal charges he plans to file will cover "the entire vertical chain - from the highest political structures to local self-government, to the companies involved, the State Inspectorate, down to the lowest levels."
Referring to the Lećevica Waste Management Center, Troskot claimed that some waste from Dalmatia was dumped in Lika and Benkovac. "Lika is now paying the price for all of this," he said. He also described illegal hazardous waste dumping as "a much more lucrative and profitable business than cocaine" and added that Most has information that new hazardous waste disposal deals are already being planned.
