SDP MP Mihael Zmajlović sharply criticized the Ministry of Environment, claiming that 18 months after the discovery of 37,000 tons of waste in Gospić, not a single ton has been removed, while the ministry and the opposition present completely contradictory data on water pollution.
On Tuesday, SDP MP Mihael Zmajlović argued that the chronology of the Ministry of Environment and Green Transition's (MZOZT) actions in the Gospić waste case is actually evidence against the ministry itself. He stressed that in the eighteen months since the discovery of waste at the Bilajska 50 site, not a single ton has been removed from the ground.
"Since February 2025, when the public learned what was buried at Bilajska 50, eighteen months have passed. In those eighteen months, not a single ton of waste has been removed from the site," Zmajlović stated in a press release. He noted that the contamination has over time shifted from solid waste to groundwater, citing the revised findings of the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, which was commissioned by USKOK.
Zmajlović further warned that not even a temporary impermeable cover has been installed at the site, which is a basic protective measure in such situations. "Not even a temporary impermeable cover has been installed. The only thing that has moved in the meantime is the pollution—from waste into groundwater. That's not our claim; it's written in the supplementary expert report by the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering commissioned by USKOK," the MP quoted the key expert finding.
Zmajlović particularly criticizes the ministry for not resorting to the legal mechanism of urgent procedures. "The ministry has not applied the law on urgent procedures," he said, emphasizing that this part of the Environmental Protection Act was enacted back in 2013 precisely for such situations.
"That chapter of the law exists precisely for the day when someone buries 37,000 tons of waste somewhere," said Zmajlović, adding that there is no justification for not activating such a mechanism a year and a half after the discovery. He reminded that while he was minister, the legislator deliberately prescribed an obligation, not a discretionary power, in Article 187: "In it, the legislator does not write that competent authorities 'may' carry out measures, but that they 'shall' carry them out—through a third party, at the expense and responsibility of the polluter. That is the language of obligation."
The MP also explained the further steps provided by the law. "Article 188 adds that this is paid from the state budget, and the money is later recovered from those responsible. Article 182 stipulates that remediation, when the situation requires urgent measures, can be carried out by the Ministry, independently, through a third party," he said. As he noted, the amendment to the waste management plan appeared in the Official Gazette only on July 18, 2025, which is five months after the public learned of the case, not in May as the ministry claimed.
The first public procurement for remediation followed in February 2026, but it failed because no bids were submitted. After that, the estimated value of the works was increased from €2.1 million to €4.72 million. The first order from the State Inspectorate to remove the waste was issued on February 13, 2026, but the deadline by the end of May was not met.
Zmajlović also warned of the consequences of not having prepared a remediation program. "Had that document been prepared on time, today we would not have a situation where, as Gospić residents warn, measurements are taken under different orders, at different locations, and with different parameters, so the results cannot even be compared," he said.
Particularly concerning is the disagreement between the ministry and the opposition over the levels of hazardous substances in the water. The ministry states that PFAS levels are 20 times below the permitted limit. On the other hand, Zmajlović cites findings indicating that PFAS levels are twice above the permitted limit.
The MP also pointed out that the "Andrija Štampar" Public Health Institute recommends that citizens avoid the site. "The citizens of Gospić did not ask for a chronology. They asked for the waste to be removed and for the truth about the water to be told," concluded Zmajlović.
As an additional argument for the system's inefficiency, Zmajlović cited the case of Biljana Donja. Although the ministry highlights it as an example of successful remediation, it has not yet been completed. According to a ruling by the EU Court from March 2025, Croatia pays €6,500 per day for this case, plus a lump sum penalty of €1 million, which has so far totaled over €4 million.
Zmajlović posed many questions to the Minister of Environment and Green Transition, Marija Vučković, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. He demands answers on how many tons of waste have been removed so far, whether the article on urgent procedures has ever been applied, and whether the Government will make a decision by the end of the week to initiate such procedures. He also quoted the minister's statement, saying: "The minister publicly said that urgent remediation does not exist. Let her open the law."
The Ministry of Environment and Green Transition reported on Monday that, together with the Environmental Protection Fund, it has been working on the remediation of the area from the beginning. They emphasized that the blame for illegal waste disposal lies with those who dumped it, not with the authorities carrying out the cleanup, and they announced changes to the Waste Management Act to impose stricter penalties for such cases in the future.
