Black scenario realized near Gospić: 'We demand urgent remediation, what about public procurement?'

A critical environmental situation is unfolding in Gospić, Croatia, where a civil initiative is urgently demanding the remediation of a site contaminated with approximately 37,000 tons of hazardous waste. The group, "Gospić je naš dom" (Gospić is Our Home), is pushing for immediate action following new expert findings that confirm pollutants have infiltrated the groundwater.

This confirmation represents the realization of a worst-case scenario predicted by experts back in March. At that time, specialists warned about the potential for pollutants to seep through rock fissures and an insufficiently thick clay protective layer. While the groundwater was still considered safe in March, a supplementary assessment in July definitively established that contamination had indeed reached underground water sources.

Expert reports indicate that the waste, consisting of electronic and medical waste residues, plastics, and other processed waste fractions, was deposited over an area of 14,267 square meters, reaching depths of up to three meters. The waste is mixed with soil, making separation impossible. The findings reveal that the waste possesses hazardous properties, with an ecotoxicity indicator (HP14) reaching 254.8, far exceeding the limit value of 25. Soil analysis detected significantly elevated concentrations of copper and lead, along with antimony.

The contamination has spread at least 50 meters beyond the site, with traces of antimony, copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium found in plants up to 200 meters away. Most concerningly, PFAS compounds, known as 'forever chemicals,' were detected in the groundwater downstream from the landfill at concentrations of 200.5 nanograms per liter, exceeding the reference value of 100 nanograms per liter set by a European directive. Experts warn of a high degree of danger, a significant likelihood of further deterioration, and potentially irreversible damage if the waste remains in place.

"Gospić je naš dom" insists that the focus must be on an urgent remediation process, not the intricacies of public procurement. "For us, it is no longer a question of what procurement procedure will be used for remediation, but we are exclusively demanding an urgent procedure," stated Željka Rukavina from the initiative. They are calling for immediate cleanup to begin, alongside the simultaneous resolution of procurement issues and the establishment of a coordinated program for soil and groundwater testing, with shared measurement points and a unified database accessible to both institutions and the public. The initiative also seeks accountability from all parties involved in the waste's handling and disposal.