Croatians Rally Against PM Over Buried Toxic Waste
Croatians Rally Against PM Over Buried Toxic Waste
The News
Tens of thousands of Croatians rallied in Zagreb on Saturday to demand the government finally remove a mountain of illegally dumped hazardous waste in the central town of Gospic, months after the scandal broke.
Protesters want a cleanup plan with hard deadlines and an immediate ban on waste imports.
The scandal has fueled public anger at conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government, which says an investigation and cleanup efforts are already underway.
The Numbers
About 37,000 metric tons (40,000 U.S. tons) of waste remain at an abandoned industrial site, mostly buried underground. It includes remains of electronic equipment, plastics, construction materials and medical waste.
Europol said the suspects arrested in the case made at least 4 million euros ($4.2 million) in illegal profit. Gospic has roughly 12,000 residents.
Timeline
Gospic residents begin reporting what they believe is suspected illegal activity at the site, according to Vjekoslav Busic of the "Gospic Is Our Home" initiative that organized Saturday's protest.
The scandal surfaces publicly when Croatian police and Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, arrest 13 people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste. Europol's initial report said much of the waste that ended up in Gospic was imported from Italy, Slovenia and Germany.
An expert report published by Croatian anti-corruption agency USKOK finds elevated metal concentrations in the soil at the site and PFAS compounds — the "forever chemicals" — in groundwater.
Tens of thousands rally on Zagreb's main square, carrying national flags and banners reading "When if not now" and "The lungs of Croatia have trouble breathing," and chanting "Croatia, Croatia."
Reactions
"The result to date: Not a single kilogram of hazardous waste has been removed from Gospic," Busic said.
Protester Ivan Rittinger said authorities "are talking about this as if it were a tragedy, as if it just happened out of nowhere," adding that "someone made money out of it and someone was paid to look the other way." He said: "It was planned. This is not a tragedy. This is a crime."
Zeljka Sikic, from Gospic, thanked the crowd for "coming out publicly, because it takes courage nowadays," and said "we have been handed over to eco-mafia."
Zagreb resident Suzane Maria Flander said it is a "basic human right to have clean soil, clean water and clean air."
Plenkovic has accused his political opponents of fueling panic for political gain. The government says multiple water and soil tests in Gospic came back negative for contamination.
What's Next
Authorities say the site will be temporarily covered to protect it from rainwater, and one company has been chosen to clear some of the waste while a long-term plan is drafted.
USKOK's investigation continues into a Croatian company accused of burying illegal toxic waste at several sites across the country, with the largest amount found in Gospic.
Protest organizers are pressing for a published remediation plan with defined deadlines and a ban on waste imports.
More
Gospic sits in a region close to a nature park and known for its forests, lakes and rivers. Experts agree the damage is local for now, but warn that the area's karst terrain, loose soil and rivers could carry pollution from the site toward the Adriatic Sea.
Poll
Who should pay to dig out illegally dumped toxic waste?
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