USKOK publishes the results of the Water Institute's groundwater analysis in Gospić

This comes after citizens staged a massive protest on Saturday demanding fundamental changes to the waste management system and for political responsibility for the growing number of illegal landfills throughout the country.

USKOK has published the results of a groundwater analysis in its investigation into the illegal dumping of hazardous European waste in Gospić. According to testing by the Water Institute, water downstream from the landfill contains a slew of so-called priority polymers, or plastics such as polystyrene and other materials used to make plastic bags, bottles, and Teflon.

Here's an excerpt from the statement issued by USKOK on Monday:

"(...) analytical results point to the conclusion that the observed area represents the most likely source of the identified contamination of the underground system. Such a conclusion is based solely on the results of the analytical processing carried out, while final confirmation of the transport mechanism and source of contamination would require a separate hydrogeological analysis and proof of groundwater flow paths."

USKOK also published its findings on two illegal landfills in Varaždin, noting that pathogenic bacteria and high concentrations of heavy metals and micro plastics have been found in the roughly 14 hundred tons of mixed waste and sludge.

Following Saturday’s protest Environmental Protection and Green Transition Minister Marija Vučković vowed that government would present a comprehensive remediation plan by September 20th and that it would work to remove the 33 thousand tons of toxic waste buried in Gospić as soon as possible. She even suggested the possibility of trying to force those responsible for the contamination to cover the costs instead of pushing them on to tax payers.

Source: HRT