Committee meets in Gospić over dangerous waste crisis

The Parliamentary Committee for Environmental Protection met in Gospić on Monday to address the hazardous waste crisis in the city.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for Friday but was postponed after multiple fires broke out in Dalmatia.

The committee discussed some 37,000 tons of hazardous waste that had allegedly been illegally disposed of for years at a former industrial farm in Gospić, raising serious environmental concerns.

The head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, said testing had confirmed that the local water supply was safe.

“All of the testing has shown that the water in Lika-Senj County and on the islands that get their water from here is safe for drinking,” Capak said.

Committee chair and HDZ MP Ante Sanader said the committee wanted to reassure Gospić residents that the problem was being addressed.

“The people responsible for this will be held to account. The Attorney General is here today. I believe the criminal complaint and the legal proceedings related to this case will ensure that those who did this are punished,” Sanader said.

Sanader said funding had been secured for the cleanup through the national Waste Management Plan and expressed confidence that those responsible would face criminal prosecution.

Protesters also gathered in Gospić ahead of the committee meeting. After an hour, representatives of civic initiatives left in protest, followed by the opposition. This was preceded by a disagreement over the agenda and the way in which the public could participate in the discussion. The session continued with only representatives of the ruling majority.

Opposition MPs have blamed the HDZ and the government for the situation. They are calling on President Zoran Milanović to convene a special session of Parliament, as they do not have enough votes to do so themselves.

SDP leader Siniša Hajdaš Dončić said lawmakers should address two key issues.

“First, a cleanup plan that includes funding, a timeline, and who would be responsible for carrying it out. Second, bringing to light other locations where dangerous waste is being stored in pits and abandoned farms across the country because of the desire for profits of a select group of individuals,” Hajdaš Dončić said.

The opposition is also demanding political accountability from the government, said Sandra Benčić of Možemo.

“The second set of demands includes the resignation of this government because they created a system that has made these kinds of crimes possible, and perhaps even encouraged them,” Benčić said.

The primary suspects in the case are Varaždin businessman Josip Šincek and his wife, Monika Šincek. Prosecutors allege that the couple orchestrated the smuggling and illegal disposal of waste at multiple sites across Croatia, including Varaždin, Benkovac, Senj, and Gospić.

According to prosecutors, shredded plastic and mixed industrial waste were imported from Slovenia and Italy and combined with illegally obtained medical waste and electronic waste from Croatia.

The Croatian Geographic Society has also expressed serious concern about the environmental impact of the waste in Gospić. It noted that the area is rich in karst formations containing large groundwater reserves. Because this type of rock is highly soluble, the society said careful management is essential to prevent contamination.

It is calling for the area to be cleaned up as quickly as possible, followed by long-term environmental monitoring.