Croatia: 33,000 Tonnes of Illegally Buried Waste Covered in Gospić

Work to temporarily cover approximately 33,000 tonnes of illegally buried waste at the former PPK Velebit industrial complex in Gospić, Croatia, has been completed, the Croatian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition announced on 29 October. This marks the completion of one of the activities outlined in the remediation plan, while the removal of most of the waste is still pending.

According to a statement by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, a protective membrane has been installed over an area of approximately 20,000 square metres to prevent rainwater from penetrating the waste and potentially carrying contaminants into the soil.

Meanwhile, the Fund has launched an urgent negotiated procurement procedure for the removal of approximately 4,500 tonnes of scattered waste with hazardous properties, following the cancellation of the previous public procurement procedure. The estimated value of the works is €7.5 million excluding VAT, with a maximum completion period of 12 months.

More:

• HESS Plans to Expand Battery Energy Storage Capacity by 2030
• Bulgaria Allocates €170 Million to Reduce Electricity Costs for Industry
• NASA Turns Off Instrument on Spacecraft to Save Energy and Extend Mission

The most challenging stage of the remediation process involves removing approximately 33,000 tonnes of buried waste, consisting of a mixture of hazardous, non-hazardous and medical waste. A separate procurement procedure is being prepared for this phase, with two options under consideration: excavating and transporting the waste to appropriate treatment facilities abroad, or carrying out preliminary treatment at the site before disposing of the different waste categories separately.

The remediation plan covers a total of nearly 44,000 tonnes of illegally disposed waste, with more than €50 million secured for the project so far.

The illegal waste disposal case in Gospić is part of a broader investigation by Croatia’s Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK), which also covers sites in Benkovac, Varaždin and the Senj area. Investigators suspect organised illegal waste management activities, including the transfer of waste between locations and the falsification of waste disposal documentation.

At the same time, Croatian authorities are carrying out remediation activities at other sites affected by illegal waste disposal. According to the Fund, work has begun in Vrbovec Samoborski, while a contract has been signed with a contractor for the site in Poznanovec.

Energy portal