Croatia approved the placement of radioactive waste despite protests from Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 7

On Monday, the Croatian parliament approved the construction of a radioactive waste disposal site located less than a kilometer from Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite years of protests from neighbors who claim the project poses a threat to the population.

The law provides a regulatory framework for the construction of the facility at Trgovska Gora for storing waste from the Krško nuclear power plant, which Croatia jointly owns with Slovenia, as well as radioactive waste from Croatian hospitals and industry.

According to a bilateral agreement with Slovenia, Croatia is to take responsibility for the disposal of half of the low- and medium-level radioactive waste generated at the Krško nuclear power plant, which has been operational since the early 1980s when both countries were part of socialist Yugoslavia.

The facility, located on the site of former military barracks near the border with Bosnia, is intended for the temporary storage of this waste for 40 years before its final disposal.

The law establishes spatial planning requirements and conditions for the implementation of the project, the Croatian parliament reported. Croatia must now conduct an environmental impact assessment before beginning construction.

Radioactive Waste

Bosnia and Herzegovina has opposed the project for many years, claiming that the facility located just across the border poses a danger to approximately 250,000 people living in the Una River basin.

"Considering that the Čerkezovac barracks are less than 1 kilometer away from the wells supplying Novi Grad with water, less than 2 kilometers from our middle schools, and less than 3 kilometers from the city center, it is clear what danger we are facing," said the mayor of the Bosnian town of Novi Grad, Miroslav Drljača, to local press in 2018.

Drljača has repeatedly stated that his municipality is considering filing a lawsuit regarding this issue.

Last week, local communities in Bosnia sent a letter to Croatian lawmakers warning that the law would allow Croatia to bypass international environmental obligations.

Bosnian authorities argue that the law contradicts the Espoo Convention and other international agreements requiring consultations with neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, Croatian authorities defend their choice of the radioactive waste site as safe and the only viable option.

"If someone stood in front of the wall of this facility 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, they would receive no radiation. It would be significantly less than the radiation during a flight from Europe to the USA," said Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in June 2023.

Since 1999, the location of Čerkezovac has been designated as a potential site for radioactive waste storage in Croatia's territorial plans. Croatian authorities claim that the former military complex, covering 60 hectares and located in an uninhabited area 5 kilometers from the nearest town, has infrastructure suitable for the construction of the facility.

Environmental groups in both countries are protesting against these plans. Activists warn that the proximity to the Una River and seismic activity in the region create ecological risks.

Residents of Novi Grad and neighboring municipalities have previously expressed concerns that Croatia is already using this site for nuclear waste storage, citing a spike in malignant diseases as evidence. Authorities have dismissed these claims as anecdotal.

The river, which flows into the Danube mainly through Bosnia, is part of the country's largest national park and is considered one of the cleanest and most picturesque rivers in the Balkans.

According to officials, Croatia plans to start accepting waste from Slovenia in early 2028. Currently, the country holds a small amount of radioactive waste generated from medical, industrial, and research activities at various locations.