At the site of the former PPK Velebit industrial complex in Gospić, Croatia, waste was illegally deposited and buried over a number of years. As soon as the necessary legal and operational prerequisites were met, including the adoption of amendments to the Waste Management Plan of the Republic of Croatia, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and with the support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, initiated a comprehensive remediation programme for the site. The objective is the permanent removal of the waste, the protection of public health and the environment, and the prevention of any further spread of contamination.
Given the scale and complexity of the situation, as well as the need to coordinate activities with the investigations conducted by the competent authorities, the remediation programme is being implemented in phases.
Phase 1 - Waste Located Adjacent to the Silo
The first phase includes the removal of approximately 4,500 tonnes of mechanically processed waste located adjacent to the silo, including shredded cables and plastic waste.
For this phase, a public procurement procedure has been launched for the provision of services related to the removal, treatment and/or recovery of improperly disposed waste in Gospić.
Phase 2 - Waste Stored in Big Bags and Other Stored Waste
The second phase concerns the management of waste stored within buildings and in “big bag” containers, comprising approximately 650 tonnes of non-hazardous waste and approximately 4,500 tonnes of hazardous waste.
To ensure that the procurement requirements accurately reflect the technical capabilities and operational requirements of specialised treatment facilities, the Fund conducted additional market consultations prior to launching the public procurement procedure for the removal, treatment and/or recovery of improperly disposed waste in Gospić (Phase 2 - Waste Stored in Bags).
Phase 3 - Remediation of Buried Waste
The third phase is the most demanding and the largest in terms of volume, involving the remediation of nearly 35,000 tonnes of buried waste spread across an area of approximately two hectares.
For this phase, an extensive market assessment has been initiated. Enquiries have been sent to hazardous waste disposal operators across the European Union, as well as to operators of former salt mines regarding the possibility of permanent disposal within suitable underground facilities.
The objective is to identify a solution that provides the highest level of protection for human health and the environment while ensuring practical implementation within reasonable timeframes. The final remediation approach for the buried waste will be determined upon completion of the market consultation process.
Throughout the entire remediation programme, regular monitoring of air and water quality is being carried out in the vicinity of the site. To date, monitoring results have not identified any exceedances that would pose a risk to human health. In addition, the network of water quality monitoring stations is being expanded to ensure continuous and reliable environmental monitoring.
The Fund has publicly disclosed all available waste composition analyses prepared for the competent authorities in order to ensure full transparency of the remediation process towards citizens, the local community and interested economic operators.
The Fund is actively cooperating with the Lika-Senj County authorities and representatives of local residents through the continuous exchange of information regarding the progress of the remediation programme. As part of these efforts, additional funding has been secured for the fencing of the site and the installation of video surveillance systems, further reducing the risk of unauthorised access and additional environmental contamination.
