North Macedonia faces risk of losing €500,000 grant for chromium cleanup

The civil organization Eco Svast has issued an alert regarding a potential loss of a €500,000 grant intended for the remediation of the Jugohrom wastewater treatment plant. The funds are necessary to begin preparatory activities for cleaning up a landfill containing hexavalent chromium, a highly carcinogenic substance located near Jeganovce.

Environmentalists warn that the toxic landfill poses a severe threat to the Rasce water spring, which serves as a primary source of clean drinking water for Skopje. Current data indicates that groundwater in the vicinity of the landfill is contaminated with hexavalent chromium at levels up to 100,000 times higher than permitted values. Approximately 7,300 tons of this soluble industrial waste are stored across 7.5 hectares near the village of Jeganovce.

To secure the financing from a French company, the Minister of Environment must urgently submit required documentation before the approaching deadline. Failure to do so could result in the loss of the grant, leaving the risk of water contamination unaddressed.