Gospić waste scandal: Government initiates remediation of 37,000 tons of illegal waste

illegal waste disposal Gospić environmental scandal Kostak group hazardous waste remediation Croatian environmental policy

A major environmental scandal in Gospić, Croatia, has escalated into a national political crisis following the discovery of approximately 37,000 tons of illegally deposited waste. The waste, which includes hazardous and ecotoxic materials, has been linked to the presence of PFAS compounds in local groundwater.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has announced that the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has selected the Kostak group to perform temporary remediation. This involves covering the buried waste with a waterproof membrane to prevent further seepage into the soil and water, a project valued at approximately 268,740 EUR. The Prime Minister emphasized that this is a necessary interim measure while permanent disposal plans are developed.

The situation has sparked intense criticism from civil initiatives like ‘Gospić je naš dom’, which accuse the government of ignoring the crisis for 18 months. There are also allegations of corruption and organized crime; the Croatian prosecutor's office (USKOK) is investigating the illegal disposal. Furthermore, reports suggest a potential conflict of interest, noting that the company selected for remediation, Kostak, is owned by a Slovenian group currently under investigation in its home country for similar illegal waste activities.

Public outcry is expected to culminate in a large-scale protest in Zagreb on September 5, organized to demand accountability and urgent remediation of the Lika region's environmental damage.

Entities

Andrej Plenković · Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund · Fond za zaštitu okoliša i energetsku učinkovitost · Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency · Gospić · Kostak · Most · PPK Velebit · Tabak Grupa · USKOK · Zoran Milanović

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Tomašević questions why hazardous waste from other European countries is allowed to be imported into Croatia when it cannot be legally processed or disposed of locally.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević asserts that the state is solely responsible for the remediation of hazardous waste at Savica.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Zagreb HDZ party claims there are 33,000 tons of hazardous industrial waste in three lakes at Savica.
[● 3 SOURCES] Kostak was selected to temporarily cover approximately 33,000 tons of buried waste with waterproof film for approximately 268,740 EUR. tockanai.hr
[● 4 SOURCES] Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated that the covering of the landfill is a necessary measure to prevent water seepage. balk.hu · prigorski.hr
[● 4 SOURCES] The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has selected contractors for waste remediation in Gospić. tockanai.hr · balk.hu
[● 3 SOURCES] Tabak Grupa was selected to remove 650 tons of non-hazardous waste from bags for 357,500 EUR.
[● 2 SOURCES] The Croatian prosecutor's office (USKOK) is investigating the illegal disposal of tens of thousands of tons of waste. zipmagazin.hu · prigorski.hr
[● 6 SOURCES] Kostak GTS denies allegations of illegal burying in Slovenia, stating the matter was improper temporary storage. tockanai.hr
[● 2 SOURCES] The 'Gospić je naš dom' initiative criticized the Prime Minister for failing to address the waste crisis for 18 months. ogportal.com · dalmatinskiportal.hr
[● 2 SOURCES] Political party Most claims laboratory analysis found lead, antimony, and PAH compounds in waste at Lički Osik.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The work is not about taking over and disposing of waste, it is exclusively the formation of a surface so that embankments, perimeter channels and the entire area are covered with a waterproof geomemn