Vranjic residents demand answers over Salonit asbestos remediation

The civic initiative ‘Mjesto koje hoće živjeti’ is demanding answers from Croatian authorities regarding the ongoing asbestos contamination in Vranjic, specifically surrounding the former Salonit factory site.

Although remediation efforts began in 2007, residents claim that nearly two decades later, it remains unclear what has actually been cleaned and what level of supervision was applied to the works. The initiative reports that large quantities of asbestos-containing materials and structures are still visible within the factory grounds.

Citizens are seeking transparency from several institutions, including the Environmental Protection Fund, regarding technical supervision of the Salonit site, the Kava sports center, and the Mravinačka kava landfill. Furthermore, they are requesting specific health data from the Ministry of Health and various public health institutes to determine the number of residents who have fallen ill or died from asbestos-related diseases. The group is also questioning why the area has not been officially designated as a pollution ‘black spot’ and is calling for urgent institutional intervention.