The Republic of Croatia will not abandon the construction of a storage facility for the disposal of radioactive and nuclear waste on Trgovska Gora. Its construction is planned for 2025, and it should start operating in 2026. Side from Bosnia and Herzegovinanclaims that it will use all legal and diplomatic tools to prevent Croatia from its intentions.
The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina still claim that the battle for Trgovska Gora is not lost. They are categorical that Croatia needs to find another location for storing nuclear and radioactive waste, because otherwise the lives of 250 thousand citizens in 13 municipalities in the Una basin will be endangered.
STAŠA KOŠARAC, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
“We are not naive. A fight will follow and my call is to all levels of government to make Croatia impossible in their intentions”.
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia should soon present the content of the Environmental Impact Study. The study should prescribe environmental protection measures that prevent negative impacts during the operation of the radioactive waste storage at the Čerkezovac location.
NEMANJA GALIĆ, member of the BiH legal team
“Two, three months ago, we sent a response with comments from the BiH side on the content of the environmental impact study, and now we are waiting for their response, what will they do with those comments. This is their official move, we responded in the prescribed manner, and now they are on the move”.
TONČI TADIĆ, nuclear physicist, Croatia
“I would first ask everyone in BiH to reduce tensions. That project went through all possible reviews before it was approved.”
According to the strategy on the collection of radioactive waste in Croatia, the Čerkezovac location was mentioned for the first time in 1999. Fourteen years later it was approved. Neither in 1999 nor in 2014 did anyone from Bosnia and Herzegovina react. Is the battle for Trgovska Gora over?
JASMIN EMRIĆ, representative in the House of Representatives of the PSBiH
“BiH institutions did not react in a timely manner when the decision on the location was made. Now we have consequences because the strategic plan of the Republic of Croatia is being implemented.”
And what about radioactive waste in BiH, where will it be stored? Officials say that these are so-called spent sources, which have not yet been declared radioactive. We are talking about consumable sources created in industry, medicine and science. Locations are being prepared for their storage.
EMIR DIZDAREVIĆ, Agency for Nuclear and Radioactive Safety of Bosnia and Herzegovina
“At the moment, we have most of the sources that we have collected in two locations. The plan is to get two containers in two locations and to start conditioning them, we will reduce the volume occupied by radioactive sources”.
The Republic of Croatia plans to invest 220 million euros in the construction of a warehouse on Trgovska Gora, and the first containers with waste from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant are expected in 2027.
