Local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a joint letter to the representatives of the Croatian Parliament expressing serious concern about the announcement of the Republic of Croatia on the adoption of a law on the construction of a center for the disposal of radioactive waste at the location Čerkezovac, Trgovska gora.
“The letter, which the Ministry fully supports, was signed by the mayors and heads of Bihać, Bosanski Petrovac, Bosanska Krupa, Velika Kladuša, and the mayor of Ključ announced that he would join. From the Republika Srpska, the letter was sent by Kostajnica and Gradiška. These are communities that would be directly exposed to the potential cross-border impact of this project. Local communities and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina warn that the announced adoption of a special law (lex specialis) for the construction of a radioactive waste disposal center, which is being discussed in the Croatian Parliament and will soon be decided, allows Croatia to avoid the obligations of strategic environmental impact assessment and adequate involvement of the public from BiH, which is contrary to Directive 2001/42/EC (SEA), the ESPOO Convention, the SEA Protocol and the Aarhus Convention, as well as the UN declarations from Stockholm and Rio,” the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism announced.
They state that all these international obligations require consultations with the states that could be affected, and Bosnia and Herzegovina certainly does, given the proximity of the Čerkezovac site to the Una River, key aquifers and populated areas.
The letter emphasizes that local communities were never actively involved in the site selection process, that alternative options were not considered, and that the location was determined by political decisions without joint field research and assessments by experts from both countries. Particular concern is expressed about the possible impact on drinking water sources, the Una River and the ecosystem of the Una-Sana region, as well as the fact that, according to current estimates, about two-thirds of the possible negative effects would be on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which does not benefit from the project.
“The Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism supports the request of local communities to stop the process and return it to the framework of international conventions, good practices and the full inclusion of Bosnia and Herzegovina in all stages of assessment and decision-making. The Ministry will continue to provide institutional, professional and political support to local communities and the BiH Expert Team, in order to protect the right of citizens to a healthy environment and a secure future, as guaranteed by domestic and international legal acts,” the ministry said.
