Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Zagreb on Saturday to protest the Croatian government's delay in cleaning up an illegal hazardous waste site in Gospic. The protesters are demanding an immediate ban on waste imports and a definitive plan to remediate the toxic site.
The €4 million Europol crackdown and the Gospic scandal
The illegal dumping crisis in Gospic is part of a broader pattern of hazardous waste trafficking within the European Union. As reported by the AP,an initial investigation by Europol and Croatian police last February led to the arrest of 13 individuals suspected of illegally importing and disposing of toxic materials. These suspects allegedly generated at least €4 million in illegal profits from these operations.
The waste involved in this scandal was not local; Europol's findings indicated that much of the material ended up in Gospic after being imported from other EU nations, specifically Italy, Slovenia, and Germany.. This highlights a systemic vulnerability where wealthier nations' waste can be illicitly moved across borders to less regulated sites.
PFAS and heavy metals in the Gospic soil
Environmental concerns in Gospic have escalated following a recent expert report from the Croatian anti-corruption agency, USKOK . The report states that the soil at the abandoned industrial site contains elevated concentrations of metals and that PFAS compounds—often referred to as "forever chemicals"—have been detected in the local groundwater.
The scale of the contamination is massive, with residents fearing that approximately 37,000 metric tons of waste remain buried underground. This mixture includes hazardous materials such as medical waste, plastics, construction debris, and discarded electronic equipment,all of which pose a direct threat to the local ecosystem.
Karst terrain and the looming Adriatic Sea threat
The geographical makeup of the Gospic region significantly increases the risk of a widespread ecological disaster.. Experts warn that the area's karst terrain, characterized by loose soil and complex river systems, could act as a conduit for pollution , potentially carrying toxins from the site toward the Adriatic Sea.
Because Gospic is situated near a nature park and is known for its lakes and forests, the potential for groundwater contamination affects not just the 12,000 local residents, but the broader environmental health of the Croatian coastline . This makes the remediation of the site a matter of national environmental security rather than just a local municipal issue.
Contradictory water tests and the 'eco-mafia' allegations
A significant gap remains between the government's official stance and the findings of anti-corruption investigators . While the Croatian government has claimed that multiple water and soil tests in Gospic came back negative for contamination, the USKOK report tells a different story regarding the presence of PFAS and heavy metals.
This discrepancy has fueled accusations of corruption among the local population. Protesters have raised several unverified but serious claims, including the allegation that "someone was paid to look the other way" during the dumping process. Furthermore, while the government has promised a long-term plan and the selection of a company to clear some waste, the public is still waiting for a remediation schedule that includes clearly defined, enforceable deadlines.
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