The Croatian Parliament, at its session on December 15, adopted the Law on the construction of a radioactive waste management facility at Trgovska Gora.
According to the National Program for the Implementation of the Strategy on the Management of Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources, and Spent Nuclear Fuel approved by the Croatian Government at the end of 2018 Trgovska Gora and the Čerkezovac barracks have been designated as the site for the long-term disposal of such waste.
The facility will store low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia, as well as radioactive waste generated within Croatia.
The disposal site is located approximately 800 meters in a straight line from the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and about one kilometer from a water source supplying the municipality of Novi Grad, which provides drinking water to around 15,000 residents.
Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina oppose the establishment of the radioactive waste management facility, warning that it could endanger the lives and health of residents in the Una River basin.
They also estimate that 13 municipalities in northwestern Bosnia, home to nearly 250,000 people, could be affected.
Five years ago, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a decision to appoint a team of experts to monitor developments and activities related to the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the Trgovska Gora site.
Their task was to prepare a comprehensive professional analysis of the situation and the potential impact of the disposal site, as well as to draft proposals for protective measures for the population in the 13 municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Una River basin and for environmental protection.
Meanwhile, the Croatian Government stated in its justification that the adoption of the law is necessary to fulfill obligations toward the European Union and international agreements, and to ensure the long-term and safe management of radioactive waste.
