The Croatian Parliament, at its session on December 15, adopted the Law on the construction of a radioactive waste management center in Tegovska Gora.
According to the National Program for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Management of Radioactive Waste, Utilized Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel, approved by the Government of Croatia at the end of 2018, Tërgovska Gora and the Čerkezovac barracks are envisaged as locations for the long-term disposal of this waste.
Low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Krško nuclear power plant in Slovenia, as well as radioactive waste generated on the territory of Croatia, will be deposited there.
The storage location is located about 800 meters as the crow flies from the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one kilometer from the water source for the municipality of Novi Grad, from which nearly 15 thousand residents are supplied with water.
Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina oppose the opening of a radioactive waste management center, as they believe 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 residents, will be at risk.
Five years ago, the Bosnian Council of Ministers approved the decision to appoint a team of experts to monitor the situation and activity related to the issue of 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 condition and potential impact of the landfill at this location, 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 Government of Croatia, in justifying the decision, emphasized that the adoption of the law is necessary to fulfill obligations towards the European Union and international agreements, as well as to ensure the long-term and safe management of radioactive waste./ REL
