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Croatia: Toxic waste protest draws tens of thousands
dw.com • • world
Key Points:
- Tens of thousands protested in Zagreb against the Croatian government for its inaction on illegal toxic waste storage, particularly at a landfill near Gospic holding waste from countries including Germany and Italy.
- Protesters demanded the clearing of all illegal landfills, a new national waste management plan within 20 days, and a temporary ban on waste imports to prevent groundwater pollution.
- An ongoing investigation, involving Europol and Croatian authorities, targets 13 suspects and four companies accused of illegally dumping around 35,000 tons of waste, mostly from Italy, with forged recycling documents generating about €4 million in profits.
- Environmental activists claim even higher amounts of waste have been dumped, and prosecutors confirmed soil contamination in Gospic has spread beyond the landfill, posing significant environmental and health risks despite drinking water currently being unaffected.
- Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic pledged to cover the toxic waste site by mid-October before its removal, signaling government action in response to the crisis.
