For more than a year citizens of Bosanski Petrovac, with the support of civil society organizations from entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, fought against plans for the waste incinerator in their city.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected to issue an environmental permit for set up and work of waste incinerator.
As we previously reported, in August 2020, city council of Bosanski Petrovac made a decision to permanently stop all activities related to the planned project of waste incinerator. But at the beginning of this year, the investor Zanni BH initiated again negotiations with the local government and organized the round table about the waste incinerator in Bosanski Petrovac. However, the citizens of Bosanski Petrovac were not interested to hear investors’ arguments and they loudly and clearly said ‘No!’ to the waste incinerator which was planned at the location four kilometers from the city center. The local population organized public demonstrations, where council members joined them and expressed agreement with the opinion of the citizens and that they will stay with previously made decisions to withdraw support to the waste incinerator. Citizens of Bosanski Petrovac recognized the dangers from the waste incineration for their and their children’s health, sustainability of the agriculture, and natural wealth of this region.
Myth about waste incineration
Waste incineration projects are presented by the investors as ecological, instant solutions for the waste problems. The truth is far away from this. Even modern waste incinerators release highly toxic substances in the environment, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are no institutions equipped to measure levels of these substances in the air, water or soil. Besides, incinerating the waste, permanently are lost resources, and it pushes us more and more away from the much-needed circular economy. Also, the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans points to the necessity of the efficient waste separation and recycling in order to avoid waste landfilling or incineration.
Waste incineration plans in Bosnia and Herzegovina
During the last year and this year three initiatives are started for plants for thermal treatment of waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zvornik, Bosanski Petrovac and Vlasenica). What is common for all three, is the proximity of the settlement and low development of the local area. After citizens and local governments of Zvornik and Bosanski Petrovac openly stood up against waste incinerators in their municipalities, and relevant ministries rejected to issue environmental permits for these projects, we hope that the local community in Vlasenica will recognize the danger from the planned chemical and thermal plastic treatment in their town and stood up against it. It is time to stop harmful projects which damage the environment and human health, and only a small number of investors profit from them.