SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS POINT TO RISKS AT TRGOVSKA GORA WASTE SITE

ZVORNIK, APRIL 28 /SRNA/ – All key factors - seismic, tectonic and hydrogeological - indicate that Čerkezovac at Trgovska Gora in Croatia is not a suitable location for a radioactive waste disposal site, said Cvjetko Sandić, Deputy Director of the Republika Srpska Institute for Geological Research.

Sandić explained that the Institute's task is to present findings that the BiH Expert Team can use to build a well-argued case before international bodies to prevent the construction of a radioactive waste facility at Trgovska Gora.

"We wanted to present the Geological Institute as a credible institution that has adequately fulfilled its task, namely, to explore a large area that had previously been something of an unknown for us", Sandić told reporters after a meeting of relevant stakeholders dealing with the Trgovska Gora issue.

He noted that additional laboratory analyses are still pending and will be conducted in the coming period.

Sandić said the purpose of today's meeting was to familiarize the BiH Expert Team with new facts and arguments regarding Trgovska Gora, adding that participants were presented with new geological evidence showing that the area of Novi Grad is geologically connected with Croatia, meaning any incident could pose a serious threat to Republika Srpska and BiH.

Member of the Trgovska Gora Expert Team Nemanja Galić said that the team will use the Geological Institute's findings at a meeting in Geneva in May, stressing their crucial importance and added that the Institute will remain highly relevant in the further process.

"The Geological Institute's presentation is extremely important. The research was conducted thoroughly and professionally. We now have useful scientific conclusions supported by appropriate expert arguments, confirming earlier assumptions that the Čerkezovac site is unsuitable for radioactive waste storage", Galić stressed.

He added that Croatia has completed its environmental impact study, which the BiH Expert Team has not yet received but expects in the coming period.

He emphasized that a key issue is that Croatia did not allow experts from BiH to participate in the research and has, for the past three years, stopped sharing any information, even basic data, on the matter.

The Chairperson of the Expert Team Enver Dizdarević stressed that there are now concrete geological, hydrological, geophysical, seismotectonic and research results produced by the Republika Srpska Geological Institute in Zvornik, which are of great importance.

"In order to build a nuclear facility, certain criteria must be met, including obtaining environmental impact approval", Dizdarević said.

According to him, when discussing potential negative cross-border impacts during both normal and emergency operations of such a facility, it is crucial to demonstrate that no damage will occur beyond national borders.

He assessed that solid progress has been made so far and that efforts should continue in order to participate on an equal footing in the discussions in Geneva and to argue for the information that Croatia may not provide in its study.