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BHS
3. Maj Barracks, Doboj
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3. Maj Barracks

Above remediation value

Doboj Military site Site ID: BiH-RS-32 Report date: 2026-02-04

Note. This is a preliminary assessment. The general conclusion of the report is that the location requires further detailed analysis. The data shown is not a final risk determination.

Media tested

  • Soil
  • Subsoil
  • Water

Summary

The "3. maj" Barracks in Doboj is an active Ministry of Defence military site — a complex of about 22 hectares where ammunition and mine-explosive devices are destroyed, neutralised and maintained. Soil and water were tested. In the soil, one legacy pesticide reached a level indicating a need for cleanup, while several metals, compounds linked to combustion and other legacy pesticides were above the level at which soil is no longer considered clean. The stream entering the complex exceeds limits for manganese and nickel, but where it leaves the compound it is in the best water-quality class.

Assessment findings

Findings of concern

  • In the soil, one legacy pesticide from earlier use reached a level indicating a need for cleanup.
  • Several metals and metalloids, compounds associated with combustion, and other legacy pesticides were above the level at which land is no longer considered clean, including the zones where munitions and explosive materials are destroyed.
  • In the stream where it enters the barracks compound, manganese and nickel exceed the prescribed water-quality limits.
  • The site lies on permeable gravelly-sandy alluvial deposits with a shallow aquifer hydraulically linked to the river Bosna, and a stream flows through the compound; rainfall infiltration and surface runoff can carry contaminants toward groundwater and the stream.

Positive findings

  • Both at the explosives-burning area and where it leaves the barracks compound, the stream met the best water-quality class for every parameter tested.
  • Pollutants associated with oil, solvents and industrial oils were within the prescribed limits in the soil.
  • Apart from one legacy pesticide, no other parameter in the soil reached a level indicating a need for cleanup, and the site itself is not within a flood zone.

Photo gallery

The project results have been submitted to the competent institutions as a basis for improving regulation and for strategic planning of further activities.

Legal basis

  • Rulebook on limit and remediation values of polluting, harmful and hazardous substances in soil (Official Gazette of RS No. 82/21)
  • Decree on water classification and watercourse categorization (Official Gazette of RS No. 42/01)

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The Catalysing the Green Transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina Portfolio (GTP) is a joint initiative of the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by UNDP, and co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, with the support and strategic partnership of Sweden and the Government of Switzerland. It brings together UN agencies, including FAO, ILO, UNECE, UNEP, UNODC and UN Women, along with national institutions and authorities at all levels, to drive the country’s green, inclusive, and sustainable transition across four key areas: decarbonization, depollution, biodiversity and nature, and circular economy.