Šišecam Soda Ash Factory
Above remediation valueMedia tested
Summary
The Šišecam soda-ash factory complex in the Lukavac industrial zone includes several settling ponds, some no longer in use. As the factory did not grant access to its own grounds, sampling was done on the municipally owned "Bijelo More" settling pond, on surrounding farmland, and on the ash and slag deposits used as fill along the bed of the Lukavačka river. Preliminary testing revealed more serious contamination: in the soil, the sediment and the ash itself, nickel reached the level indicating that cleanup is needed, while several other metals were above the level at which land is no longer considered clean. A surface-water sample nonetheless met the prescribed limits.
Assessment findings
Findings of concern
- In the soil, in the sediment and in the ash itself that is used as fill along the bed of the Lukavačka river, nickel reached the level indicating that cleanup is needed — the most serious finding at the site.
- Cadmium and cobalt were above the level at which land is no longer considered clean across all the tested soil, ash and sediment.
- Copper and zinc were above that level in the soil, and zinc in the sediment as well.
- Ash and slag from the production process are deposited and used to fill depressions along the bed of the Lukavačka river, a pathway for contamination to spread toward the watercourse and the surrounding land.
Positive findings
- Lead, selenium and chromium were within limits across all the tested soil, ash and sediment.
- Oil-related and combustion-related pollutants, as well as solvents and persistent industrial compounds, were within limits in the soil and sediment.
- The surface-water sample from the municipal settling pond met the applicable discharge limits.
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
- Decree on the conditions for the discharge of wastewater into the environment and public sewerage systems (Official Gazette of FBiH No. 26/20, 96/20, 01/24)
- Rulebook on limit and remediation values of polluting, harmful and hazardous substances in soil (Official Gazette of RS No. 82/21)
Due to the absence of reference values for soil and sediment in the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska rulebook is applied as a reference framework to ensure methodological consistency between the entities.
