Ekonomija Landfill
Above remediation valueMedia tested
Summary
The Ekonomija landfill was Zavidovići's municipal dump from the 1960s until its official closure in 2017, and is still occasionally used for bulky waste. It sits only about 300 metres from the river Bosna and from a public drinking-water source. Preliminary testing revealed more serious contamination: in the sediment of the watercourse draining the site, nickel and chromium reached the level indicating that cleanup is needed. Several metals were also above the level at which land is no longer considered clean, while oil- and combustion-related pollutants, and the nearby surface water, were within the prescribed limits.
Assessment findings
Findings of concern
- In the sediment of the watercourse draining the site, nickel and chromium reached the level indicating that cleanup is needed — the most serious findings at the site.
- Nickel was also above the level at which land is no longer considered clean in the soil, cadmium in all soil and sediment samples, and cobalt, copper and zinc in the sediment and the deeper soil layer.
- In the surface soil, one compound from the pesticide group was reported above that level.
- The closed landfill lies close to the river Bosna and to a public drinking-water source, generates substantial leachate believed to affect the river Bosna, and has no system to treat it.
Positive findings
- Oil-related pollutants were within limits in every soil and sediment sample.
- Pollutants associated with combustion were within limits in every soil and sediment sample.
- The nearby surface water met the assessed quality limits.
- Lead and selenium were within limits in every soil and sediment sample, and the great majority of the tested pesticides were within limits in the soil.
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
- Decision on the characterization of surface and groundwater, reference conditions and parameters for water status assessment and water monitoring (Official Gazette of FBiH No. 01/14)
- 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.
