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BHS
Dubrave Barracks, Živinice
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Dubrave Barracks

Above guideline value

Živinice Military site Site ID: BiH-FBIH-88 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

  • Subsoil
  • Sediment
  • Water
  • Groundwater

Summary

Dubrave Barracks is an active military complex near Živinice, with vehicle-maintenance facilities, a fuel station, oil and equipment stores and an old water-supply plant. Deep soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater were tested. No parameter reached a level indicating a need for cleanup, but cadmium, nickel and selenium, along with legacy pesticides, were above the level at which soil is no longer considered clean. Visible oil pollution was observed in the field in a stream beside the vehicle-maintenance area, and the report recommends a more detailed analysis of the water.

Assessment findings

Findings of concern

  • Cadmium, nickel and selenium in the deeper soil and in the sediment were above the level at which land is no longer considered clean.
  • The deeper soil also contained legacy pesticides from earlier use, above the level at which soil is no longer considered clean.
  • Visible oil pollution was observed in the field — on concrete surfaces and soil in the vehicle-maintenance zones, and in the standing water of a small stream crossing the site, downstream of the workshop.
  • The old internal water-supply plant is dilapidated, sits near a septic pit and is flagged as microbiologically unsafe; the report's general conclusion is that the location requires a more detailed analysis of the water.

Positive findings

  • No parameter anywhere in the soil or sediment reached a level indicating a need for cleanup.
  • Pollutants associated with oil, industrial solvents, combustion and industrial oils were within the prescribed limits in the soil and sediment, despite the visible oil traces on the surface.
  • Cobalt, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, arsenic and mercury were within the prescribed limits in the soil and sediment, and most measured substances in the surface-water and groundwater samples met the prescribed 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

  • Rulebook on limit and remediation values of polluting, harmful and hazardous substances in soil (Official Gazette of RS No. 82/21)
  • 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)

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.

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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.