THE TRGOVSKA GORA CASE CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

NOVI GRAD, DECEMBER 10 /SRNA/ - President of the Green Team Association Mario Crnković stated that on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, during a symposium held in Banja Luka, participants highlighted that one of the fundamental human rights is the right to a healthy environment.

He explained that the paper titled "Elements of Environmental Racism in the Trgovska Gora Case" was presented at the event, focusing on applying contemporary theoretical approaches to environmental racism in relation to the planned placement of different types of radioactive waste directly along the border with BiH. "The aim of the paper was to examine whether patterns of disproportionate exposure, institutional exclusion, selective application of standards, and structural vulnerability - elements recognized by contemporary literature on environmental racism - can be identified in this case. The analysis was based on documented facts, technical and scientific sources, international conventions, and the chronology of institutional activities of the two countries," Crnković said. He noted that, according to modern approaches, environmental racism arises under specific circumstances when environmental burdens are concentrated on communities with reduced political power, lower socio-economic capacity, and limited access to information—some of the defining characteristics present in the Trgovska Gora case. "The literature particularly emphasizes that these criteria can also apply in international and cross-border cases when there is a clear asymmetry of risks and benefits," Crnković underlined. As part of the research, an analysis was conducted of publicly available documentation from Croatia, expert opinions, scientific papers, institutional correspondence, and international reports. Crnković said that the findings indicate the presence of characteristics associated with structural environmental racism, which can be observed as consequences of historical, economic, and political patterns shaping the distribution of environmental risks. "These findings are not pleasant, but they oblige us to internationalize the issue, pursue additional research, and initiate legal proceedings that will help defend the human rights of more than 250,000 citizens in the northwestern region of BiH," said Crnković, who co-authored the paper with ecologist Milanka Knežević. Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska Bojan Vipotnik today opened the scientific symposium "Trgovska Gora - Proposed Site for Radioactive Waste Disposal" in Banja Luka. The symposium is organized by the Department of Natural-Mathematical and Technical Sciences of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka. The event is supported by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers, and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund of Republika Srpska.