Kreševo: No one can stop the lime producer from polluting the environment

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Citizens are raising their voices, organizing protests, reporting irregularities to inspections, signing petitions, but – the investor continues to do as they please.

The lime producer and quarry of the company BFS d.o.o. have, according to citizens and municipal authorities, been operating outside of regulations and necessary permits for years.

The Mayor of Kreševo Municipality, Renato Pejak, states that according to the environmental permit issued by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the company BFS d.o.o. uses gas as an energy source, but in reality, railway sleepers and tires are used, which causes enormous consequences for the life and health of the residents of the Bjelovići settlement.

Earlier, in 2019, the Mining and Geological Inspection of the Ministry of Economy of Central Bosnia Canton prohibited them from carrying out mining operations at the Rastovica and Krčevine sites until they obtained approval for exploration and exploitation, as well as other approvals prescribed by the Law on Mining. In addition, the cantonal water inspector of Central Bosnia Canton issued them a decision on a permanent ban on discharging sludge or sediment from the quarry separation into the stream, and subsequently wrote them four penalty orders because they continued to do so.

Inspectors, ministries, the municipal council, and the mayor are all aware of these issues, but the situation is not changing. Even the Federal Water Inspector has handed the case over to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office, but there is still no feedback on when the case will be considered.

The mayor claims that he has spoken with the investor several times, and that the investor himself promised to procure a sludge pump that would permanently solve the river pollution problem. According to the Mayor of Kreševo Municipality, the price of this sludge pump is 30,000 KM.