Petition in Bijeljina, Ugljevik, Lopare and Zvornik: Let Majevica be a Nature Park, not a lithium mine

(Patria) - "Let Majevica be a Nature Park, not a lithium mine" is the motto of the petition launched in four local communities - Bijeljina, Ugljevik, Lopare and Zvornik. This is a civic initiative aimed at protecting the Majevica mountain and preventing geological exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including lithium.

Three months remain until the deadline by which the company Ar Core, which conducted geological surveys on Majevica, can submit an application for a concession to open a mine.

"At the end of July 2023, they had the last day to submit their research, and they were supposed to submit a request for a concession by the end of July this year. In the meantime, they have not yet submitted this request, and the Ministry has extended their deadline for granting the concession from the end of July 2024 to the end of March 2025," states Snežana Jagodić-Vujić, president of the Association "Eko put" from Bijeljina.

Determined not to allow lithium mining, environmental activists have launched a petition, the signing of which demands a moratorium on exploration and mining.

"This digging pollutes groundwater, not only of Bijeljina but also of Tuzla and Brčko... Everything is connected. Unfortunately, people still do not grasp the seriousness of the situation, and we are trying to show the shortcomings and that, in essence, we can only move away from here if this happens," warns Biljana Drinić, representative of the Mountaineering and Ecological Society "Majevica".

Jagodić-Vujić adds that the law states they need 3,000 signatures: "Given that we are conducting the initiative in four local communities, we should collect at least 10,000 signatures – that is a realistic expectation".

The petition signing period will last for 30 days, after which, along with the necessary documentation, it will be submitted to the National Assembly of Republika Srpska. Let's recall, the entity parliament previously considered the "Declaration on Opposition to the Opening of Lithium, Boron, Sodium, Strontium, Potassium Mines and Associated Elements on the Territory of the Municipality of Lopare". However, it was not adopted at the time.

(federalna.ba)