A popular beach in Croatia is polluted with toxic waste. Despite warnings, the section near Split remains open – and tourists are left in the dark.
A public beach in Solin, near the Croatian city of Split, has been contaminated with toxic waste for decades. The affected section, called Kosice, is located in the tourist district of Vranjic, also known as “Little Venice.” As Austria’s “Kleine Zeitung” reports, concerned locals have been warning for years that both tourists and locals are lingering on the beach and children playing in the sand without being informed about the contamination with carcinogenic asbestos waste.
Marijana Grubić, head of the initiative “Mjesto koje hoće živjeti 2020” (in English: “A place that wants to live”), is campaigning for the beach to be closed and warning signs to be put up, according to the report. According to the “Kleiner Zeitung”, however, no action has been taken so far. Instead, arguments continue over who is responsible for solving the problem.
The toxic waste comes from a former cement factory that discharged its construction waste directly into the sea. There is no legal successor to the company and therefore no one who feels responsible for the removal. Grubić criticizes that various authorities are postponing the problem. She is quoted as saying: “Inspections, ministries, the state regulator and the Environmental Protection Agency intend to delay the solution to this problem for the next 15 years.”
The mayor of Solin, Dalibor Ninčević, stated that the beach would not be closed until the renovation began. Pollution of the sea itself cannot be detected. A renovation of the beach is planned, but only after receiving a location and building permit as well as EU co-financing.
Meanwhile, warning signs and a fence around the beach remain missing. The environmental authority points out that this is not their responsibility.
In contrast, the effects of a new regulation in Milan on tourists are far less dramatic. The Italian metropolis is planning to ban the sale of pizza and ice cream at night for noise protection reasons. The local traders don’t like it at all.