Residents of the Nikšić settlements of Straševina and Kličevo, who have been protesting for a month and have been organizing blockades of the Nikšić-Podgorica main road for a longer period of time, due to grit that has been deposited on their properties, but also on land belonging to the Railway Infrastructure of Montenegro and the Municipality of Nikšić, until the 23rd. will not block the Budoš tunnel in September, because they were promised that by then the grit from their settlements would be disposed of at another location.
This was agreed at a meeting of the locals with the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North Damjan Ćulafić, President of the Municipal Assembly Nikšić with Nemanja Vuković and the director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Milan Gazdić.
The disputed waste was deposited at the mentioned locations by the company "MM System", which, after the reaction of the locals, was ordered by the Directorate for Inspection Affairs to move the waste to another location. She still hasn't done it, and the residents of Straševina and Kličevo, as well as the President of the Municipality Marko Kovačević, demanded that the waste be moved outside of Nikšić.
Nikola Perović, representative of the citizens, said that they agreed to wait for the voluntary execution of the decision made by the acting inspector, that the deadline is September 23, and if that does not happen, they will continue with the protests.
"For now, we will not protest, we will not harass passengers, we will not usurp the road as citizens. We have promises, we are satisfied, and we have to wait for the voluntary implementation of the solution. This is a civil protest and we are not the ultimate. We did not come to break the law. The agency can make a decision to dispose of that waste on the territory of the municipality of Nikšić. We will appeal and our request is that it not be in Nikšić, but we are not in a position to set conditions, but that it be safely removed outside the populated place. The location is being sought and we are trying to ensure that it is not on the territory of the Nikšić municipality," said Perović.
After the meeting, Minister Ćulafić said that he will wait for the "MM System" to voluntarily execute the inspection order, and if that does not happen, the municipality of Nikšić will do the relocation of the grit with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Ecology.
"We have found an optimal solution, which is for the Municipality of Nikšić to do the maximum in terms of actual removal of waste from that location and to make the maximum effort, if possible, to find a safe location on the territory of the Municipality of Nikšić. If it is not possible, to dislocate the waste from Nikšće. Whether it will be at a legal landfill in Podgorica or whether it will be a temporary disposal site that meets the conditions, we will discuss and decide on that," said Ćulafić after the meeting, stressing that the ecological picture of Montenegro is "a crucial topic that everyone should we deal with".
Nemanja Vuković emphasized that the Municipality of Nikšić is not responsible for the mentioned problem, but that every problem of the citizens of Nikšić is also a problem of the local self-government and that it immediately got involved to solve that problem.
"The conclusion of the meeting is that we will allow space for voluntary execution, and after that we will see what the mechanisms are, together with the Ministry, and find a way and location where this waste will be moved. After that, we will initiate all legal procedures so that the damage is repaired and those funds invested in removing and solving the problem that others caused to Nkšić, compensate the Municipality of Nikšić, the Ministry of Interior and all those who will be involved in it," said Vuković.
As he said, the meeting of the locals with the minister is only a stepping stone to solve the problem.
"There are locations that have been taken into consideration. I am glad that there is flexibility and I am grateful to fellow citizens and neighbors for their understanding and willingness to solve the problem together in the best possible way", said Vuković.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a permit to the company "MM System" to temporarily dispose of and process disputed waste at locations in Nikšić, which was found to be non-hazardous by the analyzes of the Center for Toxicological Research (CETI). According to the director of the Agency, Milana Gazdić, there is a clearly defined legal regulation and procedure for obtaining permits.
"We will check all allegations again and, of course, act according to the law," Gazdić said.
The agency, he pointed out, did not issue a new decision that non-hazardous waste ceases to be non-waste because they "found deficiencies" in the company that submitted the request. He pointed out that the company "MM System" had the permission of individual owners of private plots to dispose of waste on their land, but that it did not have permission from all owners, as well as from the Railway Infrastructure and the Municipality of Nikšić.
After the meeting, the meeting participants visited the locations where the company "MM System" deposited grit.
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