On two evenings, residents stopped lorries near Kapelica on their way to the Holcim plant. There is no organised roadblock on Saturday, but the dispute over roughly 300 tonnes of waste from Gospić continues.
Two evenings of roadblocks—no continuation on Saturday
Residents of the Labin area blocked lorry access near Kapelica towards Holcim's cement plant in Koromačno on 24 and 25 September. Police managed traffic on the second evening: cars could pass, lorries could not. HRT reported that the action remained peaceful.
A further roadblock was initially announced for Saturday. On the morning of 26 September, however, co-organiser Tanja Pejić said there would be no organised roadblock that day and the planned activities had been suspended. The protest is to continue through legal channels. An ongoing road closure must therefore not be inferred from the previous day's announcement.
The trigger was a government assignment of 10 September
The Croatian government instructed Holcim Hrvatska in Koromačno and NEXE in Našice to urgently take over, transport and recover—or otherwise treat as permitted by law—waste classified as non-hazardous from the former PPK Velebit complex in Gospić.
The Environment Ministry gives the quantity as around 650 tonnes. The financial framework is capped at €375,000 excluding VAT and the assignment is to be completed within 45 days. The contractor previously selected in a procurement procedure withdrew from carrying out the work on 9 September.
Around 300 tonnes are expected to go to Koromačno
Holcim itself says approximately 300 tonnes will go to Koromačno. The government notice does not yet definitively allocate that share: the actual total quantity is to be measured before collection and the portion assigned to each contractor determined from it.
The official purpose is energy recovery as an alternative fuel in the regular cement process. That is more than simple storage, but it is not the same as claiming that Koromačno is legally a stand-alone waste incineration plant. The official procedural term is R1 recovery.
Non-hazardous is a classification—not a blanket assurance
The government and Environment Ministry say several independent analyses confirmed the material's non-hazardous properties. At the county assembly, the director of the Environmental Protection Fund cited two analyses covering around 650 tonnes in 335 bags and announced another independent examination before final treatment.
That classification applies to the selected and packaged quantity covered by the current assignment. It must not be extended to all improperly stored waste in the larger Gospić complex. Every specific delivery must also meet the conditions of the permit.
Which permits are documented for the plant
The ministry publishes the environmental permits and amendments for the Koromačno plant. An official extract from the waste-management plan expressly lists R1—the principal use of waste as fuel or for energy generation—and R13, storage pending recovery.
Holcim says every consignment is checked for analysis and compliance with permit conditions before acceptance, and that emissions are measured continuously. This documents the operator's position and announced procedure. Whether an individual delivery actually meets all requirements is established only after its specific inspection.
County and municipality demand tighter oversight
The Istria County Assembly has called on the government to withdraw the decision and find another solution. Its main criticism is that regional and local bodies were not involved before the decision was made.
A working group with a four-year mandate has also been established, and transparent emissions data are being demanded. The Municipality of Raša additionally calls for an independent analysis before acceptance, continuous monitoring, public data and stronger local participation.
Ambient air measurements and plant emissions are not the same figure
Holcim says emissions remain within legal limits and air quality has been in the first category for years. That is the operator's statement. The county public health institute has so far confirmed predominantly first-category results for the ambient parameters it monitors, with the exception of ground-level ozone.
According to the institute, this ozone is not a direct indicator of cement-plant operations and is also elevated at other stations. At the same time, the institute monitors ambient air, not emissions directly at the stack. Plant measurements are governed by the environmental permit and supervised by state authorities.
What remains unclear about the road and delivery
By the editorial deadline there was no official confirmation that the lorries stopped on the two evenings were carrying the announced waste from Gospić. No public delivery schedule or confirmed route was available either. Claims about diverted or parked lorries have not been substantiated as findings by the authorities.
The Labin–Stanišovi–Koromačno connection runs through the Kapelica area as county road ŽC 5103. No organised roadblock is announced for 26 September. At 18:00 on Monday, 28 September, the City of Labin and the Kapelica local committee intend to discuss lorry traffic with residents in the large council chamber at Titov trg 11.
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- 45-day deadline for disposal of non-hazardous waste from GospićGovernment of the Republic of Croatia · 10 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Contractors, waste types, deadline, financial framework, analyses, permit requirements, quantity determination and traceability
- Government secures removal of 650 tonnes of non-hazardous waste from PPK Velebit in GospićMinistry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition · 10 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Approximate total quantity, 45-day deadline, Holcim and NEXE, and traceability
- Holcim responds to call to recover a smaller portion of non-hazardous waste from GospićHolcim Hrvatska · 10 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Operator's figure of around 300 tonnes, checks on every consignment and continuous emissions monitoring
- Holcim Hrvatska d.o.o., Koromačno – environmental permitsMinistry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition · Permits and amendments through 7 May 2024; checked 26 September 2026Official environmental permit and documented amendments for the Koromačno plant
- Istria County Assembly calls for withdrawal of decision on waste from GospićIstria County · 21 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Demand for withdrawal, working group, municipal demands, analyses and interpretation of air measurements
- Roadblock towards the Koromačno cement plant continuesHRT · 25 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Second evening of roadblocks, police traffic management and peaceful course
- No organised roadblock tonightIstarski.hr / Labinština.info · 26 September 2026, 06:35; checked 26 September 2026Cancellation of the organised roadblock on 26 September and continuation through legal channels
- Meeting with Kapelica residents on MondayLabinština.info, citing the City of Labin · 25 September 2026; checked 26 September 2026Location, time and subject of the residents' meeting on 28 September
