Air pollution is one of the most pressing issues in Zasavje. In the past they saved part of the problem with a very high chimney for the local coal power plant, but they are facing new ones. The biggest problem they are facing in recent years are uncontrolled exhausts caused by incineration of waste for production purposes of a local cement factory Lafarge Cement in Trbovlje. Management of the company argues that they operate within normal range of emited emissions, but locals think otherwise. They also formed a NGO – association called Eko krog to have a legal entity for their strugle. This year 2014 Eko krog won in court, which was followed by act of National Agency for Environment, who repealed the environmental permit for the incineration of waste. In the farmer Uroš Macerl who had led the successful struggle to close this cement factory got a Goldman Prize. |
In 2017 farmer Uroš Macerl founder of the environmental group Eco krog got a Goldman Prize for managing to close down a cement factory from Lafargue to save his community.
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Lafarge cement Trbovlje, Slovenia |
| Country: | Slovenia |
| Location of conflict: | Trbovlje |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Waste Management |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Landfills, toxic waste treatment, uncontrolled dump sites Incinerators |
| Specific commodities: | Industrial waste Cement |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | |
| Type of population | Semi-urban |
| Start of the conflict: | 2005 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Lafarge Cementos from France |
| Relevant government actors: | Slovenian Environment Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Eko krog - Association for nature protection and environmental protection |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | LOW (some local organising) |
| Reaction stage | Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Local ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Local scientists/professionals |
| Forms of mobilization: | Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..) Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Development of a network/collective action Involvement of national and international NGOs Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Media based activism/alternative media Objections to the EIA Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Air pollution, Soil contamination Potential: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Food insecurity (crop damage), Global warming, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide, Occupational disease and accidents, Deaths |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Violations of human rights |
Outcome
| Project Status | Stopped |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Environmental improvements, rehabilitation/restoration of area Court decision (victory for environmental justice) Project temporarily suspended |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Yes |
| Briefly explain: | The cement producer Lafarge Cement is currently withouth the environmental permit (courts decission) for burning hazardous waste. |
Sources & Materials
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Lidja Zivcic |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 399 |
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