The Centar-Sušak local council has requested the remediation and removal of old railway sleepers found in large quantities on the Delta in Rijeka. The request was sent to the City of Rijeka, the Port Authority and the State Inspectorate, asking the competent institutions to react and ensure the proper disposal of the sleepers.
The local council warns that this is hazardous waste that has been exposed to the elements for years. The sleepers have been piled up in the open for years, exposed to sun and rain, while the location is used daily by a large number of residents. Due to the proximity of the heliport, healthcare workers also pass through the area.
Old wooden railway sleepers have been impregnated with creosote oil, a by-product of coal tar distillation, for decades to prevent rot. This oil contains high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene and phenol. According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the World Health Organization, these substances are classified as proven carcinogens for humans. Used railway sleepers are classified as hazardous waste under the Croatian Waste Catalogue.
The local council therefore demands that the sleepers be removed and disposed of at a designated site. It also asks the competent institutions to investigate the situation on the Delta and take the necessary measures.
During this year and last year, numerous reports related to the disposal of old railway sleepers were recorded in Croatia, from Karlovac and Daruvar to Istria. According to the Centar-Sušak local council, these reports resulted in the relocation of the waste or its proper covering.
