Welcome to Dvor Municipality – the place where the state pays 1.5 million euros annually to store radioactive waste, while residents flee for their lives!
Radioactive Waste as a ‘Blessing’
Dvor Municipality, with only about 2,000 residents, is about to become the site of a long-term storage facility for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Krško nuclear power plant. Yes, you read that right – the state will pay this municipality 1.5 million euros every year as compensation for the ‘honor’ of receiving radioactive waste.
Depopulation and Infrastructure Collapse
Dvor has been on the brink of collapse for over a decade. Its population has halved over the last century, from 27,000 to just 2,000 people. Floods, isolation from the rest of Croatia, and infrastructural problems are daily realities. And now, instead of help, radioactive waste is coming in – as if life wasn’t hard enough already.
Money That Can’t Buy Life
The amount of 1.5 million euros per year sounds like a lot, but is it really help? The money is strictly earmarked and cannot be used for paying salaries or covering losses. It can be spent on improving communal infrastructure, education, healthcare, tourism, and climate change adaptation. But can it compensate for the damage radioactive waste brings?
Political Games and Distrust
The mayor of Dvor, Nikola Arbutina, is cautious and distrustful, which is understandable. For years, he has appealed to the government about the problems but received little or no response. Now, when the state finally offers money, it feels like selling them a mirage – money for radioactive waste that will ruin their lives.
What Do the Regulations Say?
According to the decree, 20% of the money must go to increasing parental benefits and child allowances, 30% to public needs like education and healthcare, and 50% to communal infrastructure and tourism development. But all this sounds like a drop in the ocean compared to the problems this municipality faces.
Conclusion: Victory or Defeat?
Dvor gets money but loses its future. Radioactive waste is not just a storage problem – it’s a problem of life, health, and survival. While the state distributes money, residents leave. Is this the right path or just another example of how politics and money can destroy small communities?
If you think this is crazy or have your own take, drop a comment below – let’s see who else thinks this is a total mess or maybe someone has a different view on this!
