With the financial assistance of the European Union, the project “Explosive Ordnance and Remnants of War Destruction – EXPLODE” finalized landslide remediation activities in the military ammunition disposal site TROM in Doboj on August 18. These efforts reverse the effects of the last year’s floods and remove the risks the landslide posed to explosive ordnance disassembly and storage depots. TROM was directly imperilled by the possibility of a landslide overpowering the facility and compromising the facility’s ability to operate.
“The landslide was among the biggest safety threats in TROM endangering ammunition delamination processes and safe storage of ammunition. The assistance of UNDP and the EU within Project EXPLODE was timely and highly relevant. There was a risk of uncontrolled explosion and serious injury of personnel engaged in the operation in case the land slid further,” said Colonel Dalibor Peric of the Ministry of Defence of BiH.
These efforts to resolve the damage floods caused to the military site and improve infrastructure, particularly concerning high-security areas like TROM which house hazardous material, make it possible for on-site personnel to conduct their activities without the risk of being injured. Providing a safe environment for operations is fundamental to fulfil the disposal objectives Project EXPLODE has outlined.
The European Union invested over 4,6 million EUR in improving safety of ammunition stockpiles. An exponential increase in ammunition disposal rates is foreseen with disposal of over 2,000 tons of unsafe ammunition to be reached this year, improving safe storage of ammunition and training the Ministry of Defence senior officers to manage their stockpiles safely.
Andy McGuffie, Spokesperson of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative said: “We welcome the progress being made in the disposal of unsafe ammunition. This will help Bosnia and Herzegovina to significantly decrease the time required to close this post-conflict chapter. Obviously it was a high priority for everyone’s safety to act to prevent any landslide in this military ammunition disposal site. In this and other ways, the EU is working to help BiH cope with and prevent natural and man-made disasters that can have a negative impact not only in this country but also in the wider region.”
Project EXPLODE is financed by the European Union in the total value of 4,604,830 EUR. Project EXPLODE is implemented by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the OSCE Mission to BiH. The Project will run until May 2016.
