PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, OF THE NATO AGGRESSION IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA™ ‘The NATO attacks on FR Yugoslavia have, among other things, inflicted inestimable damage to the environment, put at risk human lives and health, flora and fauna, while all their adverse effects will only be felt in the long germ. After war operations against Yugoslavia stop, it will be possible to put together all relevant data, which are now being collected and processed, and thev will provide documentary evidence about the effects on the environment which have already manifested themselves and been noticed in Yugoslavia as well as others that have not been immediately apparent. At the moment it is difficult to perceive and evaluate all the environmental and other consequences. The greatest victim is the entire Yugoslav people and its material, cultural and environmental resources. In addition, the environment is used as the weapon of mass destruction. CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY WAR OPERATIONS IN YUGOSLAVIA AND THEIR EFFECT A large number of eivilian industrial facilities (until now more than 80), which do not work for the Army, have been attacked and/or destroyed in the bombings by NATO forces Destruction and damage to oil, oil processing and other processing industries is a kind of a chemical war that NATO is waging against Yugoslavia's population by causing spills of harmful chemical substances from the Yugoslav facilities. At this moment, while the NATO aggression is still on, we could provide on-line, but not final ally list of attacked industrial facilities: Fertilizer plant (Nitrogen Processing plant DP HIP AZOTARA), Panicevo "Zastava" car factory in Kragujevac; Petrochemical industry "DP HIP PETROHEMIJA" Oil Refinery in Pan Oil Refinery in Novi Sad 1 2 4 * Prepared by competent authority for environmental protection: Federal Ministry for Development, Science and Environment31 BYE wE WL SSBYRRLBS BRESSE 47. 48. 49. 50. "Krusik" holding corporation in Valjevo; Fuel storage in Lipovica, which caused extensive fire in the Lipovica forest; "Beopetrol” fuel storage in Belgrade; “Beopetrol” fuel storage in Bogutovac; Fuel storage of the boiler plant in Novi Beograd; Chemical industry plant "Prva Iskra” in Baric artid", Smederevo Fuel storage plant in Prahovo RTB Bor " Jugopetro!” fuel installations in Smederevo; Thermo electric power station/boiler plant in Novi Sad; "Jugopetrol” storage in Sombor; Fuel storage "Naftagas promet" which is located 10 km from Sombor; ""Naftagas" warehouse between Conoplja and Kljaicevo (Sombu) Beopetrol” fuel storage in Pristina; Jugopetrol warehouse in Pristina; Jugopetrol petrol station in Pristina; Fuel depot in Gruza, near Kragujevac; PIK "Kopaonik" in Kursumlija; PIK "Mladost” in Gnjilane; Agricultural Complex "Malizgan” in Dolac; Agricultural Complex "Djuro Strugar” in Kula; Agricultural and food-processing plant and a cow-breeding farm with 220 milk cows "Pester", in Sjenica, have been destroyed; Power syply systems (Kolubara, Kostolac, TENT-Obrenovac, ete) Water supply lines (Novi Sad, Zemun,Sjenica etc.) "Zdravlje" pharmaceuticals in Leskovac; Facilities of the pharmaceutical company "Velafarm" in Nis; Sloboda” household appliances factory in Cacak; "Din" tobacco industry in Nis; " cigarette factory in Vranjc; Production line of the tobacco factory " "Elektrotehna" warehouse in Nis Food storage facility "Fidelinka" in Nis; Facilities of the machine industry in Nis; Office building of the company "So Produkt” in Nis; "14 Oktobar" machine factory in Krusevac; Production line of the metal factory “Metalac” in Kursumlija; "Ciklonizacija" in Novi Sad; ““Tehnogas” in Novi Sad; "Novograp" in Novi Sad "Gumins" in Novi Sad; "Albus" in Novi Sad; Petar Drapsin" in Novi Sad; "Motins" in Novi Sad; “Izolacija" in Novi Sad;‘Novokabel” in Novi Sad: “Igua" fidings facwury in Kula, The port of Bogojevo: "Nowa Jugostavija” printers in Vranje 55. Furniture factory "Simpo" in Vranje, 36. Textile industry "Jumko" in Vranje; 57. Wood-processing complex "27. November" in Raska; 38, 539. Lubes factory in Urosevac; “Milan Blagojes ic" chemical plant in Lucani; 60. Plastics factory in Pristina; 61 Cotton yarn factory in Pristina: 62. Shock-absorber factory in Pristina: 63. Surface coal mine "Belacevac"; 64. "Binacka Morava” hydro construction company in Gnjilane; 6). Cigarette factory in Gnyilane; 66. Bauery fucwory in Grjilane: 67. Over 250 commercial and crafts shops in Djakovica were destroyed: AR "Dijana" shoe factory in Sremska Mitrovica: 69. Machine building plant "Industrija Motora Rakovica” in Rakovica: 70. Factory "Jugostroj" in Rakovica; 71. Factory "Frigostroj" in Rakovica; 72. “Lola Utva" agricultural aircraft factory in Pancevo; 73. “Elekuonska indusuija" factory in Nis, 7A, “Jastrebac” machine industry in Nis: 75. Facilities of the "Beograd rail company in Nis: 76. Construction material depot "Ogrev Invest" in Nis; 77. General merchandise depot "Kopaonik" in Nis; 78. Industrial complex "Dvadeset Prvi Maj" in Rakovica; 79. Hazardous substances storages within attacked industrial plants 80. Industry facilities in Vrbas, Sabac and etc. Nestruction of each factory, business capacity and production facility cause environmental damage - some of them only local, and numerous of them regional. We wish here to point out some industrial facilities in particular trom among scores of those which have been bombed as the environmental effects of their devastation are at this moment the most conspicuous. The INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX PANCEVO- Town Pancevo (population cca 150.000) is located 15 km NE of Belgrade. The industrial complex Pancevo includes: the NITROGEN PROCESSING PLANT PANJEVO (factory manufacturing nitrogen fertilizers), the REFINERY PANCEVO and the PETROCHEMICAL PLANT PANCEVO, All three bombed plants are within the industrial zone cca 8 km’, The nearest residential buildings ure less than 150m away the Nitrogen Processing Plant. According to production technology in addition to vinyl-chloride-monomers in the plants is also present the fluid ethyl-dichloride, ethylene, chlorine, chlorine-hydrogen, propylene. ete. All these fluids have been released into the4 atmosphere, water and soil due to NATO bombing and now pose a serious threat to human health in general and to ecological systems locally and in the broader Balkan and European iegions, The damage is indeed enormous. Some plants and warehouses have been directly hit and some destroyed in Ue resulting explosion and fire. The transformer station has also been heavily damaged releasing very toxic transformer oils. A large number of people have been injured, intoxicated and evacuated The estimates are that some 70,000 people have been in dangerous. merous of them were evacuated Aller the strike on the Refinery Complex, several’ reservoirs were set on fire. The reservoirs contained raw oil and derivatives. At the same time Petrochemical Complex was attacked. Rombs hit its reservoirs. They contained: more than thousand tons of vityl-chloride monomer (VCM), chiorine in residues, more than thousand tons of ethylene-dichloride (EDC), few thousand tons of NaOH (40%) and few hundred tons of HCI (33% After the situation had been proclaimed stable (two days later) professional institutions started sxaiuitrations and measurements of concentrations ot certain matters in the soil, surface waters and nutritive plants that were in the territury which surrounds the targeted zone. The soil at the Petrochemical Complex was soaked with EDC. All the chemicals that had been released in water. was present in the surface waters, as well as the compounds resulting from their reactions. To add some other environmental catastrophic cases. The OIL REFINERY IN NOVI SAD. because of its locaton at the very bank of the Danube River in the open Pannonian plain, process a paiticular threw to the environment, Considerable pollution has heen and is being detected in the air and in other mediums of the envitomment (water, soil and biota) and the inhabitants from the nearby area have been evacuated. More serious environmental damages are post-pounded to period with high Danube level During the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia, several transformer stations have been gravely damaged. They have released extremely toxic pyralene transformer oils ( PCBs). Following the attack on a great transformer station in Delgrade, the quantity uf 150 tons of the PCBs oil leaked from. Through a canal system, the oil reached the Rakoviea Stream and the Topeider Rivulet, the right tributary to the river Sava. Being aware of the chemical dangers of this type of oil, professionals fought for seven days to collect the oil from the surface of the river and to prevent the contamination of the Sava River. Their success was only partial. When it become evident that anything and everything could be target, professionals tried to Prevent consequences of very possible chemical accidewts by closing plants, removing chemicals, neutralizing or leaking of the chemicals into surface flows and the ground. Such preventive actions were based in concerns about possible side effects of immediate and acute nature, but they could not have dealt with long-term consequences, Fear and anxiety in the Yugoslav population due to accidents. have resulted in emptying of cooling systems within cuoling plants, which some institutions have decided to do for safety8 reasons. Other have moved or leaked huge quantities of ammonia in the waterflows out of fear of chemical hazards. ‘The Yugoslav pupulatiou is wondering how to chlorinate drinking water if itis forbidden to start the production of chlorine for safety reasons, and how the cooling plants ate supposed lw operate without ammonia We should point out some of the other types of accidents due attack: : Facilities where hazardous waste and chemicals (including PCB in cases where pyralene was replaced by permitted liquids) are safely stored / disposed, under regulatory request, in the factories yards; - Industrial network - electric power - The use of graphite bombs and other materials caused short circuits on long-distance power lines and collapse of the electric pawer system of Serbia. Disruption of electricity means that most not destroyed industrial facilities is unusable: + Industrial network - the road and railway network is destroyed or damaged beyond repair, suffered extensive destruction: - Industrial network - wastewater treatment plants destroyed in attacked facilities and locations; . Industrial network - water supply - destroyed water pipelines in Novi Sad, Beograd, Sjenica and other. About one million citizens and other local facilities are short of water supply due to direct bombing of pipelines. As the result of chemical accidents many of the compounds released cause cancers, miscarriages and birth defects. Other are associated wilh fatal nerve and liver diseases. The effects of the bombing of Yugoslavia's economy equate, in other words, to chemical warfare. WATER POLLUTION AS A RESULT OF WAR OPERATIONS IN (THE DANUBE RIVER, OTHER RIVERS, LAKES, THE ADRIATIC SEA) The pollution of rivers with oil and its derivatives, as well as the potential pollution with acids, alkalis, phenols and suchlike are evident. The pollution of underground watcrs is much more dangerous, since they have a very limited self-purification capacity (this is why "Makis", Belgrade's main aquifer, and many other wells are in great danger, because pollutants reach underground waters both from the surface and by infiltrating through the bank sediments of polluted rivers). It should also be remembered that rivers, although they flow, are being self Purified by their bottom sediments mostly, therefore toxic substances accumulate and, if not degraded, can be released (mobilized) again if there is a change in the physical and chemical properties of the water — ionic strength, pH, redox potential, the presence of complexing agents (including natural ones — humic substances, which can increase at reduce both the mobility and the toxicity of polluting substances). Artificial accumulations on large rivers are in special danger because the process of sedimentation is increased due to the slowing down of the flow of the river ~ this is especially related to the Djerdap accumulations (Yugoslav - Rumanian border). It is a fact that state boundaries do not exist - a dramatic pollution of practically any river in Scrbia will almost certainly affect (in several days, months ur years) the neighboring6 ‘downstream” countries. Technological backwardness of our industry (and infrastructure as a whole) will inflict catastrophic consequences to both underground and surface waters. Namely, the use of polychlorinated biphenyles (PCB) in transformer stations (cancer inducing substances which were banned in the world decades ago) ~ means that destroying any transformer station, whether it is a part of an energy producing section in some of the already destroyed oil refineries, a transformer station in any industrial plant, or in the (now destroyed) transmitting tower at Mt. Avala (near Belgrade), wili cause a spill of these substances. and it is a known fact that one liter of pyralene (PCB) pollutes one billion (10°) liters of water, The harmful by-effects of oil combustion and chemicals in the hit refineries and chemical facilities are already flowing along the international Danube River in the form of ay’oil spilt, it is a known fact that a liter of spilt oil pollutes a million liters of water. As the result of Pancevo accident, a large quantity of oil leaked into the Danube (about 50 tons of the emulsion) and derivates, through a common equipment for the treatment of wastewater (which was not working during aggiession). More dian hundred tons of liquid ammonia leaked from Nitrogen Processing Plant, More than thousand tons of EDC, a few thousand tons of NaOH (¢/ iu) and few hundred tons of HCI até leaked into the Danuhe. Concentratians af several grams per === liter of ethylene-dichloride were found in the deep of the river. Fishing was forbidden. tiowastssaea. According to the examinations performed by competent institutions, there is a decrease in the activity of the river flora and fauna at the penetration point of the chemicals into the Danube. A large quantity of dead fish was observed in area 30-40 km downstream from Pancevo. Due to chemical and other accidents the flora and the fauna of the Danube will not he the same after this NATO aggression. Dead fish and birds have already been sighted on the Danube River. Polluted surface waters belong to the catchment of the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Adriatic Sea, ie. Mediterranean Sea. In addition, the Adriatie Sea is being directly polluted as a result of the presence of battleships and submarines, war operations and their consequences. AIR POLLUTION DUE TO WAR ACTIVITIES Because of NATO's military actions in Yugoslavia the most acute problem is air pollution, in view of the fact that the pollutants spread quickly through the air, that it is impossible to protect the population swiftly and efficiently and because it largely depends on the weather. With pollution which results from the burning of fuel one should primarily pay attention to the products of incomplete combustion - the highly toxic carbon monoxide, aldehydes (which take part in photochemical reactions), soot (which adsorbs extremely dangerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and other substances. Heavy metals are also extremely dangerous, such as mercury, which in its methylated form (the most toxic onc) can be airborne for thousands of miles. If we consider radioactive pollution of the air and the use of 30mm anti-armour ammunition made of so-called depleted uranium - which is inflammable and upon impact turns7 into a quite mobile aerosol - besides alpha radiation, we must not forget the chemical toxicity of uranium In the case of Pancevo accident, the concentration of toxic gases as the moment of impact after bombs had been dropped was 10,000 higher that the permitted level. The polluted clouds which were created after the bombing carried the products of combustion of VCMs. chlorine, chlorine oxides, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, petroleum and petroleum products. The VCM ‘reservoir $¢OAp¢» burned for hours, creating a whitish smoke and clouds that was moving westwards, toward the outskirts of Belgrade ( Borca, Ovca, Padinska Skela), The cloud was carried by low air currents, and merged with another cloud that had been formed when the storchouse full of fertilizer was hit. The VCM concentrations measured in those clouds were few thousand times higher than allowed values. Increased concentrations of NOx (10 mg/m3) and phosgene (2ppm) were also registered, A huge cloud of thick smoke was formed above the reservoirs, about 1.5 km wide) and 3 km high, leaving sediment of soot, ashes and dust. The last part of this cloud was carried by wind westwards, where it came down to the ground at about 15 km from the explosion spot. This cloud was changing direction in the 10-day period to follow (during the brush fire that lasted for 10 days with various intensity), so that at onc moment had to be evacuated a part of town. In the first five of these 10 days, concentrations of $O2, soot and total chlorocarbons increased by the 4-8 times in relation to the referent limit values. This was especially the case with unburned contents of the oil: benzene, toluene, xylenes, etc., carbon monoxide, mercaptanes, formaldehyde and alike. Belgrade (population about 2 million) would have experienced a major environmental disaster on April 18th this ycar, had the wind been blowing from the cast-northeast. All the toxic substances being spilled end evaporating from the Pancevo industrial zone (phosgene, vinyl chloride), furthermore, harmful and poisonous products of fuel combustion, but also many other substances, would have been blown straight into Belgrade area. Luckily, the wind was westerly, at times strong, and rain also helped in the reduction of air pollution (including phosgene hydrolysis, yielding carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid). However, it is almost impossible to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative aspects of downwind pollution because of rinsing (and pollution of soil, water and plant life), as well as because of indirect influences caused by chlorination and other chemical reactions. The next day, which was sunny, certainly contributed to various photochemical reactions, especially in higher layers of the atmosphere, and the spreading of toxic substances towards the east was certainly not limited only to Serbia's and Yugoslavia's territory DESTRUCTION OF NATURE PARKS PROTECTED BY LAW AND OF YUGOSLAVIA'S AND EUROPE'S BIODIVERSITY Some 1,700 particularly valuable natural resources have been protected in one way or another in the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. They, among other, include nine national parks (Mt. Kopaonik, the Lara River Basin, the Djerdap Gorge, Mt. Fruska Gora, Mt. Sara, Mt. Durmitor, Mi. Loveen, MU Bivgradska Guta, Luke Shadat), 20 regional parks, 122 natures reserves, 19 protected seacoast areas, adding up to about 10 percent of the Yugoslav national territory; as well a some 1,000 plant and animal species8 The territory of FR Yugoslavia is one of the rear areas on the planet for the diversity of its geological composition. It is immensely rich in numerous natural resources such as mineral resources, subterranean and superficial waters, pedagogical soil, geo-morphological phenomena and natural goods of international and national importance, forest potentials and biodiversity. Itis a state of fact that NATO has intensively bombed and carried intensive war operations in certain national parks (Kopaonik, Fruska Gora, Sara, Djerdap, Lovcen, Lake Skadar, etc.) Hundreds hectares of forests have been burned down. Severe damage was caused to ambient and landscape heritage: the monastery of the Patriachate of Pec (12" century), Zica (13" century), Decan and Gracanica (14" century, under UNESCO. protection), medieval towns of Zvecan (13" century) and Smederevo (15" century), Petrovaradin fortress (18 century), monasteries on Fruska Gora (15-18" centuries), monastery in Rakovica and many other priceless sites. Last but not least, Europe's hunting grounds, as well as bird and animal habitats will undergo a change after these war operations THE EFFECTS OF THE USE OF ARMAMENTS WITH RADIO-ACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND INHUMAN WEAPONS According to the available data, NATO forces have uscd against civilian targets special ammunition containing depleted uranium in bombing military and civilian targets, The caliber of this ammunition is 30 mm: it is fired mainly from cannon. jets type A-10 and "Tomahawk" cruising missiles. The mentioned missiles can penetrate a steel plate some 57-mm thick. The cores of these missiles are radioactive and the estimates are that their activity of Uranium 238 amounts to cca 3.4 MBq. According to our and international regulations, uranium belongs in the group of toxic elements and has been classified in the second group of radionuclides of very high toxicity. This type of ammunition is nuclear waste and its use is a crime against humanity and international law. The effects on the population are terrible because in addition to injuries and destruction of body tissue it causes radiological contamination. This contamination produces toxic and radiation effects that cause cancer. The use of this type of ammunition, which has reportedly been used in NATO actions in Yugoslavia, is inhumane and totally unjustified, It iy noteworthy that some Tomahawk missiles and artillery ammunition contains a reinforced coating made of depleted uranium. In view of the above, the UN. the EU, the OECD, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other political and humanitarian organizations should take action in order to have this type of ammunition in NATO's war operations in Yugoslavia banned The use of ammunition with impoverished uranium in the future course of NATO'S aggression on FRY would have even more adverse effects resulting in a large-scale ecological disaster and long-term effects on human health (leukemia, cancer, congenital anomalies. etc.)9 When armaments with impoverished uranium are used they produce uranium oxides (U308 U02) as well as highly reactive gases Radium and Radon, among others. Oxide particles are from 0.5 to 5 microns large and can be carried by the wind over several hundred kilometers, Since Kofava and northwestern winds are the most common in the windrose of the Yugoslav region, this practically means that pollution goes from Yugoslavia to Hungary, Germany, Croatia and Bosnia or to Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece. Radiological as well as chemical contamination "do not distinguish" among military personnel who use the meitlioned armaments, among targets, territories, innocent present civilians, the press, the crews and teams that provide all sorts of assistance, nor are they confined within any state boundaries or a specified time period. It is noteworthy that the time of semi-decomposition of depleted uranium is 4.5 billion years. Other unhumnan weapons (banned cluster bombs, soft graphite bombs and other special materials and methods) have been used (the initial list of targets 1s deliberated by Federal Ministry of Torcign Affairs). Addition destiuction can be expected from the remaining unexploded bombs and collected materials. The usage is evident — the environmental, health and human consequences will be in days and years to come. Icis important to mention catastrophic consequences of an eventual targeting of nuclear research and development, as well as permanent safely storage of domestic luw-radivactive waste, at the “VINCA” Institute, located near Belgrade. THE EFFECTS OF WAR OPERATIONS ON FOOD AND THE NUTRITION CHAIN OF THE POPULATION All the above mentioned polluters (chemicals produced as a result of air fuel combustion, products of explosions, chemicals released in chemical accidents, etc.) pollute the air, soil, water and biota and have a negative effect in the short and long term on the nutrition chain (cereals, vegetables, fruit grown on the polluted soil and/or watering with polluted water, animals that feed on such plants and whose milk or meat is used for human nutrition, etc.) and elements that depend on it. NATO bombing is happening in the phase of planting many crops vital for the survival of the population: corn, sunflower, say, sugar het and vegetables. The lack of protective substances, as well as fertilizers. could totally endanger the survival of certain plants, The lack of fuel for agricultural machines will have catastrophic results, because it leads to hunger of the entire population When you add to this the pollution of the water, air aud suil dhe catastrophe becomes a cataclysm. Several thousand hectares of fertile land, many rivers, lakes and underground waters have been polluted due to the spillage af petrochemicals, oil spills and other chemicals. We should not neglect the indirect influence originating from the chemical transformation of0 pollutants (which can result in the increase or in the decrease of their toxicity), as well as from he fact that they (end t accumulate (most often in geological formations or in the biosphere). The polluted ground and surface waters generate long-term effects on the nutrition chain, which are not confined to state boundaries. HAZARDOUS AND UTHER WASTE AS THE RESULT OF WAR OPERATIONS. Due to war operations quantities and forms / categories of waste in Yugoslavia increase enormonsly (dropped bombs, some of them with expired date, soft graphite bombs. destroyed aircraft and other missiles. demolition waste, damaged contaminated factories infrastructure, contaminated soil and other contaminated media of environment, etc,) It is evident that technical infrastructures for environmentally sound management within industrial plants, and others, are destroyed Finding, safely removing and permanently storing all categories these resulting wastes from war activities is difficult (and expensive). Unexploded bombs still litter the landscape of practice ranges and war zones GLOBAL EFFECTS ON EUROPE AND PLANET EARTH AS A WHOLE (OZONE LAYER, LONG-TERM GREENHOUSE EFFECT, ETC.) RESULTING FROM WAR OPERATIONS IN YUGOSLAV! Incessant and numerous flights by supersonic and other aircraft as part of war operations over a period of more than eight weeks have serious negative effects on the already depleted ozone laycr around the Earth Over 22,000 flights were made from the onset of bombing af FR Yugoslavia, among them about 15,000 attacks. In addition, NATO dropped about ten thousands of tons of explosives in the space of FRY and the fact that many chemical facilities, refineries, fuel tanks, warehouses of raw materials, intermediaries and finished goods have gone up in flames have had an adverse effect on the ozone layer and particularly on the greenhouse effect. It is well known that the depletion of the ozone layer causes many changes in living organisms, and ultimately may cause an increase in the incidence rate of cancer and disruptions of the global nutrition chain. ‘Ihe gases that destroy the ozone layer are active over a long time period and are carried over long distances. They have the strongest effect in the northernmost and southernmost parts of the planet Earth where the ozone laycr is the thinnest,u The victims of the destruction of the ozone layer. i.e. the victims of the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia, arc all inhabitants of Europe, while the biggest victims in the long term will be the populations of Northern Europe, the northern part of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the South of Latin America. The European public should be aware of the fact that fuels used by warplanes and other aircraft contain a large number of highly-toxic substances (ammonium-perchlorat, nitroglycerine, nitro- cellulose, polybutadien, polyurethane, polyvinyl-chloride, polystyrene, polyacrolyte, lead- salycilate, lead-ethylhexoat, lead-stearata, metal nitrates, metal perchlorate, fluorine compounds, and ete.) whose combustion is toxic and carcinogenic As a result of combustion of these substances, nitrogenous oxides, chloric and other very harmful compounds are formed that destroy forests and vegetation and have a direct effect on human health as well. As a result of combustion of fuel stabilizers together with lead and fluorine compounds, fluorine radicals are formed which cause painful wounds and burns in humans and animals exposed to them. Clouds of such resulting combustion products are moving above Yugoslavia and, subject to weather conditions in Furope, with potential for large-scale ecological disasters thronghaut Europe. Winds, surface and ground waters, troposphere and stratospheric layers of the Earth know no state boundaries. LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF NATO AGGRESSION ON THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA. REGARDING DAMAGES CAUSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT Due to NATO aggression on the FR Yugoslavia and two months of unabated bombardment of civilian targets and industrial plants, environmental catastrophe has been caused and the right to safe environment severely jeopardized. As a consequence, several fundamental human rights have been violated, including the right to life and health, as well as other basic human rights (the right to development, the right to work the right to information, etc.) Humanitarian Law The unprovoked and illegal NATO aggression on the FR of Yugoslavia has been conducted in violation of the provisions of humanitarian law including a number of international legal instruments as: The Hague provisions (1899) and (1907), The Hague Rules to the Fourth Convention (1907), The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Genocide (1948), The Geneva Convention (1949), with the related Protocol [ (1977), and etc The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids killing as well as provoking physical injury of people. destruction of moveable and unmovable goods. Additional Protocol forbids application of methods and means of warfare: a) which are directed toward inflicting “large, longtime and2 severe damages to the environment”; b) so that from the application of these ways and means “damages to the environment could be expected to occur”, The protocol forbids destruction, removal aud deprivation of objects which ate needed to the survival of the civilian population: food, agricultural regions devoted to the production of foud, live cattle, the harvest, installations for water supply, etc. Attack on buildings and installations containing dangerous forces (water dams, electric power plants, even in the vicinity of military compounds: a) if that might provoke the release of dangerous forces; b) or if that might provoke great casualties among civilian population. nal ental Law NATO has been continuously violating all the principles of the protection of environment contained in numerous international documents, especially those adopted on the global and regional level in the framework of the United Nations and in the EU legislation. The principles of the Kio Declaration on environment and development (1992) and the Agenda 21, have been vivlated likewise, especially those pertaining to: a) the interdependence and indivisibility of peace, development and protection of the environment (Principle 25), b) warfare which, due to its nature, has a destructive effect on the sustainable development, and proclaiming the obligation of States to respect the rules of international law relating to the protection of environment in time of armed conflicts (Principle 24). It should be noted that a majority of intemational agreements in the field of environmental protection regulate as well issues with actual or possible transboudary effects, Consequently, due to NATO bombings relevant agreements have becn directly or indirectly violated, inter alia 1) protection of atmosphere, ozone layer and climate changes The Convention on Transboudary Pollution of Atmosphere, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on the Substances Damaging the Ozone Layer, the UN Convention on Climate changes, the UN Kyoto Protocol and ete. rotection of waters from pollution The Convention on the Cooperation in the field of the Protection and Sustainable Use of Danube River, the Convention on the High Seas, the Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Shipping Vessels, the Convention on the Prevention of Pollution with Oil, the Convention on the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against the Pollution with protocols, the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Waters and International Lakes and ete. 3) protection of biodiversity The Convention on the Protection of World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Ramsar Convention on Marshlands of International Significance, the Convention on the Protection of Birds, the Convention on Biodiversity, the Bonn Convention on the Preservation of Migratory Species of the Wild Flora and Fauna the Bern Convention on the Preservation of Europe’s Wild Flora and Fauna and their Natural labitats and ete,13 4) industrial accidents The Convention on Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents 5) damping of wastes Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal and etc. ‘The FR of Yugoslavia has ratified 53 international agreements in the field of environmental protection, Relating to the protection of environment in time of warfare, Yugoslavia has ratified the following agreements: the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Riolagical) and Toxin Weapons, and on their Destruction; the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water: the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof; the Convention on the Protection of World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage. Human Rights Massive destruction of chemical and electrical power plants, as well as refineries, and other industrial installations by NATO, which caused environmental catastrophe with its immediate and durable effects, represents violation of the widely proclaimed fundamental human right to a safe and healthy environment. In that respect, several international legal instruments signed by all the NATO member countries have been blatantly violated: The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) and ete