Abstract
<jats:p>Drawing on environmental justice theory and the concept of social sustainability, this study examined perceived environmental injustice across its three core dimensions—distributive, procedural/participatory, and recognition—in relation to the planned radioactive waste storage facility at Trgovska Gora. The analysis included 385 valid surveys completed by residents of eight municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The composite scales demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.875–0.894). All three dimensions were substantially above the neutral scale midpoint: distributive injustice, M = 4.304 (SD = 0.825); procedural/participatory justice and transboundary governance, M = 4.159 (SD = 0.758); and recognition injustice, M = 4.109 (SD = 0.920), with p &lt; 0.001 and large effect sizes. The dimensions were strongly intercorrelated (r = 0.608–0.766; p &lt; 0.001). Respondents’ level of information was positively correlated with all three dimensions, while Welch’s analyses revealed significant differences by municipality, financial situation, and age. HC3 robust regression models explained 21.0–30.6% of the variance. Municipality made a significant omnibus contribution in all three models, while personal awareness and the perceived level of community awareness remained significant predictors of selected outcomes. The findings indicate that residents primarily interpret the Trgovska Gora case as an unequal distribution of risks and benefits, associated with institutional exclusion and a failure to recognize the interests of affected communities. Due to the strong association between municipality and nationality, the observed group differences cannot be interpreted as isolated ethnic effects. From a social sustainability perspective, these findings demonstrate that the long-term legitimacy of transboundary radioactive waste governance depends not only on technical safety but also on the equitable distribution of environmental risks, meaningful public participation, and institutional recognition of affected communities. The study highlights environmental justice as a fundamental condition for socially sustainable and legitimate decision-making concerning high-risk infrastructure.</jats:p>