ILLEGAL REFUSE DUMPS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF VELENJE AND THE THREAT TO WATER SOURCES

Abstract

The issue of illegal refuse dumps in the municipality of Velenje is well-addressed in comparison with the average situation in Slovenia. Relevant activities have been conducted systematically and intensively for nearly a decade. However, the dumping ground itself remains the most crucial environmental problem in the municipality of Velenje because its operating license expires at the end of 2005. Another problem is posed by illegal refuse dumps, which are a burden of the near past. Public awareness with respect to refuse dumping hazards is particularly weak among the inhabitants of less urbanized parts of the community, in particular as regards building, agricultural and industrial wastes. Nevertheless, separate refuse collection has been very well accepted. Once yearly, campaigns aimed at the collection of special and hazardous wastes are organized in the municipality. Illegal refuse dumps in the municipality were first inventoried in 1989. A reinventory conducted in selected suburban areas ten years later showed that a general reinventory was needed. The 1999/2000 illegal refuse dump catalogue indicates that the number of such dumps has increased in all inventoried areas except one, and reached one site per km² , which is still below the Slovene average (2.9 sites/km² ). The final rehabilitation of all dumps is urgent because, according to a recent inventory, 31.7% of these are located near water sources (of which 57.7% are less than 3 metres from water courses or accumulations). Such an action is especially urgent considering the fact that 29% of Slovene surface waters are overpolluted (3th and 4th quality class).