Zaprto odlagališče nenevarnih odpadkov Velenje - študija primera - Pesjak, Marija (M. Pesjak], 2016)
Na področju ravnanja z odpadki se vedno več pozornosti posveča zmanjševanju količine odloženih odpadkov s tem, da se jih čim več ponovno vpelje v proizvodni proces oziroma izrabi njihova snovna in energetska vrednost. Odpadki zato niso vsaka zavržena snov ali predmet, temveč postanejo to šele takrat, ko so izkoriščene vse preostale možnosti za njihovo ponovno uporabo ali predelavo in sami po sebi ne predstavljajo več tveganja za okolje. Kljub temu se še vedno veliko odpadkov odloži na odlagališčih  napravah za odstranjevanje odpadkov z odlaganjem odpadkov na ali v tla, kjer zaradi biološkega razpadanja odpadkov nastajajo strupene izcedne vode in odlagališčni plini. V Sloveniji so bila v preteklosti odlagališča pogosto neprimerno umeščena in tehnično neustrezna, zaradi česar je bilo treba uvesti postopke zapiranja odlagališč, ki niso ustrezala pravni ureditvi na področju odlaganja odpadkov. Takšno je tudi zaprto odlagališče odpadkov v Velenju, na katerem se je prenehalo odlagati odpadke konec leta 2009, od takrat dalje pa potekajo postopki za izdajo dokončne odločbe o zaprtju odlagališča. Na odlagališču, ki je v postopku zapiranja ali je zaprto, je z obratovalnim monitoringom treba spremljati možne negativne vplive na okolje. Monitoring zajema spremljanje meteoroloških parametrov, emisij odlagališčnega plina in emisij onesnaževal v izcednih in podzemnih vodah. Na podlagi analize poročil obratovalnega monitoringa ugotavljamo, da se na zaprtem odlagališču Velenje še vedno tvorijo odlagališčni plini in smrad, ki pa je v glavnem omejen na območje odlagališča. V bližnje Škalsko jezero se iztekajo podzemne vode, ki so obremenjene z izcednimi vodami odlagališča (povečane vrednosti amonija), kar dodatno vpliva na slabo ekološko stanje jezera. V neposredni bližini odlagališča Velenje pa se nahaja še opuščeno odlagališče, ki zaradi odloženih industrijskih odpadkov onesnažuje podzemne vode s težkimi kovinami. Kljub temu ugotavljamo, da so vplivi na okolje z vidika onesnaževal znotraj dovoljenih mejnih vrednosti. In waste management an increasing amount of attention has been given to reducing the amount of disposed waste by returning as much waste as it is possible back to the production process or by exploiting its substance and energy value. Not all discarded materials and objects are considered waste. They become waste when all remaining options for their reuse or recovery have been exploited and they no longer present a threat to the environment. However, a large amount of waste is still deposited in landfills – systems for aboveground or underground waste disposal, where organic waste decomposition produces toxic leachate and landfill gasses. In the past, landfills in Slovenia were inappropriately located and technically inadequate. This led to the closing of the landfills which did not meet the new legal requirements concerning waste deposition. This is true of the closed landfill in Velenje. Waste has not been deposited there since 2009 also in the same year, proceedings for issuing a final ruling of the landfill’s closure have been initiated. A landfill that has either already been closed or is in the procedure of being closed is subjected to operational monitoring (due to possible negative environmental impacts), which includes following meteorological parameters, landfill gas emissions and emissions of pollutants in leachates and ground-waters. Based on the report analysis of the operational monitoring it has been noted that at the closed landfill site in Velenje landfill gasses and odour continue to persist, even though the latter is mainly limited to the landfill area. The ground waters outflowing into the nearby lake Škale are contaminated with landfill leachates (exceeded ammonium action values), adding to the poor ecological state of the lake. In the immediate proximity of the Velenje landfill under study there is also an abandoned landfill where industrial waste had been deposited, causing heavy metals contamination in ground waters. Still, we come to a conclusion that environmental impacts of the pollutants remain within permitted levels.