Hazardous waste disposal in Germany: a case study of the site in Billigheim, Baden-Wurttemberg

The disposal of hazardous waste is a very critical issue. It is associated with many risks. Efforts are made to minimise these by consistent legislation and by proper treatment of the waste. The goal of a hazardous waste disposal site, as described in this paper, is to ensure that hazardous waste is treated and disposed of in a way that does not harm human beings or the environment. To assure this it is necessary to observe the handling of the hazardous waste from its producer up to the disposal site, and to identify possible inherent risks.     

Avoiding Land Disposal of Hazardous Waste

In response to a growing societal mandate, land disposal of hazardous wastes is gradually being replaced by treatment technologies. This shift to "alternative technologies" is the result of the impacts of past land disposal practices on other environmental media (groundwater, surface water, and air). A prime motivation for adopting alternatives to land disposal is to eliminate these cross-media impacts. Alternative technologies, however, can themselves have cross-media environmental impacts which must be recognized and addressed before such technologies are extensively applied. This paper discusses hazardous waste constituents, common disposal practices, alternative technologies currently being applied, possible cross-media environmental impacts of the alternative technologies, and proposed methods of mitigating these environmental impacts. Case studies from uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and industrial operations are used to illustrate the application of alternative technologies. Case studies include the application of waste treatment technologies as well as the adoption of waste minimization techniques.     

Present State,of Industrial Waste Management in Japan

Systematic management for industrial waste in Japan has been carried out based on the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law which was enacted in 1970. The law and its ordinances designate 19 kinds of waste materials discharged from business activities as industrial waste and prescribe the generator's responsibility, requirements for treatment contractors, standards for consignment, specific personnel, etc. from the view of proper management. And they also, prescribe disposal standards, structure, and maintenance standards for treatment facilities, including final disposal sites, from the view of proper treatment and disposal. The Standard for Verification provides criteria to categorize as hazardous or nonhazardous industrial waste which is subjected to treatment and disposal in conformity with each standard. The fundamental policies to cope with industrial waste focus on reduction of generation, promotion of recycling, establishment of a comprehensive information management system and participation of the public which can contribute well to prevent environmental pollution caused by inappropriate management of industrial waste.     

Public Policy impacts on the Generation and Disposal of Hazardous Waste in New York State

A number of policies adopted by the federal government and the states have been designed to promote waste reduction or influence the choice of waste disposal technologies employed by generators of hazardous waste. Graphic analysis of smoothed time series data for hazardous wastes manifested in New York State for the period between June 1982 and February 1987 suggests that some of these policies have had the intended effects.

Significant shifts in manifested waste volumes are evident that coincide with the following policy interventions: (1) increased state waste-end tax rates; (2) state and federal landfill bans; (3) federal restrictions on burning hazardous wastes and waste oils for energy recovery; and (4) changes in the federal regulatory definition of hazardous waste. Other changes in waste generation and management appear to be attributable to such factors as state and regional economic conditions and changes in instate treatment and disposal facility capacity. Analysis of the management of specific waste types supports evidence from the graphic analysis that waste generators changed from land disposal to “higher” waste handling technologies in response to several policy interventions.     

Public policy impacts on the generation and disposal of hazardous waste in New York State

A number of policies adopted by the federal government and the state have been designed to promote waste reduction or influence the choice of waste disposal technologies employed by generators of hazardous waste. Graphic analysis of smoothed time series data for hazardous wastes manifested in New York State for the period between June 1982 and February 1987 suggests that some of these policies have had the intended effects. Significant shifts in manifested waste volumes are evident that coincide with the following policy interventions: (1) increased state waste-end tax rates; (2) state and federal landfill bans; (3) federal restrictions on burning hazardous wastes and waste oils for energy recovery; and (4) changes in the federal regulatory definition of hazardous waste. Other changes in waste generation and management appear to be attributable to such factors as state and regional economic conditions and changes in instate treatment and disposal facility capacity. Analysis of the management of specific waste types supports evidence from the graphic analysis that waste generators changed from land disposal to "higher" waste handling technologies in response to several policy interventions.     

Cancer values of prevented fatalities (VPFs), one size does not fit all: the benefits of contaminated site cleanups in Italy

The authors conducted a survey based on conjoint choice experiments in Milan, Italy, about mortality risk reductions delivered by hypothetical private behaviors and public programs, and used it to estimate the value of a prevented fatality (VPF) when the cause of death is cancer. Their estimate of the VPF is 4.2 million Euros. The VPF is about C1 million larger when the risk reduction is delivered by a public program, but further analyses reveal that it is so only when the respondent believes that public programs are effective at reducing this particular type of mortality risk This estimate of the VPF is higher than generic European Union-wide figures recommended by the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment (DG Environment) for environmental policy analyses, and is comparable to other VPFs that are appropriate for Italy, hazardous waste regulations, and enforcement-based cleanup programs. The authors use their VPF to compute the benefits of addressing leaking landfills, illegal disposal of hazardous wastes, and poor hazardous waste management practices in the provinces of Naples and Caserta in southern Italy. The authors also examine the importance of the discount rates, since the mortality benefits of remediation begin in 20 yr and are assumed to continue over 30 yr.     

A Discussion of Regulatory Requirements and Air Dispersion Modeling Approaches Applicable to U.S. Chemical Demilitarization Facilities

ABSTRACT

Owners of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, and certain major air pollution sources, must conduct several separate ambient air dispersion modeling analyses before beginning construction of new facilities or modifying existing facilities. These analyses are critical components of the environmental permitting and facility certification processes and must be completed to the satisfaction of federal, state, and local regulatory authorities.

The U.S. Army has conducted air dispersion modeling for its proposed chemical agent disposal facilities to fulfill the following environmental regulatory and risk management requirements: (1) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act human health and ecological risk assessment analysis for the hazardous waste treatment and storage permit applications, (2) Quantitative Risk Assessment to support the site-specific risk management programs, and (3) Prevention of Significant Deterioration ambient air impact analysis for the air permit applications. The purpose of these air dispersion modeling studies is to show that the potential impacts on human health and the environment, due to operation of the chemical agent disposal facilities, are acceptable. This paper describes and compares the types of air dispersion models, modeling input data requirements, modeling algorithms, and approaches used to satisfy the three environmental regulatory and risk management requirements listed above. Although this paper discusses only one industry (i.e., chemical demilitarization), the information it contains could help those in other industries who need to communicate to the public the purpose and objectives of each modeling analysis. It may also be useful in integrating the results of each analysis into an overarching summary of compliance and potential risks.     

Siting a Fully Integrated Waste Management Facility in Alberta

The development of a special (hazardous) waste management system is well under way in Alberta, Canada, and completion of an integrated treatment and disposal facility near Swan Hills is expected in 1988. The facility will handle both inorganic and organic waste streams in a physical/chemical treatment plant and high temperature incinerator. Treated liquid residues will be disposed of in a deep well, and treated solid residues in a secure landfill. The chosen treatment technology and the established hydrogeological conditions of the site ensure the maintenance of environmental quality. An intensive site selection and public participation program provided that only locations which were environmentally and socially suitable for this development were considered. Through awareness of the problems of waste and the solutions for its management, and full citizen involvement in the site selection process, the siting and public participation programs accomplished the difficult task of selecting a location for North America’s first fully integrated special waste treatment and disposal facility.     

Factors influencing appropriate management of household hazardous waste in Nakhon Nayok,Thailand: A multilevel analysis

Household hazardous products contain hazardous chemicals, so when discarding these products a household hazardous waste (HHW) stream is created. HHW is a major environmental problem in Thailand, yet HHW has received scant attention so management is often inadequate or inappropriate. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with appropriate HHW management in Thailand. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire completed during randomly assigned household interviews in Nakhon Nayok province, Thailand, between February and May 2017. The proportion of “appropriate management” was presented as percentage with its 95% confidence interval (CI). A multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was performed to determine the factors associated with appropriate HHW management, with 663 households included. The proportion of appropriate HHW management was 23.4% (95%CI: 20.2% to 26.6%). Both individual and local government administrative organization factors had on an effect on appropriate HHW management, including (a) being female (adjusted odds ratio [OR]:1.59; 95%CI: 1.03 to 2.46); (b) household size (adjusted OR: 1.66; 95%CI: 1.09 to 2.54); (c) knowledge score vis-à-vis HHW management (adjusted OR: 1.78; 95%CI: 1.43 to 2.02); (d) appropriate HHW storage behavior (adjusted OR: 2.48; 95%CI: 1.60 to 3.83); and (e) appropriate HHW use behavior (adjusted OR: 3.97; 95%CI: 2.40 to 6.58). The government of Thailand might consider a program to increase appropriate management of household hazardous waste to mitigate public health and environmental contamination risks.

Implications: Household hazardous waste becomes a major concern in many countries, including Thailand. The household hazardous waste management should be started at the source first, because household hazardous waste is mixed with the municipal waste stream. Thus, this study finding will be important for policymakers such as government and local government and can be used to create a specific policy and campaigns for household hazardous waste management.     

Incineration of hazardous wastes from the petroleum industry in Nigeria

Persistent hazardous wastes are produced in the recovery, processing and upgrading of crude petroleum in Nigeria. However, recent developments in environmental pollution control are drawing increasing attention to the problems of hazardous wastes. The ever-increasing need to control these wastes from the petroleum industry often compels the chemical engineer to specify methods of treatment and disposal. Present methods for disposal are becoming increasingly undesirable for a number of reasons, and incineration is being considered as an alternative. This paper reviews the extent of hazardous waste generation from the Nigerian petroleum industry and its environmental implications. It also examines the current disposal methods and the incineration technology option. The major chemical engineering concepts of the incineration process and the principles guiding their operations are discussed. The potential for the use of incineration is examined, as well as information that would aid the choice of incineration system for new applications.     

Long-Term Trends in Ambient Lead Levels at Five Locations in New Jersey

The authors conducted a survey based on conjoint choice experiments in Milan, Italy, about mortality risk reductions delivered by hypothetical private behaviors and public programs, and used it to estimate the value of a prevented fatality (VPF) when the cause of death is cancer. Their estimate of the VPF is €4.2 million. The VPF is about €1 million larger when the risk reduction is delivered by a public program, but further analyses reveal that it is so only when the respondent believes that public programs are effective at reducing this particular type of mortality risk. This estimate of the VPF is higher than generic European Union–wide figures recommended by the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment (DG Environment) for environmental policy analyses, and is comparable to other VPFs that are appropriate for Italy, hazardous waste regulations, and enforcement-based cleanup programs. The authors use their VPF to compute the benefits of addressing leaking landfills, illegal disposal of hazardous wastes, and poor hazardous waste management practices in the provinces of Naples and Caserta in southern Italy. The authors also examine the importance of the discount rates, since the mortality benefits of remediation begin in 20 yr and are assumed to continue over 30 yr.

Implications: Cost-benefit analysis that includes monetized nonmarket goods and services such as adverse health and premature mortality effects has become a standard tool in project appraisal and policy decision-making. The authors' estimates of the mortality benefits of cleaning up hazardous waste sites in a region of southern Italy are much larger than previous calculations that relied on the guidelines by DG Environment, raising concerns that using one VPF for all member countries of the European Union, and/or VPF figures estimated in a private risk reduction setting, might considerably underestimate the benefits of cleanup policies.     

安全土地填埋技术在我国的应用

沈阳市固体废物处置中心对工业危险废物采用了安全土地填埋技术 ,它的主要特点是安全、工艺简单、可操作性强。能够杜绝危险废物渗析液下渗污染地下水 ,同时又避免了危险废物污染环境卫生。本文主要以沈阳工业危险废物处置填埋场为例 ,介绍安全土地填埋的技术要求、设计要点等     

浅谈无锡市危险废物产生情况与处置现状

无锡市作为江苏重点发展的城市,随着社会和经济的快速发展,危险废物产生量和种类不断增多。文中针对无锡市2011年—2018年危险废物产生量、综合利用与处置情况,分析危险废物处置利用存在的问题,同时,就目前危险废物存在的问题,提出科学合理的建议。     

Life Cycle Approach to Effective Waste Minimization

In the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of1984, Congress declared the objective of the national waste policy to be "to promote the protection of health and the environment and to conserve valuable material and energy resources." Further, Congress stated that this would be done by minimizing the generation and land disposal of hazardous waste by encouraging process substitutions, materials recovery, proper recycling and reuse, and treatment.

This paper presents the approach used by 3M to find innovative ways to minimize the amount of hazardous waste which ultimately must be disposed by landfilling. The life cycle of waste is examined, looking at how it can be reduced or eliminated starting with the point of generation in the manufacturing operation, to its processing, treatment or ultimate disposal as a residual hazardous waste. Case histories are used as examples of how waste can be minimized in each stage of the life cycle, with emphasis on innovative alternatives that have arisen out of the 3Mprogram.     

Hazardous waste disposal in the UK

Custom and practice have exerted a powerful influence on waste management in the UK. A notable feature is the role of local government, which remains dominant despite expanding legislation and the increasing technical complexity of waste management. The private sector has long had a major role in the transporting and disposal of hazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 represented a major revision of UK environmental legislation. A significant advance in the handling of hazardous wastes was the imposition of a new principle of 'Duty of Care' on all concerned parties.     

基于因特网的危险废物转移联单系统研究与开发

危险废物转移联单是跟踪危险废物转移和处理处置的基本方法 ,也是实施危险废物全过程管理的有效工具。然而 ,目前使用的纸质联单系统 ,运行过程繁杂、周期长、耗费人力和物力 ,与现代化管理不相适应。本文提出了符合中国国情的电子化转移联单解决方案 ,论述了系统的设计开发过程和运行情况。这一系统采用了因特网技术 ,能实现联单运行的电子化和自动化 ,简化运行过程 ,提高效率 ,为我国危险废物转移的电子化管理奠定了基础     

Using expectations of gain to bound the benefits from contaminated land remediation

Current risk-based decision-making techniques for prioritising contaminated land for clean-up have been criticized within Hungary for their failure to consider remediation benefits. A cost-benefit or risk-benefit approach is required to ensure that scarce resources for remediation are used efficiently. Problems arise because the credibility of non-market valuation information in Hungary is low, yet estimates of the value of non-market goods are required if cost-benefit approaches to decision-making are to be used effectively. This paper suggests using multiple techniques to bound 'true' values of non-market goods in order to enhance the potential use of environmental valuation information. A dichotomous-choice contingent valuation survey and a property-owner valuation survey were carried out in the vicinity of a hazardous waste site on the edge of Debrecen, Hungary. The aim of the study was to explore the potential for using these techniques to measure the benefits from contaminated site remediation in Hungary. The two surveys provide lower and upper bounds on expected benefits from clean-up aggregated results indicate that remediation benefits range from US$2.59 million to US$12.4 million.     

砒霜生产化工厂危险废物处置工程设计

通过对砒霜生产化工厂原场址废渣及污染场地调查的基础上，进行了处置方案比选及技术经济比较，确定了就地安全填埋的处置方案。根据区域性危险废物集中安全填埋场的设计经验，本工程采用先进的HDPE双层防渗的安全填埋方式，并设置了雨水分流系统、渗滤液收集系统、封场处理和填埋气体导排系统，整个场区布置合理，对周围环境的影响小，投资少，取得了良好的社会效益和环境效益，并对危险废物处理处置工程设计中应注意的问题提出了建议。     

Designing a low-cost pollution prevention plan to pay off at the University of Houston

The University of Houston is located just south of downtown Houston, TX. Many different chemical substances are used in scientific research and teaching activities throughout the campus. These activities generate a significant amount of waste materials that must be discarded as regulated hazardous waste per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the state regulatory agency that has enforcement authority for EPA hazardous waste rules in Texas. Currently, the University is classified as a large quantity generator and generates >1000 kg per month of hazardous waste. In addition, the University has experienced a major surge in research activities during the past several years, and overall the quantity of the hazardous waste generated has increased. The TCEQ requires large quantity generators to prepare a 5-yr Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan, which describes efforts to eliminate or minimize the amount of hazardous waste generated. This paper addresses the design and development of a low-cost P2 plan with minimal implementation obstacles and strong payoff potentials for the University. The projects identified can be implemented with existing University staff resources. This benefits the University by enhancing its environmental compliance efforts, and the disposal cost savings can be used for other purposes. Other educational institutions may benefit by undertaking a similar process.     

Designing a Low-Cost Pollution Prevention Plan to Pay Off at the University of Houston

Abstract

The University of Houston is located just south of downtown Houston, TX. Many different chemical substances are used in scientific research and teaching activities throughout the campus. These activities generate a significant amount of waste materials that must be discarded as regulated hazardous waste per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the state regulatory agency that has enforcement authority for EPA hazardous waste rules in Texas. Currently, the University is classified as a large quantity generator and generates >1000 kg per month of hazardous waste. In addition, the University has experienced a major surge in research activities during the past several years, and overall the quantity of the hazardous waste generated has increased. The TCEQ requires large quantity generators to prepare a 5-yr Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan, which describes efforts to eliminate or minimize the amount of hazardous waste generated. This paper addresses the design and development of a low-cost P2 plan with minimal implementation obstacles and strong payoff potentials for the University. The projects identified can be implemented with existing University staff resources. This benefits the University by enhancing its environmental compliance efforts, and the disposal cost savings can be used for other purposes. Other educational institutions may benefit by undertaking a similar process.