How to negotiate remediation projects with regulatory agencies

The news that a company has been identified as a potentially responsible party (PRP) at a federal or state Superfund site usually sends a current of fear through the company's management. Even executives with experience in Superfund projects foresee a lengthy, complicated process that involves enormous expenditures and a possible public relations disaster. The author argues, however, that the Superfund process can be managed in a cost-effective way, prevent reactive responses, inaction, and ineffective action, and applying the business acumen that enabled the company to prosper in the first place. This article explores a critical aspect of the remediation process—negotiation of settlements with regulatory agencies (EPA or a state department of environmental protection)—and details the practical steps needed to conduct those negotiations. It also describes common mistakes that can be avoided. For brevity and clarity, it is assumed that the company in question is the only PRP that has received a notice letter from the regulatory agency.     

Solid waste facilities location using of analytical network process and data envelopment analysis approaches

Selection of the appropriate site for solid waste facilities is a complex problem and requires an extensive evaluation process, because it is very difficult to develop a selection criterion that can precisely describe the preference of one location over another. Therefore selection of these sites can be viewed as a multiple criteria decision-making or multiple attributes decision-making problem. For this purpose, we propose a technique that can effectively take managerial preferences and subjective data into consideration, along with quantitative factors. The tool proposed here relies on the use of the analytical network process (ANP) and to help integrate managerial evaluations into a more quantitatively based decision tool, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied. In this paper, a location selection procedure is presented to construct an undesirable facility applying ANP and DEA approaches in two stages. In the first stage ANP approach is used, results of this stage are inputs for the second stage. In this stage, DEA is applied to select the best location. Finally, to illustrate the proposed framework, at "Results and discussion" section, a total of four undesirable facility locations are evaluated.     

Management of hazardous medical waste in Croatia

This article provides a review of hazardous medical waste production and its management in Croatia. Even though Croatian regulations define all steps in the waste management chain, implementation of those steps is one of the country's greatest issues. Improper practice is evident from the point of waste production to final disposal. The biggest producers of hazardous medical waste are hospitals that do not implement existing legislation, due to the lack of education and funds. Information on quantities, type and flow of medical waste are inadequate, as is sanitary control. We propose an integrated approach to medical waste management based on a hierarchical structure from the point of generation to its disposal. Priority is given to the reduction of the amounts and potential for harm. Where this is not possible, management includes reduction by sorting and separating, pretreatment on site, safe transportation, final treatment and sanitary disposal. Preferred methods should be the least harmful for human health and the environment. Integrated medical waste management could greatly reduce quantities and consequently financial strains. Landfilling is the predominant route of disposal in Croatia, although the authors believe that incineration is the most appropriate method. In a country such as Croatia, a number of small incinerators would be the most economical solution.     

Review of LCA studies of solid waste management systems – Part I: Lessons learned and perspectives

The continuously increasing solid waste generation worldwide calls for management strategies that integrate concerns for environmental sustainability. By quantifying environmental impacts of systems, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool, which can contribute to answer that call. But how, where and to which extent has it been applied to solid waste management systems (SWMSs) until now, and which lessons can be learnt from the findings of these LCA applications? To address these questions, we performed a critical review of 222 published LCA studies of SWMS. We first analysed the geographic distribution and found that the published studies have primarily been concentrated in Europe with little application in developing countries. In terms of technological coverage, they have largely overlooked application of LCA to waste prevention activities and to relevant waste types apart from household waste, e.g. construction and demolition waste. Waste management practitioners are thus encouraged to abridge these gaps in future applications of LCA. In addition to this contextual analysis, we also evaluated the findings of selected studies of good quality and found that there is little agreement in the conclusions among them. The strong dependence of each SWMS on local conditions, such as waste composition or energy system, prevents a meaningful generalisation of the LCA results as we find it in the waste hierarchy. We therefore recommend stakeholders in solid waste management to regard LCA as a tool, which, by its ability of capturing the local specific conditions in the modelling of environmental impacts and benefits of a SWMS, allows identifying critical problems and proposing improvement options adapted to the local specificities.     

Solid waste characterization and recycling potential for a university campus

Integrated waste management systems are one of the greatest challenges for sustainable development. For these systems to be successful, the first step is to carry out waste characterization studies. In this paper are reported the results of a waste characterization study performed in the Campus Mexicali I of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC). The aim of this study was to set the basis for implementation of a recovery, reduction and recycling waste management program at the campus. It was found that the campus Mexicali I produces 1ton of solid wastes per day; more than 65% of these wastes are recyclable or potentially recyclable. These results showed that a program for segregation and recycling is feasible on a University Campus. The study also showed that the local market for recyclable waste, under present conditions - number of recycling companies and amounts of recyclables accepted - can absorb all of these wastes. Some alternatives for the potentially recyclables wastes are discussed. Finally some strategies that could be used to reduce waste at the source are discussed as well.     

Integrating Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Environmental Cleanup Activities at CERCLA and RCRA Sites

Although the release or threatened release of hazardous substances into the environment often creates liability for both cleanup costs and natural resource damages liability, the process of planning and conducting cleanup and the process of assessing natural resource damages are most often conducted separately. However, the substantial similarities between the two processes often present opportunities to integrate significant steps in each. Such integration has the potential to reduce both the cost of measuring and, often, resolving the full range of environmental claims at a given cleanup site and the time it takes to do so. It can also lead to faster restoration of injured natural resources and the services they provide to the public and the environment. One key reason for the lack of integration is the fact that cleanup managers generally know little if anything about the natural resource damage assessment process, while the public officials authorized to assess damages to natural resources know little about the cleanup process. This article identifies the similarities between the cleanup and natural resource damage assessment processes and provides guidance on when and how to integrate the two. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An index to quantify street cleanliness: The case of Granada (Spain)

Urban surfaces receive waste deposits from natural and human sources, which create a negative visual impact and are identified as potentially significant contributors to water and air pollution. Local councils are usually responsible for the sweep of roads and footpaths to keep the environment clean and free of litter. Quality controls are useful in order to check whether the services are being executed according to the quantity, quality and performance standards that are provided. In this sense, several factors might affect the efficiency of the management of cleaning and waste collection services; however, only a few contributions are available in the literature on the various aspects associated with the level of street cleanliness. In this paper, the suitability of a Cleanliness Index has been checked, for the case of Granada (South of Spain), in order to contribute to the proper management of public expenditure, improving the quality and cost of an essential service for any municipality. Results have concluded that the city exhibits a good level of cleanliness, although the standard of cleaning varied from one area of the city to another. The Cleaning Index fits well to the general situation of the different districts of Granada and thus, it could be considered a useful tool for measuring the level of cleanliness of the streets of the city and for evaluating the organization of the cleaning service, such that an outsourced company would not be responsible for controlling all the cleaning services.     

An international waste convention: measures for achieving sustainable development.

Waste is a by-product of economic growth. Consequently, economic growth presents challenges for sustainable resource management and development because continued economic growth implies continued growth in waste outputs. Poor management of waste results in the inappropriate depletion of natural resources and potentially adverse effects on the environment, health and the economy. It is unsustainable. This paper begins by outlining the magnitude of and the current response to the growth in the quantity of waste outputs. This is followed by a consideration of why the international response to date, including the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, fails to address the issue adequately. The paper concludes with a discussion on why and how an international treaty or other measure could advance sustainable development by providing an appropriate framework within which to address the problem.     

Economic growth and selection of municipal waste treatment options in Bangkok

A reasonable selection of waste treatment options is indispensable to address challenges in waste management. Introduction of incineration plants for municipal waste in Bangkok had been considered in the past, but each time it was dismissed. In 2013, however, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) decided to introduce an incinerator facility with electricity generation. This study examined how changes in socio-economic factors resulting from economic growth affected the BMA’s decision. First, we conducted interviews of key relevant stakeholders (policymakers and other experts) to determine what kinds of changes in socio-economic factors affected their decision. Then, for interpretation and confirmation of the results from interview, we quantitatively estimated changes in environmental factors (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions), financial factors (e.g., construction and operating costs), and social factors (e.g., employment) in 1990, 2000, and 2012. Based on the result of interview and quantitative analysis, we illustrated the complicated structure of the mechanism of how economic growth affected the selection of waste treatment options in Bangkok, particularly those that led to the selection of the incineration. In addition to local conditions, global economic also affected the waste treatment policy in Bangkok even though waste management is usually thought of as a local issue.     

Financial sustainability in municipal solid waste management – Costs and revenues in Bahir Dar,Ethiopia

Providing good solid waste management (SWM) services while also ensuring financial sustainability of the system continues to be a major challenge in cities of developing countries. Bahir Dar in northwestern Ethiopia outsourced municipal waste services to a private waste company in 2008. While this institutional change has led to substantial improvement in the cleanliness of the city, its financial sustainability remains unclear. Is the private company able to generate sufficient revenues from their activities to offset the costs and generate some profit?This paper presents a cost-revenue analysis, based on data from July 2009 to June 2011. The analysis reveals that overall costs in Bahir Dar’s SWM system increased significantly during this period, mainly due to rising costs related to waste transportation. On the other hand, there is only one major revenue stream in place: the waste collection fee from households, commercial enterprises and institutions. As the efficiency of fee collection from households is only around 50%, the total amount of revenues are not sufficient to cover the running costs. This results in a substantial yearly deficit. The results of the research therefore show that a more detailed cost structure and cost-revenue analysis of this waste management service is important with appropriate measures, either by the privates sector itself or with the support of the local authorities, in order to enhance cost efficiency and balance the cost-revenues towards cost recovery. Delays in mitigating the evident financial deficit could else endanger the public-private partnership (PPP) and lead to failure of this setup in the medium to long term, thus also endangering the now existing improved and currently reliable service.We present four options on how financial sustainability of the SWM system in Bahir Dar might be enhanced: (i) improved fee collection efficiency by linking the fees of solid waste collection to water supply; (ii) increasing the value chain by sales of organic waste recycling products; (iii) diversifying revenue streams and financing mechanisms (polluter-pays-, cross-subsidy- and business-principles); and (iv) cost reduction and improved cost-effectiveness.We argue that in a PPP setup such as in Bahir Dar, a strong alliance between the municipality and private enterprise is important so that appropriate solutions for improved financial sustainability of a SWM system can be sought and implemented.     

The contribution of waste management to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with applications in the city of Bucharest.

Waste management is a key process to protect the environment and conserve resources. The contribution of appropriate waste management measures to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the city of Bucharest was studied. An analysis of the distribution of waste flows into various treatment options was conducted using the material flows and stocks analysis (MFSA). An optimum scenario (i.e. municipal solid waste stream managed as: recycling of recoverable materials, 8%; incineration of combustibles, 60%; landfilling of non-combustibles, 32%) was modelled to represent the future waste management in Bucharest with regard to its relevance towards the potential for GHG reduction. The results indicate that it can contribute by 5.5% to the reduction of the total amount of GHGs emitted from Bucharest.     

Heavy metals removal/stabilization from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash: a review and recent trends

Waste treatment using thermal technologies, such as incineration, leads to the production of pollutants and wastes, including fly ash (FA). Fly ash contains heavy metals (HMs) and other contaminants and can potentially pose high risks to the environment and negatively impact health and safety. Consequently, stabilizing fly ash prior to either use or landfilling is crucial. The toxicity of fly ash through heavy metal leaching can be assessed using leaching tests. The leaching rates of heavy metals primarily depend on the surrounding conditions as well as fly ash properties and metal speciation. Physical separation, leaching or extraction, thermal treatment and solidification/chemical stabilization are proposed as suitable approaches for fly ash treatment. Economic considerations, environmental concerns, energy consumption and processing times can define the efficiency and selection of the treatment approach. This review considers the latest findings and compares the advantages and shortcomings of different fly ash treatment methods with the aim of highlighting the recent advances in the field. The review concludes that the simultaneous implementation of various methods can lead to highly efficient heavy metals removal/stabilization while simultaneously taking economic and environmental considerations into account.

     

Solid waste recycling within higher education in developing countries: a case study of the University of Lagos

To create a truly circular economy requires a shift from the traditional view of waste disposal to one of resource management. This is particularly important in developing countries, where municipal waste generation is increasing, and efficient recovery of economic value from waste is rarely achieved. Conducted in the University of Lagos (UoL), Nigeria, this study investigated the efficiency of a recycling scheme with the goal of making recommendations to improve the process. UoL’s recycling policy centers around source segregation of waste into color-coded bins. Waste audit was carried out using the output method and interviews were conducted with staff from the waste management team to understand practices on campus. Substantial contamination of colored bins with non-target material was observed. Organics (30%), mixed plastics (28%) and paper (24%) were the most abundant materials, hence have the greatest potential for recovery, and income generation, if segregation rates could be improved. Despite its recycling policy and infrastructure, 99% of UoL waste was going to landfill. Poor policy implementation results in low recovery rates. Targeted waste reduction and increased material recovery would enhance efficiency. Improved awareness of recycling benefits, in addition to policy enforcement, could serve as tools to increase stakeholder participation in recycling.

     

Decision support models for solid waste management: Review and game-theoretic approaches

This paper surveys decision support models that are commonly used in the solid waste management area. Most models are mainly developed within three decision support frameworks, which are the life-cycle assessment, the cost–benefit analysis and the multi-criteria decision-making. These frameworks are reviewed and their strengths and weaknesses as well as their critical issues are analyzed, while their possible combinations and extensions are also discussed. Furthermore, the paper presents how cooperative and non-cooperative game-theoretic approaches can be used for the purpose of modeling and analyzing decision-making in situations with multiple stakeholders. Specifically, since a waste management model is sustainable when considering not only environmental and economic but also social aspects, the waste management bargaining game is introduced as a specific decision support framework in which future models can be developed.     

A progress indicator-based assessment guide for integrated municipal solid-waste management systems

Managing municipal solid waste is a major concern for cities around the world. Particularly urban communities with developing economies are urged to improve their waste management practices, and set up appropriate waste management systems. Waste management is a city-specific topic; there is no ideal solution that can be operationalized everywhere. In developing cities, municipalities and decision makers need simple and effective indicators to assess the sustainability of their current waste management systems, and set a performance reference point. The current study investigates available literature and suggests a list of measurable sustainability indicators which are specific to solid-waste management. The list encompasses 27 indicators that cover the building blocks of an integrated solid-waste management system, i.e., collection and sorting, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling. An assessment tool is developed through a five-point Likert scale, evaluating these indicators. Case studies of Cairo and Brussels were analyzed. The outcomes of this analysis can be used as a benchmark on a local level in planning, clarifying policy objectives, and setting priorities.     

Effective dialogue: Enhanced public engagement as a legitimising tool for municipal waste management decision-making

The complexity of municipal waste management decision-making has increased in recent years, accompanied by growing scrutiny from stakeholders, including local communities. This complexity reflects a socio-technical framing of the risks and social impacts associated with selecting technologies and sites for waste treatment and disposal facilities. Consequently there is growing pressure on local authorities for stakeholders (including communities) to be given an early opportunity to shape local waste policy in order to encourage swift planning, development and acceptance of the technologies needed to meet statutory targets to divert waste from landfill. This paper presents findings from a research project that explored the use of analytical–deliberative processes as a legitimising tool for waste management decision-making. Adopting a mixed methods approach, the study revealed that communicating the practical benefits of more inclusive forms of engagement is proving difficult even though planning and policy delays are hindering development and implementation of waste management infrastructure. Adopting analytical–deliberative processes at a more strategic level will require local authorities and practitioners to demonstrate how expert-citizen deliberations may foster progress in resolving controversial issues, through change in individuals, communities and institutions. The findings suggest that a significant shift in culture will be necessary for local authorities to realise the potential of more inclusive decision processes. This calls for political actors and civic society to collaborate in institutionalising public involvement in both strategic and local planning structures.     

Is there a difference between urban and rural areas in the disposal of home medical care waste? 13 years of nation-wide repeated cross-sectional study in Japan

Home medical care (HMC) is advancing not only in Japan but also throughout the world. In Japan, HMC waste is legally classified as municipal waste. Nevertheless, some municipalities do not collect some or all the HMC waste because of fear of infection. Therefore, this study was conducted to clarify the following two issues: First, have the municipalities made progress in collecting and appropriate disposal of HMC waste in the past 13 years? Second, is there a difference between a large city and a small city in terms of appropriate disposal progress? A total of 687 municipalities published the treatment of HMC waste. Currently, 42 municipalities collected all HMC waste. 236 municipalities were collecting HMC waste except for self-injection needle. 117 municipalities were collecting HMC waste except for self-injection needle and Syringe. The collection status of HMC waste was better in cities with high population than in cities with low population. HMC waste collection status was progressed over 13 years. However, more than 60% of the municipality staff stated that they could not avoid being anxious about infection caused by HMC waste. We suggest that providing HMC waste education to the municipalities wherein these efforts have not yet progressed is important.

     

Composting,anaerobic digestion and biochar production in Ghana. Environmental–economic assessment in the context of voluntary carbon markets

In some areas of Sub-Saharan Africa appropriate organic waste management technology could address development issues such as soil degradation, unemployment and energy scarcity, while at the same time reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper investigates the role that carbon markets could have in facilitating the implementation of composting, anaerobic digestion and biochar production, in the city of Tamale, in the North of Ghana. Through a life cycle assessment of implementation scenarios for low-tech, small scale variants of the above mentioned three technologies, the potential contribution they could give to climate change mitigation was assessed. Furthermore an economic assessment was carried out to study their viability and the impact thereon of accessing carbon markets. It was found that substantial climate benefits can be achieved by avoiding landfilling of organic waste, producing electricity and substituting the use of chemical fertilizer. Biochar production could result in a net carbon sequestration. These technologies were however found not to be economically viable without external subsidies, and access to carbon markets at the considered carbon price of 7 EUR/ton of carbon would not change the situation significantly. Carbon markets could help the realization of the considered composting and anaerobic digestion systems only if the carbon price will rise above 75–84 EUR/t of carbon (respectively for anaerobic digestion and composting). Biochar production could achieve large climate benefits and, if approved as a land based climate mitigation mechanism in carbon markets, it would become economically viable at the lower carbon price of 30 EUR/t of carbon.     

Japan’s greenhouse gas reduction scenarios toward net zero by 2050 in the material cycles and waste management sector

The first draft scenario toward net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 for the material cycles and waste management sector was presented by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan in August 2021. The details of the future GHG emission estimation used to create the draft scenario are described in this document. For multiple scenarios where more aggressive measures, such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), were included in addition to business-as-usual and the current policy continuity scenario, future GHG emissions were estimated as the sum of the products of activities and emission factors indicating changes in measures between scenarios. The estimation outcomes demonstrated that future GHG emissions from the solid waste management sector could be anticipated to be zero or even negative when material conversion to biomass, primarily for plastics, recycling to raw materials, and installation of CCUS at incineration facilities are assumed. Extensions of prior plans are not enough to reach the goal of net zero emissions, according to the measures necessary and the volume and pace of their implementation suggested in this study. Stakeholders should collaborate with great ambition.

     

Fire in waste-fuel stores: risk management and estimation of real cost

The purpose of this study was to improve risk management and to investigate build-up of the costs of fire in waste-fuel stores, to make the authorities and the population in general aware of the substantial monetary and non-material benefits connected with preventive measures being taken. To summarize, the results from the case studies show that the fires occurred by self-ignition of organic materials, the storage facilities were badly and/or not properly designed, and the waste fuels were not handled properly. On the basis of two case studies the main finding was that there must be one person only in charge during the fire to lead the action, and the fire brigade must not leave the area too early. Nowadays, the real cost for the fire is not calculated properly, or at all, by the waste-management company. It is concluded that waste-management companies, society, and insurance companies could save money by implementation of precautionary measures. Such relevant measures are reviewed. It is recommended: not to store waste fuels too high, in volumes which are too large or too close to town districts; to promote better cooperation between waste companies and the fire brigades and the local EPA; and to make insurance companies demand implementation of more security measures before signing the insurance contracts.