Optimization of regional hazardous waste management systems: an improved formulation

The planning and design of regional hazardous waste management system (RHWMS) involves selection of treatment and disposal facilities, allocation of hazardous wastes and waste residues from generator to the treatment and disposal sites and selection of the transportation routes. An improved formulation based upon multi-objective integer programming approach is presented to arrive at the optimal configuration of RHWMS components. This formulation addresses important practical issues like unique characteristics of the hazardous wastes reflecting on waste–waste and waste–technology compatibility. A utility function approach is presented to integrate both cost and risk related objectives. An illustrative case example is presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the improved formulation as a tool which can be used by environmental planning agencies in regional planning for hazardous waste management.     

Development and operation of a waste management system in Alberta,Canada

The successful hazardous waste treatment facility siting program in the Province of Alberta, Canada, provides an impressive example of comprehensive planning and implementation. Near Swan Hills, 250 km northwest of Edmonton, North America's first integrated Province (or State)- wide treatment and disposal facility, sited by both environmental and social criteria, was officially opened in September of 1987. Alberta's program is unique in that the public was involved from the outset and played a major role in the decision-making process.The $CDN 50M facility receives organic and inorganic wastes from Alberta generators. Treatment by incineration, physical/chemical treatment and stabilization destroys approximately 15,000 tonnes of waste annually. Inert residues are landfilled and treated wastewaters disposed of down a deep well. The facility is fed directly from large industry and indirectly, from small industry and households, via a system of collection and transfer stations located throughout the province.     

Applications of risk assessment techniques to hazardous waste management

Applications of risk assessment techniques to hazardous waste management are briefly discussed in terms of selecting appropriate waste management technologies, assessing operating sites, setting priorities for clean up of problem sites, determining the appropriate level of clean up and planning new facilities. A specific case history involving risk assessment for the siting of a waste management facility in the Province of Ontario, Canada is described in more detail. Risk estimates are provided for exposure via inhalation and ingestion of potentially contaminated local water, crops, meat and milk. The predicted risk are compared to risks of death from selected voluntary and involuntary exposures.     

Resolving public conflict in site selection process-a risk communication approach

In Japan, conflicts regarding the siting of waste disposal facilities occur frequently. In particular, siting of incinerators and landfills has become increasingly difficult because the public is highly concerned about the dioxin issues. Inefficient siting of waste disposal facilities causes several social problems, such as the shortage of waste treatment and disposal facilities, the rising of waste management costs and an increase in the consumption of resources. While dealing with a similar situation, the Chemical Society of Japan adopted a risk communication technique successfully. Hence, the pragmatic use of a risk communication technique is proposed to avoid conflicts and for a smooth information exchange to seek cooperation in waste management. In order to achieve this, a study was conducted to resolve conflicts between residents and the municipality for the selection of site for a solid waste treatment and disposal facility. This study aims to discuss the subject of risk communication for the waste disposal system in Japan. This study is performed through personal interviews and a questionnaire covering opposing parties in the town. As a result of the survey, a risk communication approach for a waste treatment and disposal system is presented in the paper addressing issues such as building of social trust, pragmatic use of the communication process, installation of credible information sources, and environmental education and awareness.     

Using MCDA and GIS for hazardous waste landfill siting considering land scarcity for waste disposal

The main aim of this study was to develop a procedure that minimizes the wasting of space for the siting of hazardous waste landfills as part of a solid waste management system. We wanted to tackle the shortage of land for waste disposal that is a serious and growing problem in most large urban regions. The procedure combines a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach with a geographical information system (GIS). The GIS was utilised to obtain an initial screening in order to eliminate unsuitable areas, whereas the MCDA was developed to select the most suitable sites. The novelty of the proposed siting procedure is the introduction of a new screening phase before the macro-siting step aimed at producing a “land use map of potentially suitable areas” for the siting of solid waste facilities which simultaneously takes into consideration all plant types. The issue of obtaining sites evaluations of a specific facility was coupled with the issue of not wasting land appropriate to facilitate other types of waste management options. In the developed case study, the use of an innovative criteria weighting tool (the “Priority Scale”) in combination with the Analytic Hierarchy Process was useful to easier define the priorities of the evaluation criteria in comparison with other classic methods such as the Paired Comparison Technique in combination with the Simple Additive Weighting method.     

A needs analysis method for land-use planning of illegal dumping sites: A case study in Aomori–Iwate,Japan

Land use at contaminated sites, following remediation, is often needed for regional redevelopment. However, there exist few methods of developing economically and socially feasible land-use plans based on regional needs because of the wide variety of land-use requirements. This study proposes a new needs analysis method for the conceptual land-use planning of contaminated sites and illustrates this method with a case study of an illegal dumping site for hazardous waste. In this method, planning factors consisting of the land-use attributes and related facilities are extracted from the potential needs of the residents through a preliminary questionnaire. Using the extracted attributes of land use and the related facilities, land-use cases are designed for selection-based conjoint analysis. A second questionnaire for respondents to the first one who indicated an interest in participating in the second questionnaire is conducted for the conjoint analysis to determine the utility function and marginal cost of each attribute in order to prioritize the planning factors to develop a quantitative and economically and socially feasible land-use plan. Based on the results, site-specific land-use alternatives are developed and evaluated by the utility function obtained from the conjoint analysis. In this case study of an illegal dumping site for hazardous waste, the uses preferred as part of a conceptual land-use plan following remediation of the site were (1) agricultural land and a biogas plant designed to recover energy from biomass or (2) a park with a welfare facility and an athletic field. Our needs analysis method with conjoint analysis is applicable to the development of conceptual land-use planning for similar sites following remediation, particularly when added value is considered.     

Nasreya: a treatment and disposal facility for industrial hazardous waste in Alexandria, Egypt: phase I.

A facility for the treatment and disposal of industrial hazardous waste has been established in Alexandria, Egypt. Phase I of the facility encompassing a secure landfill and solar evaporation ponds is ready to receive waste, and Phase II encompassing physico-chemical treatment, solidification, and interim storage is underway. The facility, the Nasreya Centre, is the first of its kind in Egypt, and represents the nucleus for the integration, improvement and further expansion of different hazardous waste management practices and services in Alexandria. It has been developed within the overall legal framework of the Egyptian Law for the Environment, and is expected to improve prospects for enforcement of the regulatory requirements specified in this law. It has been developed with the overall aim of promoting the establishment of an integrated industrial hazardous waste management system in Alexandria, serving as a demonstration to be replicated elsewhere in Egypt. For Phase I, the Centre only accepts inorganic industrial wastes. In this respect, a waste acceptance policy has been developed, which is expected to be reviewed during Phase II, with an expansion of the waste types accepted.     

Incineration risk perceptions and public concern: Experience in the U.K. improving risk communication

Siting decisions for hazardous waste incineration continue to be delayed and impeded by adverse public reaction. Improved public relations and education of the public about risks are the favoured approaches amongst many experts and the industry for allaying public concerns. This paper identifies the limited potential for such strategies and advocates instead attention to the whole risk management system for hazardous waste siting decisions. The paper's conclusions and recommendations arise from an examination of the nature, sources and impact of public concerns about incineration in the U.K.     

Safe management of hazardous waste

The size and the health significance of the hazardous waste problem are reviewed. Proper engineering and management practice are discussed, including the elimination, if possible, reduction, changing processes and product lines, treatment and reuuse, and disposal by landfill and incineration. Exports should be drasti cally reduced, also using complex administrative measures. International organizations concerned should encourage good national and international management practices. A siting for collection, treatment and disposal, remote from human habitation, and established under an international agreement, would release countries from managing a difficult problem within their own national borders.     

Effective Waste Management: Understanding And Dealing With Public Concerns

Effective waste management is dependent upon achieving informed consensus amongst interested parties. Public concerns and opposition present a challenge to this consensus which must be tackled. This paper reviews our understanding of the basis of public concerns about waste management activities and suggests some means for dealing with these. The paper identifies a need for better understanding of the complexity of concerns, which are based not only upon risk perceptions but also a lack of trust and credibility in waste managers, decision-makers, and the decision processes and control mechanisms for waste facility siting and operation. Suggestions for dealing with these concerns are discussed relating to risk communication, improving decision processes, the control and management of waste activities, and improvement in "expert" understanding of the risks.     

重庆市危险废物市场分析及预测

随着危险废物政策的不断完善,以及重庆市对环境监管力度的不断加大,危险废物收集体系日益健全,危险废物产生、收集、集中处置量将继续增长.现有利用处置设施能力不足,规划的利用处置设施能力与处置缺口出现结构不平衡问题.针对这些问题,对重庆市危险废物的产量及处置现状、现有及规划的危废利用处置设施进行了统计整理分析,并对未来产量进...     

Small-quantity-generator hazardous-waste production and management in Florida

Data are presented on the production and management of hazardous waste by approximately 20 000 small-quantity hazardous-waste generators (SQHWGs) in the state of Florida. SQHWGs are generators that produce less than 1000 kg of hazardous waste in a calendar month. There were approximately 117 000 metric tonnes of small-quantity-generator (SQG) hazardous waste produced annually. Included in this total are over 43 000 tonnes of waste oils even though they were not regulated as a hazardous waste at the time of the survey. Approximately half of this hazardous waste is managed using the following methods: recycling, treatment, and disposal in permitted hazardous-waste-management facilities. However, large quantities of this SQG hazardous waste are disposed of in sanitary landfills and discharged to public sewers and these facilities are typically not designed to handle hazardous waste. These data indicate that there are potential environmental and human-health problems associated with the management of SQG hazardous waste in Florida as well as throughout the U.S.A.     

Report: policy drivers and the planning and implementation of integrated waste management in Ireland using the regional approach.

Waste management in Ireland has been dramatically transformed over the past 10 years from over 90% reliance on landfill towards a fully integrated approach. According to the latest EPA National Database Report in 2007 our municipal (household and commercial but excluding construction and demolition) recycling rate was 35% in 2005. This has been achieved through the implementation of 10 regional waste management plans all prepared within a new national planning framework in accordance with the Waste Management Act 1996 and Government policy document 'Changing Our Ways', published in 1998 by the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The principal drivers of the waste management plans and strategies are the EU Waste Framework Directive (recently revised), the EU Packaging Directive and the EU Landfill Directive. In addition, there were substantial political and environmental drivers due to the relatively poor standard of landfills in Ireland. Strict landfill regulation by the Environment Protection Agency commenced in 1997and led to many closures of poor facilities and new standards of siting design and operation. This has led to very high landfill charges that are only now beginning to stabilize. The key to improving public attitudes to the greatly improving waste management system has been the degree and content of stakeholder involvement programmes. These programmes are now consolidated into a national 'Race against Waste' programme (www.raceagainstwaste.ie). The purpose of the programme is to create awareness and deal with many of the misconceptions in the public mind attached to waste treatment methods especially incineration. Waste management is after all about people.     

Multi-objective optimization of solid waste flows: environmentally sustainable strategies for municipalities

An approach to sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) management is presented, with the aim of supporting the decision on the optimal flows of solid waste sent to landfill, recycling and different types of treatment plants, whose sizes are also decision variables. This problem is modeled with a non-linear, multi-objective formulation. Specifically, four objectives to be minimized have been taken into account, which are related to economic costs, unrecycled waste, sanitary landfill disposal and environmental impact (incinerator emissions). An interactive reference point procedure has been developed to support decision making; these methods are considered appropriate for multi-objective decision problems in environmental applications. In addition, interactive methods are generally preferred by decision makers as they can be directly involved in the various steps of the decision process. Some results deriving from the application of the proposed procedure are presented. The application of the procedure is exemplified by considering the interaction with two different decision makers who are assumed to be in charge of planning the MSW system in the municipality of Genova (Italy).     

电解铝工业危险废物处理技术的发展方向

针对电解铝工业产生的大量含氟危险废物,综述了国内外该类危险废物处理技术的发展历程和研究进展,并就目前国内电解铝工业危险废物的两种典型处理工艺进行了对比分析。指出:分类处理和浮选—浸出是目前处理电解铝工业危险废物的最佳工艺;湿法处理是实现电解铝工业危险废物资源化的技术发展方向;有价元素的进一步高效回收需要对工艺条件进行精细控制,从理论层面和分子水平进行深入研究。     

Resident's concerns and attitudes towards Solid Waste Management facilities

Because of limited space, the siting and construction of a new SWM facility is a big challenge in Japan. An SWM facility should be socially accepted as well as environmentally and economically sound. This study aimed to investigate people's concerns about SWM facilities and their attitudes towards such facilities. A questionnaire was designed based on literature reviews and was sent to residents in three municipalities with different backgrounds. The questions covered concerns on the impact of an SWM facility, management aspects, unfairness of facility siting, and attitudes to facility construction. Of the many concerns, "pollution and health effect" had the highest rating, followed by "reliability", "damage to nature" and "cost". The rating was different between municipalities, reflecting their geographic and social backgrounds. Using factor analysis, correlations among concerns were analyzed, and five principal components were extracted, namely "pollution", "nuisance", "facility management", "planning of facility", and "merit/demerit". Although obvious correlations were not found between individual items of concern and attitudes to construction of a facility, the discriminant analysis indicated dominant concerns of attitudes, but the disagreement between actual impact and citizens were found. As for attributes, the "opposed" attitude decreased for residents who had visited an SWM facility, even if they had only seen it from outside.     

Hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam: current status and future direction

This article concentrates on the existing situation of hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam. To realize the importance of the development of a Vietnam national strategy based on the reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) concept to the year 2020, the author summarizes the practice of recycling activities of hazardous industrial waste and discusses the challenges arising from increases in the quantity and types of waste and the level of hazard of the waste generated considering that the technical infrastructure for handling and managing the waste is inadequate and the legal system on environmental protection is lacking. In order to improve the existing situation of hazardous industrial waste management, the Vietnamese Government recently has played an increasing role in promoting regional and international cooperation on environmental protection through ratifying the international conventions on the environment including the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal and the International Labor Organization Convention on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work and by adhering to the concept of the material-cycle society. These steps are key opportunities for applying the principles of 3R to the recovery of value from hazardous waste in the future.     

Siting landfills and incinerators in areas of historic unpopularity: Surveying the views of the next generation

The Campania Region in Southern Italy has suffered many problems with municipal solid waste management since the mid-1990s, leading to significant public disturbances and subsequent media coverage. This paper reports on the current views and knowledge of young people (university students) in this region about waste management operations and facilities, specifically the siting of landfills and incinerators. By means of a structured questionnaire, opinion and knowledge were systematically examined by degree type and course year. The study took place in 2011 at the University of Salerno campus. A sample of 900 students, comprising 100 students for each of the nine considered faculties, and 20 students for every academic course year, was randomly selected. Only about a quarter of respondents were not opposed to the siting of a landfill or an incinerator in their city. This clearly highlights that historic opposition to the construction of waste facilities is difficult to overcome and that distrust for previous poor management or indiscretions is long-lived and transcends generations. Students from technical faculties expressed the most reasonable opinion; opinion and knowledge were statistically related (Chi-square test, p < 0.05) to the attended faculty, and the knowledge grew linearly with progression through the university. This suggests that awareness of waste management practices develops with experience and understanding of environmental issues. There is general acceptance that many stakeholders – technicians, politicians and citizens – all have to be part of the decision process when siting a new waste management facility. The opinions of the young respondents were significantly influenced by their level of environmental knowledge.     

Management of hazardous waste in Thailand: present situation and future prospects

 This paper deals with the present scenario of hazardous waste management practices in Thailand, and gives some insights into future prospects. Industrialization in Thailand has systematically increased the generation of hazardous waste. The total hazardous waste generated in 2001 was 1.65 million tons. It is estimated that over 300 million kg/year of hazardous waste is generated from nonindustrial, community sources (e.g., batteries, fluorescent lamps, cleansing chemicals, pesticides). No special facilities are available for handling these wastes. There are neither well-established systems for separation, storage, collection, and transportation, nor the effective enforcement of regulations related to hazardous wastes management generated from industrial or nonindustrial sectors. Therefore, because of a lack of treatment and disposal facilities, these wastes find their way into municipal wastewaters, public landfills, nearby dump sites, or waterways, raising serious environmental concern. Furthermore, Thailand does not have an integrated regulatory framework regarding the monitoring and management of hazardous materials and wastes. In addition to the absence of a national definition of hazardous wastes, limited funding has caused significant impediments to the effective management of hazardous waste. Thus, current waste management practices in Thailand present significant potential hazards to humans and the environment. The challenging issues of hazardous waste management in Thailand are not only related to a scarcity of financial resources (required for treatment and disposal facilities), but also to the fact that there has been no development of appropriate technology following the principles of waste minimization and sustainable development. A holistic approach to achieving effective hazardous waste management that integrates the efforts of all sectors, government, private, and community, is needed for the betterment of human health and the environment. Received: February 26, 2001 / Accepted: October 11, 2002     

An inexact multi-objective dynamic model and its application in China for the management of municipal solid waste

With the development of science and technology, solid waste management has become a serious environmental problem for most communities all over the world. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization model for the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) via an uncertainty approach. In this model, the system cost of solid waste management and the environmental impact are considered as the main objectives, and some necessary constraints based on the characteristics of China are included; additionally, Pollution loss theory is applied to evaluate the environmental impact.This model is applied to the City of Fo Shan, China. Compared with the primary project of Fo Shan, which is provided by the government, the results of the optimization procedure show that the overall system cost could be reduced by $1–2.4/ton, i.e., $3.7 million/yr. The model presented in this paper was proven to be an effective response to the multi-objective solid waste management problem, and provides a new technique to optimize MSW management and operation. Why is the optimization result better? By analyzing the modelling with respect to function, constraints, and results, we conclude that the profit would be augmented due to the amount of the waste that would be treated by recycling technology, which would increase rapidly during the planning time; thus, the total system cost could be reduced accordingly.