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.     

四川省危险废物管理现状分析及评价

随着城市化进程的加快,危险废物的产生量快速增加,数量多、分布广、危害大、潜在利用价值高,管理处理难度大,因此带来了巨大的环境安全隐患。本文利用相关调查统计数据,分析了四川省危险废物产生特性及污染特性,指出危险废物管理过程中出现的问题已成为阻碍四川省循环经济发展及生态省建设的壁垒,针对出现的问题,提出了相关对策和建议。     

Risk informed optimization of a hazardous material multi-periodic transportation model

This paper presents a systematic framework toward the development of a Transportation Model for Hazardous Materials (HazMat). In practice, the proposed modeling framework is realized through an appropriate generalization of the traditional transportation network problem in the presence of safety constraints that need to be satisfied. The objective is to minimize transportation cost while reducing risks at the desired levels.In particular, the present research study identifies and evaluates different risk factors that influence the HazMat transportation network. Next, the transportation model is depicted graphically using nodes and arcs and optimal conditions are identified by solving the associated minimum cost flow network problem. The results show safety levels that help making informed decisions on choosing the optimal transportation configuration for hazardous material shipments.Within the proposed methodological context, appropriately parameterized simulation studies elucidate the effects of occurrence probabilities of the different risk events on transportation cost. Furthermore, as the appropriate management decisions must consider the effect of actions in one time period on future periods, the proposed model is structured as a multi-periodic model.Finally, the proposed methodological approach is employed to demonstrate the utility of proper analytical tools in decision making and particularly in ensuring that scientifically informed safety procedures are in place while transporting goods that can be potentially proven dangerous to the public and the surroundings.     

Laminar jet modelling for hazardous area classification

A previous article dealt with turbulent jet flow modelling with the aim at developing a method for estimating the size of explosive clouds following a high Reynolds number release, within hazardous area classification scheme. The results have demonstrated that the standard EN 60079-10 (2009) largely overestimates the real size of clouds resulting from a piping or a vessel leak. On the other hand, laminar jets are possible also at moderately high Reynolds numbers; furthermore, a reduced momentum, typical of laminar jets, is often assumed in QRA studies, as a conservative assumption, due to the expected lower air entrainment and to the corresponding larger size of the flammable cloud volume. These considerations have suggested the suitability to extend the previous analysis also to laminar regime, taking into account the effect of density and viscosity differences between air and flammable gas.     

我国危险废物转移管理制度研究与讨论

随着社会的发展,危险废物在不同行政区域之间的转移越来越频繁。虽然针对危险废物转移,中国已经制订了相应的管理办法。但仍存在着危险废物转移许可程序不规范、转移手续复杂、转移过程中各相关方责任不清晰等问题,进一步规范和完善我国危险废物转移管理制度已显得十分必要。文章通过对我国危险废物转移管理现状进行分析,展开了相应的研究与讨论。     

模糊聚类法在化学事故中未知化学品判断的应用研究

介绍一种基于微机的有毒有害物质判定方法。用模糊聚类分析法对已有化学品知识库分类。通过对化学品事故现场观察到的综合信息的核查和量化，根据一个判定准则和优化方案，找到未知化学品的归属，同时给出一个比较保守的判断结果，作为突发事故的急救处理和对环境危害的快速评估依据。     

辽宁省危险废物排放现状与污染控制战略

结合辽宁省危险废物排放现状，提出辽宁省危险废物污染控制战略。建立全省危险废物管理与登记交换中心，建设省级危险废物安全填埋处置中心、危险废物焚烧中心、省级危险废物污染事故预警系统。提出全省医疗废物处置设施建设布局和技术路线选择方案、硼泥和铬渣处置技术路线。在大城市或经济较发达城市，可采取回转炉方法集中焚烧医疗废物，而运输半径之外偏远山区或经济欠发达城市可采用高温灭菌方法处置本辖区内的医疗废物。硼泥、铬渣则优先采用资源化技术进行处置。     

The current situation of solid waste management in China

With economic development, the quantity of solid waste is increasing rapidly in China; the total quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial solid waste (ISW), and hazardous waste (HW) in 2002 were 136.5 million tons, 945 million tons, and 10 million tons, respectively. In 2002, the quantity of MSW disposed of was 74.04 million tons, 89.30% of which was landfilled, 3.72% was incinerated, and 6.98% was composted. There are currently 651 disposal facilities for MSW in China. Mining gangue is the largest component of ISW, making up 27.5% of the total. In the Chinese industrial sector, the coal mining and processing industry contributed most to the total quantity of ISW, with 16.0% of the total quantity of ISW generated by this sector. In total, 44% of HW was recycled, 27% was stored, 13.5% was disposed of, and 15.4% was discharged. Of the total HW generated, 40% was produced by the chemical materials and chemical products industry. Five categories of HW, i.e., waste alkali, waste acid, inorganic fluoride waste, copper waste, and inorganic cyanide waste, made up 57.8% of the total HW generated. Solid waste pollution has become a huge challenge faced by those involved in Chinese environmental management, but this can be seen as an opportunity to improve environmental quality. This article introduces the strategies taken to improve solid waste management in China.     

Estimating maquiladora hazardous waste generation on the U.S./Mexico border

Maquiladoras, manufacturing plants that primarily assemble foreign components for reexport, are located in concentrations along the northern frontier of the US/Mexico border. These plants process a wide variety of materials using modern industrial technologies within the context of developing world institutions and infrastructure. Hazardous waste generation by maquiladoras represents a critical environmental management issue because of the spatial concentration of these plants in border municipalities where the infrastructure for waste management is nonexistent or poor. These border municipalities contain rapidly increasing populations, which further stress their waste handling infrastructure capacities while exposing their populations to greater contaminant risks. Limited empirical knowledge exists concerning hazardous waste types and generation rates from maquiladorsas. There is no standard reporting method for waste generation or methodology for estimating generation rates at this time. This paper presents a method that can be used for the rapid assessment of hazardous waste generation. A first approximation of hazardous waste generation is produced for maquiladoras in the three municipalities of Nogales, Sonora, Mexicali, Baja California, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, using the INVENT model developed by the World Bank. In addition, our intent is to evaluate the potential of the INVENT model for adaptation to the US/Mexico border industrial situation. The press of border industrial development, especially with the recent adoption of the NAFTA, make such assessments necessary as a basis for the environmental policy formulation and management needed in the immediate future.     

Risk and consequence analyses of hazardous chemicals in marshalling yards and warehouses at Ikonio/Piraeus harbour, Greece

The risk and the consequences of possible accidents at Ikonio (Piraeus harbour, Greece) are investigated and analyzed in this paper. At this harbour large cargoes of dangerous chemicals (toxic or flammable) are unloaded and stored in warehouses or in marshalling yards. Houses and a school are located near the plant and are directly exposed to danger in the case of an accident. The results were obtained by Breeze Hazard Professional software package, which contains several models for performing consequence modeling through quantitative risk assessment.