REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, 18-26 October 1986

(Meeting Reference: EM/WW.MGM.HAZ.WTS/24)

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ' REGIONAL OFFlCE FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

1987

EDITORIAL NOTE

The issue of this document does not constitute formal publication.

The manuscript has only been modified to the extent necessary for proper comprehension. The views expressed, however, do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the World Health Organization.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

EM/ES/394-E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

PARTICIPATION

AGENDA AND PROGRAMME

THE INAUGURAL SESSION

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS

6 .1 WHO P r e s e n t a t i o n s

6 .2 C o u n t r y p r e s e n t a t i o n s

EVALUATION OF THE F I E L D TR IP ON 25 OCTOBER 1 9 8 6 TO HOMS

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

8 .1 C o n c l u s i o n

8.2 Recommenda t i ons

CLOSING SESSION

ANNEX I LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

ANNEX I 1 AGENDA

ANNEX I11 PROGRAMME

ANNEX I V WORKING GROUPS

1 . INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

This Workshop was one i n a ser ies of Regional meetings designed t o promote proper management of wastes. I t s main objectives were:

( a ) t o promote in Member States a be t ter understanding of hazardous wastes management techniques, including t h e i r assessment, movement, pre-treatment and disposal ;

(b) t o provide an opportunity t o national participants t o exchange experience i n t h e i r own countries and to identify areas of concern requiring Regional o r international collaboration on hazardous wastes movement and related issues;

( c ) the Workshop should lead t o the formulation of recommendations for follow-up action on areas of concern i n hazardous wastes management a t national, Regional and international levels.

2. PARTICIPATION

T h e Workshop was a t t e n d e d by t w e l v e p a r t i c i p a n t s r e p r e s e n t i n g seven Member States. I t was a lso attended by four observers from Syrian Arab Republic, the host country. In addit ion, support was 9rovided by onpWHO s t a f f member from the Regional Office and three WHO consultants. Observers played an active part i n the meeting. A l i s t of part icipants , WHO Secretariat and Observers i s shown in Annex I .

3 . AGENDA A N D PROGRAMME

The Agenda and Programme of the Workshop appear as Annex I1 and Annex I I I respectively .

4. THE INAUGURAL SESSION

H.E. Dr Ghasoub A1 Ri fa i i , Minister of Health, Syrian Arab Republic, s t a t e d i n h i s a d d r e s s tha t the purpose of the Workshop was t o promote technical cooperation among Member States w i t h regard to the manage- ment of hazardous wastes, including thei r assessment, movement and disposal. He expressed hope tha t the participants would make useful reconunendati ons .

Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, Regional Director, WHO Eastern Medi- terranean Region, observed in h is message tha t most countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have experienced rapid urbanization a n d considerable industr ial izat ion i n t h e past two decades o r so. Many of the new industr ies produce hazardous wastes, a f ac t which raises real concern about the detrimental effects these may have on human health and safety, as well as on livestock and vegetation, i f adequate measures are not taken t o control the i r movement, treatment and disposal. Moreover, the constant increase in production of new compounds and materials enta i l s an increase in production of potential ly hazardous wastes which have t o be added t o the long 1 i s t of special wastes already requiring careful management.

The experience of the indust r ia l ly developed countries i n the disposal of hazardous wastes i s providing both guidance and lessons for developing countries w i t h regard t o the measures necessary t o minimize o r prevent damage t o the environment; such experience i s invaluable, too, i n enabling countries t o have f u l l access t o knowledge of the serious r isks t o health associated w i t h disposal of hazardous wastes. There were a lso , sometimes, further r isks posed by inadequate safeguards on movement and disposal of hazardous wastes, both within countries and across boundaries and f ront iers ; in t h i s respect intercountry collaboration was essential ; the Wurks t~up wuul d provide an oppurturii ty t o par - t i c i p a n t s t o exchange the experiences of t h e i r amcountries and identify areas of concern tha t require Regional and/or intercountry collaboration.

Dr Gezairy expressed the hope tha t the Workshop would lead to the formulation of recommendations f o r follow-up action in the management of hazardous wastes a t national, Regional and in ter - national levels. He concluded by thanking the Government of Syrian Arab Republic for hosting the meeting and fo r providing such excel 1 ent faci 1 i t i e s .

5. ELECTION O F O F F I C E R S

The following off icers were elected:

Chai rman : Vice-Chai rman: Rapporteur:

Dr Omer Karmo (Syrian Arab Republic) Mr Mohamed Abu-Kaf [Jordan) Mr Mohammed Farouk Bedewi (Egypt)

Mr Hassan El Shamsy acted as Secretary.

6. WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS

6.1 WHO Presentations

6.1 .1 Hazardous wastes s i tuat ion in United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt

This background paper was presented by Dr G.K.Anderson who had visi ted the three countries i n the period 7 t o 29 May 1986. A summary of the paper follows:

Hazardous wastes have been identif ied as a major environmental problem in highly industrial ized countries such as USA, Japan and the countries of the European Economic Commission. The matter i s also gaining increasing at tent ion in many developing countries and attempts are being made t o manage and control the potential hazards of such wastes. However, the problem has hi therto been largely overlooked i n U n i t e d Ardb Eloirdtes, Jor-dan a n d Egypt and , by a n d large, in most other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Only in Dubai i s the subject of hazardous waste management given adequate recognition. Generally, l i t t l e speci f ic legis la t ion exis ts , neither i s there any defini t ion and c lass i f ica t ion of these materials. Consequently the storage, collection, transport and disposal of hazardous wastes are carried out i n an uncontrolled, unmoni tored and unchecked fashion.

Therefore, i t i s necessary tha t , through holding workshops, seminars and other means such as publications, e t c . , the si tuat ion throughcit the Region be highlighted. I n i t i a l l y , e f fo r t s a re needed to make the public recognize tha t such a problem exis ts and then t o assess thenature and the extent of the hazardous waste problems in each country.

Recommendations should be made t o each country tha t a s ingle , competent authority be given responsi bil i t y and tha t a properly constituted system be imposed fo r the overall control of hazardous materials, from generation t o ultimate disposal. I t should a lso be recognized tha t , wherever possible, low-cost systems of control and disposal should be applied, since the current economic s i tua t ion in most countries may not allow the immediate implementation of ideal t ransport , treatment and J i sposal methods.

In the subsequent discussion i t was indicated that in some countries public health laws for control do ex i s t b u t enforcement of such legislat ion i s d i f f i c u l t . Industries a r e s t r o n g andwi l l r e s i s t enforcement. Also the general public i s nei ther fu l ly aware of the potential hazards nor appreciative of the need fo r s t r i c t control of such wastes. Hence, where hazardous material, such as chemicals in agriculture, i s used by the public, disposal i s v i r tua l ly uncontrolled. In the subsequent discussions , the f o l l owing points were highlighted:

( i ) Education i s important; technical s t a f f require orientation and special t rc in ing; a lso the general public needs t o be made aware i t has speci f ic and marked c iv ic responsibi l i ty.

( i i ) Provision of properly marked disposal s i t e s and other f a c i l i t i e s are pre-condi t ions t o urging people tha t they should dispose of the hazardous wastes i n a sui table area.

( i i i ) Labelling of wastes i s necessary; in the countries of the Region the labelling i s done in English, which the majority of people cannot read. Labelling has been high on the agenda of the E E C , part icularly fo r material exported t o other countries.

( i v ) Potential health and environmental dangers of hazardous wastes should be ful ly recognized.

(v) The expertise t o cope with the problem i s available in the Region, b u t there has been no exchange of expertise among countries. In some cases, use of external expertise would be necessary.

6.1.2 Public health arid envi rvn~r~ental aspects of hazardous w a s t e s management:

Professor M.R.P~qcod presented t h i s paper the summary of which follows :

Past disposal practices are having adverse public health and environmental impacts today. Surface dumping i s common i n many industries ( f o r example, mining and milling t a i l ings and chemical sludges) and sub-surface waste disposal has been universal. These uncontrolled methods of disposal can cause serious surface water and groundwater pol lution when hazardous materials are involved, as we1 1 as problems of gas explosion i n general.

In the United States, there are many documented cases of serious episodes caused by poor practices i n hazardous waste disposal; some of these are reviewed in the paper. The part icular incident a t Lovc Canal, Niagara Fal l s , i s discussed i n some detai l t o i l l u s t r a t e the implications of delaying the implementation of a rational policy on hazardous wastes control. In th i s incident, leachate migration into basements of houses adjacent to a chemical dump led t o a declaration of a s t a t e of emzrgency i n which a school was closed and the evacuation of 238 families was necessitated.

Planning legislat ion introduced i n 1947 i n the United Kingdom has limited the extent and frequency of hazardous waste episodes. Abandoned open dumps have generally given r i s e t o the greatest problems, public nuisance and r isk t o children. Exposure of children t o dumped cyanide gave r i se to the introduction i n 1972 of legislat ion governing special wastes in England and Wales. Heavy metals have proved t o be especially problematic in municipal landf i l l s i t e s and abandoned industrial s i t e s . Considerable research has been carried out in the United Kingdom since 1972 t o assess the problems of hazardous waste disposal in l andf i l l s and the r isk to aquifers.

The principles of toxicology were introduced and the heal t h hazards associated with toxic substances were discussed. Dose response re1 ationships and toxici ty test ing techniques were also reviewed and the effects o f ir~vryanic elements and synthetic organic chemicals emphasized. Hazardous wastes, i t was pointed out, are not normally assessed using toxicological test ing techniques, because o f h igh cost , b u t they are very dangerous nonetheless. "Concentrate and contain" was recommended as a preferable concept t o "di lute and disperse" in the case of hazardous wastes.

I n the discussion it was s ta ted tha t construction on landf i l l s i t e s should never be permitted except a f t e r a t l eas t 20-25 years from s i t e restoration t o ensure that f i l l material has been stabil izcd and chances of mcthane production a rc ncgligiblc.

6.1.3. Classification and assessment of hazardous wastes:

This paper was presented by Dr G.K.Anderson. Its. summary fo l l ows :

A1 though a uni versa1 ly adopted defini t ion of hazardous wastes does not e x i s t , they may be considered as those wastes which require speci a1 environmental management techniques because of thei r potential acute and chronic ef fec ts on the health and welfare of the pub1 i c and on a i r , water and l a ~ d environments.

Hdzdrduus wdsLes can usually be cldss i f i e d inLu four- gerleral areas : radioactive, toxic chemicals, biologi ca1 and miscel laneous (including flammables, explosives, i r r i t a n t s , corrosives e t c . ) . However, the principle of "any substance i f abused may be considered t o be a hazard" has been thought more useful fo r legal and control purposes. In the United Kingdom f o r example, there i s a l i s t of substances which are considered to warrant special management techniques. Also a "special waste" i s then defined as one which consists of o r contains any of the " l i s t ed substances" and i s dangerous t o l i f e , has a flashpoint of less than 21°c o r i s a medical product avai lable only on prescription.

When assessing the s ta tus of a part icular waste i t i s suggested tha t the most logical sequence of operations would be:

( i ) t o establish whether o r not i t comprises o r contains "prescription only" medicinal products;

( i i ) t o establish whether o r not i t contains any " l i s t ed substancesH ;

( i i i ) t o e s t a b l i ~ h ~ w h e t h e r o r not the waste has a flashpoint of less than 21 C ;

( i v ) t o establish whether o r n o t the waste should be regarded as dangerous t o 1 i f e in terms of carcinogenicity , corrosi vi t y to t i ssue and toxic i ty .

Guidelines for the l a t t e r have been well established by international conventions and could be used in the case of hazardous waste management.

The above definitions and procedures could readily be adopted by any country and incorporated within a legal framework, so tha t any competent authority dealing with the problem could use them for control purposes.

The paper presented also gave a brief indication of a few of the substances l i s t ed in the United Kingdom as "special wastes" and of thei r control and disposal ; i t includes acids and a1 kal i s , asbestos, b i oci des , chromium and tar ry materials.

In the subsequent discussion i t was c la r i f i ed tha t concern regarding adverse effects on plants i s inferred from concern f o r humans and animals. Soil has a limited capacity to absorb toxic wastes; t h i s depends on the wastes themselves and on so i l charac- t e r i s t i c s . Concern was voiced also as t o the c lass i f ica t ion of clays as "impervious so i l s " since ttley do crack when thcy are dry or t h r o u g h weathering conditions .

6.1.4. Hazardous waste regulations :

Mr T.Hall presented t h i s topic the summary of which follows:

Hazardous waste regulation i s no longer something which we can l ive without. The needs of both man and his environment d ic ta te tha t we must introduce some form of control over the management of waste disposal operations , part icularly those involving toxic and pol lut ing wastes.

Such controls do not need t o . be complex, nor do they need t o be introduced a l l a t once. Although many people r e s i s t regulatory control because of the expense involved, they forget tha t there are def in i te long-term advantages in providing protection for the environment as soon as possible, compared with the cost of rect ifying mistakes l a t e r . This can be i l lus t r a t ed by the events taking place in the USA and elsewhere.

A simple documentation system can be introduced very cheaply t o monitor the movement and disposal of toxic wastes. From t h i s , i t will be relat ively easy t o deduce the magnitude of the problem.

A system of issuing a licence to s i t e operators, outlining which types of waste can be accepted a t each s i t e , together with a code or practice to determine how the s i t e will be operated, w i 11 effec t s grcat improvcmcnt in waste management fo r the author i t ies , fo r waste producers and for disposers. The greatest advantage, however, wi 11 be gained by the envi ronment.

Nevertheless, control systems should not be too res t r i c t ive , and should be agreed jo in t ly w i t h neighbouring countries.

Whichever system i s chosen, i t i s most important tha t i t i s introduced quickly, since any further delay will only add t o the f inal costs of environmental protection.

In the discussion, i t was noted t h a t choice of s i t e i s sometimes d i f f i c u l t as the authori t ies concerned (wastewater and water) may disagree, f o r t h e i r own reasons. A balance should, however, be struck. I t i s esserltidl Lo ident i fy the problem and t o l icense s i t e s . There are always d i f f i c u l t i e s i n assigning p r io r i t i e s t o various national programmes, including pollution programmes. The problem i s how t o p u t a monetary value on health, which i s the r ight of a1 1 people. I t i s not necessary t o prove the importance of hazardous wastes disposal or wait f o r a monetary value t o jus t i fy i t .

6.1 .5 . Procedures adopted fo r control

Mr T.Hall presented th i s paper the summary of which follows:

The two primary controlsrequired are t o cover the wastes and the disposal s i t e s . I t has been shown tha t a "consignment r a t e system" for each load of hazardous wastes from "cradle" to "grave" can provide a great deal of information about both waste ar is ings and about disposal operations.

The U K system involves notifying the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) of where the waste i s t o be disposed o f , prior t o the movement of the waste. A ser ies of hand-over signatures on fur ther copies of the document also provides records fo r the waste producer and ca r r i e r . The remaining documents travel on the vehicle with the waste to the disposal s i t e where the s i t e operator retains a copy f o r h i s records and sends the f inal copy t o the WDA where t h e waste was produced. This ensures tha t the waste has reached i t s destination. The information on the document helps the WDA t o assess the fol 1 owing :

( a ) Types and quantity of waste. ( b ) Waste producers. ( c ) Disposal s i t e s and disposal methods. ( d ) Distances travelled and number of loads.

The whole system only costs the price of three postage stamps.

In the discussion i t was pointed out tha t individual contractors ( i n U K ) a lso have t h e i r own controls fo r wastes handling within t h e i r s i t e . After analysing the wastes, they give the customer a code and estimate how much i t will cos t , and have t h e i r own documentation and internal management system. I t was indicated tha t controls mean tha t what the waste producer declares goes t o his s i t e o r another approved s i t e and tha t discrepancies could be checked. Proper inspection involves sudden inspection a t odd hours. Regulations give the competent authority ( i n UK) the r ight t o impound the waste, impose up t o pounds s ter l ing 3000 f ine , and/or u p to two years i~liprisonilient.

6.1.6. Hazardous waste master planning

Professor M.B. Pescod presented t h i s topic. I t s summary follows:

The master planning o f h d ~ d r d ~ ~ ~ wastes i s an integral p a r t of sol id waste master planning and there are benefits in handling hazardous and non-hazardous wastes together. An essential f i r s t s tep in the process of preparing a waste management plan i s t o establish thenobjectives, in terms of the geographical area t o be covered, types of waste, time horizon and public/private sector responsi bi 1 i t i es . Before considering management a1 ternat i ves , the constraints l ikely t o 1 imi t the decision-maker must be considered. These include financial , manpower, land use and environmental cc l s t r a in t s , which are part icularly important in the case of Flzardous waste disposal .

Once these basic features have been defined, complete information on the area, the waste ar i s ings , waste storage, transport and disposal faci 7 i t i e s and on legislat ion and ins t i tu t ional conditions i s required. Collecting data on the existing si tuat ion i s not easy b u t predicting future trends in the production of hazardous wastes i s particularly d i f f i cu l t . An important p a r t of the implementation of a master plan will be the establishment of routine data collection procedures.

EM/ES/394-E page 10

With th i s background of c r i t e r i a and information, i t i s possible to enter into a detailed investigation of a l te rnat ive options. This will not only involve an assessment of technical al ternat ives b u t must include a comparison of l i fet ime costs. Uecisions on the f inal form of the plan wi 11 s t r i k e a balance between costs and envi ronmental objectives. The master plan should be pub1 i shed t o allow consultation with interested part ies before implementation. Finally, the system must be monitored and regularly reviewed t o identify needs fo r change.

In the discussion the importance of restoring a l l landf i l l s i t e s was stressed. They may be restored for agriculture o r as playgrounds, b u t no construction i s to be permitted fo r a t l eas t 20 o r 25 years . Some optimization techniques were outlined. One i s l inear programming which i s used in deciding what wastes one i s going t o take t o which land s i t e . This helps optimize the collection system.

6.1.7. Case study of hazardous liquid waste disposal

This case study, a summary of w h i c h follows, was presented by Professor M.B. Pescod.

The case of a co-disposal landf i l l s i t e in north-east England i s reviewed, from the time the private waste disposal contractor purchased the s i t e t o the time i t was able t o receive toxic l iquid wastes. Originally, the s i t e had been a brickworks and had a thick layer of clay across the whole area, which was ideal f o r a contained landf i l l s i t e . Planning permission was given and a s i t e licence issued fo r the disposal of domestic and commercial refuse and sol id industr ial waste. The s i te w a s operated in i t i a l l y a s a conventional contained sanitary landf i l l with waste being deposited in the f i r s t of f ive c e l l s , into which t he area had been divided by clay embankments.

The company then applied fo r permission t o introduce toxic liquid waste into a c e l l , once i t had been completely f i l l e d and capped with a clay cover. Unfortunately, the local planning committee refused t h i s permission because of p u h l i c concern abnut the escape of toxic leachate in to neighbouring streams. A t t h i s point the company appealed t o the Secretary of State fo r the Environment and the local authority was in a d i f f i c u l t position.

EM/ES/394-E page 11

When approached by the local authority, the University of Newcastl e upon Tyne's environmental control engineering group agreed t o conduct a technical review of the s i t e and the company's proposals for operating t h c co-disposal l andf i l l . The findings were presented in a report which was made public and discussed a t a public meeting. On the basis of the ,objective conclusions , which were i n favour of the introduction of toxic liquid waste, planning approval was given and the s i t e 1 i cence modified accordingly.

I n the subsequent discussion, i t was c l a r i f i ed tha t the thickness of the claying layer was estimated as the basis of the ra te of i n f i l t r a t i o n through clay, which i s very slow. Monitoring boreholes have not been d r i l l ed yet . Only vehicle movement helps compact the bottom of the p i t ; there were no special compaction requi remen t s .

6.1.8. The transport of hazardous wastes

Dr G-K-Anderson presented the paper the summary of which follows:

This paper deals with the transport of non-nuclear toxic and hazardous wastes under a rlu~rtlier of headings - class i f ica t ion , packaging, means of t ransport , loading and unloading, control and monitoring systems and emergency measures.

In the United Kingdom hazardous wastes are defined within legislat ion under the Control of Pollution Act C1974) but specif ic legi s l a t i on re1 a t i ng to transport of hazardous wastes a1 so defines such wastes, namely the Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers) Regulation (1981 ) . Mixtures of wastes may have more than one dangerous property; consequently that most l ike ly t o cause most danger t o l i f e will be considered paramount.

With regard t o packaging, there i s a duty fo r a l l consigners of dangerous goods t o ensure tha t the i r goods are sent in packaging which complies with t h e requirements of the mode of t r d r ~ s p o r t selected, be i t road, r a i l or sea. Testing of packaging should, in every country, be i n accordance with UN guidelines and reconditioned packaging should be tested and marked accordingly.

EM/ES/394-E page 12

The means of transport should be subject t o extensive tes t ing , i i c e n s i ~ g and ce r t i f i ca t ion by competent examiners t o ensure tha t the appropriate vehicles are used for t h e i r transport and the transporting vehicle should also be labcllcd i n accordance with national regulations. The paper described the "Hazchem" system which gives a rapid indication of precisely what materials are being transported. The vehicle drivers must be trained in emergency procedures, and load and unload the vehicle in such a way as t o ensure tha t safe practices are exercised.

During transport, i t i s recommended tha t vehicles follow only those routes which are approved f o r transport of dangerous goods. Research i s being carr ied .~Ut t o eval uate various systems which guarantee tha t such routes are fol 1 owed, including electronic number plates and sate1 1 i t e tracking.

Considerable emphasis i s also given t o the actions which should be taken on the ar r iva l of the emergerlcy services i r r the event of an accident or incident. In the UK t h i s i s closely linked t o the Hazchem labelling system and t o the "Chemdata" reference system a t Harwell .

I t i s s tressed here tha t i t i s v i t a l fo r the transport regulations in each country t o be revised t o speci f ica l ly cover hazardous waste movements. Specific at tent ion should also be given t o vehicle marking since th i s warns the public, a s s i s t s in control and gives guidance t o Jmergency services.

In the ensuing discussion the s u i t a b i l i t y of the system used in U K for the countries of the Region wa; questioned. I t was indicated tha t a system i s required, however simple i t may be. Consideration should be given t o a system that would be compatible with those used by neighbouring countries. I t was important t o make a s t a r t .

6.1.9. Design of landf i l l containments s i t e s :

Dr G . K . Anderson presented the paper the summary of which follows:

EM/ES/394-E page 13

There are very few s i t e s which may be considered t o be ideal for l a n d f i l l , b u t those that are not can, with careful planning, be engineered to be sui table , though a t a cost. Landfill s i t e s may be divided into two baslc categories, depending upon the extent to which "leachage" i s contained. "Attenuate and disperse" s i t e s allow the slow release of leachate from the landf i l l and rely upon various attenuation mechanisms operating within the body of the waste and in the saturated and unsaturated zones of the underlying s t r a t a , t o ameliorate the pol lut ing characteris t ics of the leachate. "Containment" s i t e s , on the other hand, are intended to i so la te wastes and leachate from the environment f o r a considerable time (decades o r centuries) . This may be achieved by taking advantage of s t r a t a with a permeability of less than 1 x 10 - 7 cm per second t o prevent s ignif icant seepage of 1 eachate or , a1 ternat i vely , by use of a l iner . A t containment s i t e s , attenuation may take place almost ent i re ly within the body of the wastes. I n time, these processes will normally reduce the strength of the leachate a1 though, when hazardous wastes are present, the leachate quali ty may deteriorate.

There are three methods of filling landfills: trench, area and ce l l . For a containment s i t e the cel l method i s the most appropriate and each cel l should be finished w i t h a su i table cover o r low permeability cap i n order t o prevent ingress of ra infa l l which would cause overflow from the s i t e .

Leachate control systems need t o be employed a t containment s i t e s , enabling extraction of leachate fo r treatment, recycling or disposal when appropriate. In addition, monitoring of not only the landf i l l i t s e l f b u t also of the area outside i t s boundary should be mandatory. This would confirm the in tegr i ty of the s i t e , particuldrly i f a r t i f i c i a l l iners are in use.

If a sui table natural material i s not available then synthetic l iners must be incorporated, a f t e r assessing the 6ui tabi l i ty of the s i t e fo r such a practice. A wide range of l iners i s available b u t only a limited number are considered t o be sat isfactory. The choice i s d i f f i cu l t since t h e i r long-term behaviour i s uncertain and there i s relat ively l i t t l e information with regard t o t h e i r contact with d i f f i c u l t wastes.

EM/ES/394-E page 14

In the ensuing discussion an enquiry was raised about use of t ransfer s tat ions for hazardous wastes. Transfer s ta t ions simply provide t ransfer of wastes from collection vehicles to bulk car r iers . This i s considered where l a r g e volumes and l a r g e distances are involved, so as to reduce costs and t o maximize use of vehicles. If the quantity i s small, i t m a y not beworth i t , and wastes may be taken d i rec t ly t o the s i t e .

6.1.10. Co-disposal landf i l l design

This paper was presented by Professor M.B. Pescod. A summary follows: .

Two techniques fo r co-disposal of hazardous wastes along with municipal solid wastes in l andf i l l s were described. These are applied a t the Pitsea s i t e in south-east England and the Choppington s i t e in north-east England. The P i tsea landfi 11 has been operated using the area method; refuse from London i s s t i l l being placed. A t Choppington, the s i t e i s divided into contained c e l l s ; only when a c e l l i s f i l l e d w i t h refuse and capped w i t h clay can toxic liquid waste be introduced.

Hazardous wastes are received on-site and compatible w.astes mixed i n tanks. Oily and greasy wastes are subjected t o API separation before co-disposal. A t P i t sea , mixed compatible wastes are introduced into the refuse via trenches, 1 - 2 m wide and 2 - 3 m deep, cut in to the landf i l l on contours a t locations where the refuse has been placed 5 - 10 years before. The 1 iquid waste i n f i l t r a t e s into the refuse and i s transformed i n passage through i t unti l some emerges a t the working face, along with any ra infa l l entering the landfi 11. Odorous wastes are introduced into covered trenches and incompatible wastes into separate trenches.

A t Chqpington, a different technique i s adopted t o introduce toxic l iquid waste in to the capped c e l l . While the ce l l i s being f i l l e d , 150 mm diameter PVC pipes with 15 mm diameter perforations are incorporated a t about 50 m intervals and, a t varibus levels , used vehicle tyres a re placed around the pipes. After the ce l l i s f i l l e d and capped, toxic liquid waste i s introduced in to the pipes and dissipates in to the refuse via the voids in the rubber tyre layers.

EM/ES/394-E page 15

This technique i s successful unless the wastes con ta in high sol ids levels.

I n t h e ensu ing d i s c ~ ~ s s i n n i t waz revealed t h a t the co- disposal method i s not favoured in the USA or the Federal Republic of Germany for fear of groundwater pollution and in the absence of suff ic ient research.

6.1.11. Incineration on land

Mr T.Hall presented t h i s topic the summary of which follows:

Incineration presents the most permanent solution to waste disposal problems, since the wastes are (almost) to ta l ly destroyed. Pract ical ly, a l l wastes can be treated in t h i s way and those which are not destroyed are rendered ine r t .

Unfortunately, incineration i s more costly than most other methods, since the capital costs a re very high, in the order of US$7 000 000, and the maintenance and r u n n i n g costs are also high. These costs are reflected in the price per ton charged by operators. For example, l iquid PCB wastes can be as high as US$15 000 per ton and sol id PCB wastes up t o US$2 200.

Cri t ical t o inginerator efficiency are operating temperature (about 1200 - 1500 C) and residence time (about 1 - 2 seconds fo r 1 iquid wastes).

Incineration does produce residues which may require fur ther treatment. Solid residues may need further treatment prior t o 1 andfi 11 disposal . For example, mercury- and cadmi um-searing wastes may need to be encapsulated i n cement. Gaseous emissions will require "scrubbing", which will give r i s e t o an aqueous liquor which may require chemical treatment.

Recent research has shown tha t not a l l pollutants in the gaseous phase are removed by "scrubbing". I t has been found tha t dioxins, part icularly 2.3.7.8 T C D D , are produced wt~er~ chlorinated wastes are incinetjated. However the levels are very low, in the order of 10 mg/M or less .

Despite t h i s f a c t , and the higher cost of disposal, i t may s t i l l be the cheapest option in the long term f o r certain categories of waste.

EM/ES/394-E page 16

In the subsequent discussion i t was enquired how car tyres could be disposed of. I t was stated tha t , roughly speaking, i f the quantity i s between 10 to 20 there would be no problem fo r the i r incineration. I f i t i s larger than t h i s , objectionable black smoke and sulphur would be emitted. I t i s bet ter t o take them to a l a n d f i l l , o r use t h e m f o r co-disposal. Incineration i s sui table fo r a l l products and i s an essential process f o r hazardous wastes disposal. The main problems are , however, from dioxin and PCBs.

6.1.12. Incineration a t sea

This paper was presented by Mr T.Hal1. A summary follows:

One very common misconception about incineration a t sea i s tha t i t involves some form of dumping wastes a t sea. This i s t o t a l l y untrue. No wastes are dumped nor are there any residues f o r disposal. The vessels used fo r ocean incineration only handle liquid wastes, hence the only emission from the process i s the plume.

Ocean incineration i s a re la t ive ly new technology, s tar ted in the l a t e 1960s with the use of a converted merchant tanker, I t has progressed rapidly over the past 25 years unt i l we now see vessels specially designed and b u i l t to handle specif ic waste types (primarily halogenated solvents, pesticides and PCB wastes) and representing the state-of-the-art in incineration technology. They also represent the l a t e s t design in ship construction, being double-hulled.

Wastes are very s t r i c l y control led, with each individual waste stream being licensed, but only a f t e r a1 1 other viable a1 ternat ives have been attempted f i r s t . The amount of solid matter and the levels of heavy metals are a1 so s t r i c t l y 1 i m i ted.

The operating parameters are a l l predetermined and computer- controlled, with automatic shut-offf and fa i l - sa fe devices. There are no pumps on board except those used to del iver waste to the furnace, thus no waste can be pumped overboard. As a l l fuel and waste quanti t ies are stored i n the computer, any discrepancy would appear.

EM/ES/394-E page 17

The major difference between sea- and land-based incinerators i s the absence of gas-cleaning equipment, since the plume, which contains hydrogen chloride, i s absorbed on the surface of the ocean. The deslr.uction e f f i c i e n c y has been determined by the Env i romcnt Protection Agency, USA, as better than 99.9999% yet the costs of incineration are many times less than those of equivalent land-based incineration.

The biggest advantage for developing nations i s that the vessel can call into any port to collect wastes, then sai l away to a designated area for thei r incineration. No capital costs have to be met, and there i s no pollution, so the major obstacles to incineration are overcome by using th i s fac i l i ty .

In the subsequent discussion i t was revealed that cost of incineration a t sea i s about one quarter of land-based costs; the main difference i s in gas cleaning equipment and system efficiency. Private operators cannot dlspose of wastes a t sea. There is a fai l-safe system whereby the pump i s shut down i f anything goes wrong. The vessel i s inspected every time i t goes out. The move- ment of the plume i s monitored. Nnne of the gases go into the atmosphere; they go into the sea. There i s no pollution hazard.

6.1.13. Stabilization of hazardous wastes

Dr G.K.Anderson presented th i s paper. A summary fol lows:

Stabilization of hazardous wastes i s a pretreatment process that includes a chemical change in the waste t o form insoluble compounds in impervious polymers or a stable crystal l a t t i ce . I t s major a t t r ibute i s that i t should produce a solid monolithic mass from a 1 iquid with improved structural integri ty. Considerzble research has taken place over the past 20 years to isolate harmful materials from the environment, and although not to ta l ly successful or economical , the techniques employed should be given consideration for further research and development.

EM/ES/394-E page 18

I t i s clear tha t , due to the comparatively low resources and technology requirements, the cement and s i 1 ica te or PFA-based processes have the widest application. In the U K there a re three major stabilization/solidification processes w i t h a potential t o t a l annual capacity of 200 000 tonnes.Each uses the concept of mixing the waste into a cement-like s lur ry and pumping t h i s into a pre- prepared, impervious, landfi l l -1 i ke area. Sol id i f icat ion takes place a f t e r a short period and, following hardening, fur ther layers of s lur ry may be applied.

I t i s suggested tha t such a process may well be incorporated into a national or regional centralized treatment f a c i l i t y for hazardous wastes, such as the Kommunekemi system i n Denmark.

In the subsequent discussion there was only one cri t icism, namely tha t encapsulated hazardous wastes will eventually leak out very slowly.

6.1.14. S i t e restoration

This topic was presented by Mr T. Hall. I t i s summarized be1 ow:

The restorat ion, after-care and after-use of a landf i l l s i t e are essential factors in waste management strategy, As the costs of effect ive restoration are high, they must be incorporated into the pr ices charged f o r disposal . For t h i s reason, i t i s most important tha t restorat ion and after-care are worked out a t the planning stage, before operations comence, and not when the s i t e i s completed,

I t i s also important t o rea l ize the problems associated with leachate and landf i l l - gaseous emission may continue fo r several years a f t e r s i t e closure. Many of these problems can be lessened by careful operation of the s i t e and by careful application of the f inal cap.

Gas venting systems and l tachate monitoring systems must be incorporated; t o be effect ive, i t i s bet ter to incorporate them early in the l i f e of the disposal s i t e .

Zvcn i f thc f i n a l cap i s of t h e required thicicness and per- meabil i ty , i t s i n t eg r i t y can be breached by the roots of p l an t s , pa r t i cu l a r ly t r e e s , d i c h m y be 2lanted on the s i t e . Burrowing a n i m l s and even ear~hworms can cause damge t o the cap.

The cost of res t orat ion in UK i s around US$25 a00 t o US$45 000 per hec tare , or 2 t o 5% of the t o t a l cos t .

EM/ES/394-E page 19

6.1.15. Hospital waste disposal

Dr G.K.Anderson presented the topic, a summary of which follows:

Hospital waste i s defined in the paper; i t i s subdivided into c l in ica l wastes and radioactive wastes. Such wastes include human or animal t i ssue or excretions, drugs and medicinal products, swabs and dressings, instruments or similar substances and materials.

A wide variety of sources generate cl inical wastes. They are comnon to a1 1 countries.

Special care must be given to the segregation, collection and transport of c l in ica l wastes, the key being t h e i r segregation from non-clinical wastes. Hospitals i n both the private and public sectors should employ a segregation system, based preferably on colour-coded bags and sacks. A unified system would prevent er rors a t the source of the waste, which might cause them to enter the wrong disposal stream.

If cl inical wastes need to be transported t o the i r place of f ina l disposal, containers and vehicles reserved solely fo r the transportation of cl i nical wastes should be used, A1 so important are frequency of collection and storage which should be for as short a time as possible.

The preferred disposal route fo r c l in ica l wastes i s incineration. This may take place on-site, a t a group hospital, a t a private waste incinerator under contract, or , less comnonly, a t a local authority domestic waste incinerator,

Small quant i t i tes of hospital waste, together w i t h hospital domestic waste,may be discharged t o the municipal sewage systems but should be controlled as i f i t were an industrial waste and should conform t o the relevant regulations governing such discharges,

Landfill i s a lso a sa t i s fac tory disposal route fo r a large amount, b u t not a l l , of c l in ica l wastes. Due caremust always be exercised in order not to cause reason for public concern and t o make sure that s l t e operators a re not exposed t o any danger.

EM/ES/394-E page 20

W i t h regard to radioactive wastes, the supplier of a high ac t iv i ty source should arrange t o dispose of spent sources but the majority of radioactive isotopes are of low ac t iv i ty and will not be accepted by t h e s u p p l i e r f o r d i sposa l . Landf i l l i s an accep- table route b u t the s i t e must be carefully chosen and f u l l account of i t s geology, hydrogeology, proximity t o waste abstraction and access ib i l i ty for transport must be taken into consideration.

In the discussion a warning was given tha t the causative organisms of cholera from hospital patients may get into sewerage systems. In the 1981 cholera epidemic i n Jordan cholera was traced to the consumption of vegetables i rr igated w i t h stream water mixed w i t h sewage eff luent . I t is therefore t o be noted tha t sewage treatment may not necessarily be e f f i c i en t enough t o k i l l a1 1 bacteria.

6.1.16. Waste o i l t rea tment

A summary of the presentation, given by Mr T. Hall, follows:

Waste o i l has many differing charac ter is t ics , depending upon the origin of the waste. Crude o i l varies in composition, depending upon itssource, b u t i s generally a complex mixture of hydrocarbons - paraff inic, naphtheric and aromatic.

Waste from ref iner ies consists of water from tank washings, sour condensates from steam stripping which will contain hydrogen sulphide, anmonia and phenols, and eff luents from catalytic cracking operations which will also contain phenols, amnonia and sulphides. When these wastes a re neutralized, offensive liquors are produced which require further treatment or even recovery of the sulphur content. The 1 iquors cannot be disc.hzrged to surface waters due to the i r odours.

Other ref inery wastes consist of thick black sludge containing o i l , organic compounds and acidic t a r s which are very d i f f i c u l t to neutralize because of the i r viscosity. The most su i table method of disposal i s by incineration in special furnaces equipped with adequate gas cleaning equipment.

EM/ES%394-E page 21

Much work i s in progress to develop bacterial degradation of o i l y wastes in admixture with pulverized domestic waste and into oil-sludge land farming.

Many spi l lages a t re f iner ies involve mopping u p with an absorbent clay material which will absorb up t o 25% of i t s own weight of o i l . This clay may be "stearn-cleaned" prior to disposal to l a n d f i l l , thus recovering the o i l , or i t can be incinerated with i t s o i l content.

Most other o i ly wastes present theopportunity f o r o i l recovery prior to incineration o r l andf i l l . The most d i f f i c u l t of these remaining waste products i s leaded petroleum sludge which may contain u p t o 250 ppm of organic lead and up t o 1000 ppm of to t a l lead. The most appropriate method f o r disposal of t h i s type of sludge i s by encapsulation in concrete.

O i l disposal and recovery a r e very mch related t o the cost of o i l and o i l products. When the cost of o i l i s high, most wastes a re recovered b u t , a s the price decreases, so does the v i a b i l i t y of recycling processes. O i l waste products a re , however, always i n demand as a support fuel f o r use i n ass is t ing the incineration of other wastes with low ca lo r i f i c values.

In the subsequent discussion i t was s ta ted tha t , with regard t o pollution of sea shores by o i l , the l igh te r f rac t ion would have evaporated by the time one arrived. Spraying of detergents would be a solution. Bacteria would degrade o i l very slowly. Oil could be collected and sold t o special companies fo r recycling. Incine- ration of o i l i s very sui table as i t i s thereby t o t a l l y destroyed, while sani tary landf i l l i s the most sui table method f o r certain types of o i l . Steam cleaning, as mentioned in the presentation, could be used t o extract o i l . A combination of steam cleaning and landfi l l ing could be adopted. Oil was said t o be used very success- fu l ly in Algeria t o prevent movement of sand.

EM/ES/394-E page 22

6.1.17. Hazardous Wastes Management in Newly Industrialized Countries

Professor M.B. Pescod presented this paper. A summary follows;

The existing system in newly-industrialized countries was reviewed with regard t o solid waste management in general and hazardous wastes control in particular. A general lack of aware- ness of the hazards resulting from lack of control of hazardous wastes has been fostered by the absence of monitoring and poor transfer of information t o the pub1 ic. Moreover, increasing concen- tration of toxic materials i n groundwaters i s causing concern about hazardous waste disposal i n the Region.

Master planning has rarely been carried out and solid and hazardous wastes are often the responsibility of municipalities which are inadequately financed and poorly staffed. Open dumping of solid wastes i s the comnonest method of disposal and, undoubtedly, hazardous wastes are mixed with municipal refuse in an uncontrolled~ way in dumps. Many industries have the potential for producing hazardous wastes; state-owned and very small companies pose t h e greatest problems in hazardous waste control.

In strategic planning, a gradual improvement of existing systems i s recommended so that short-, medium- and long-term objectives may be set. Risk assessment will be valuable in deciding on the pace of improvement in hazardous wastes control. The balance of publ ic and pr iva te sector involvement i n so l id and hazardous waste mnagement requires a basic pol icy decision which w i l l have economic and social impacts. Advantage should be taken of ava i lab le i n f o m t i o n from other coun: r i es and advice availa-91 e through internat ional agencies in a r r iv ing a t a system t o su i t local conditions.

In-house reduction or modification of wastes by industry should be the f i r s t step in controlling hazardous wastes. Reclamation should be encouraged through industrial waste-exchange services. The transport of hazardous wastes must be controlled and regtrlations should be developed t o achieve this with least cost.

EM/ES/394-E page 23

Land treatment of hazardous wastes i s l ike ly to b 2 the most feasible disposal option in countries of the Region for the foreseeable future. Co-disposal with municipal refuse in contained l andf i l l s i s the technique w i t h greatest potential f o r adoption. The responsible public authori tymust be able to regulate these operations and legislat ion allowing them to license and monitor s i t e s i s essential . More sophisticated technology for hazardous waste disposal might be considered in some countries for the longer-term time horizon and export i s a poss ib i l i ty for re la t ive ly small quantities of the most dangerous materials.

In the subsequent discussion an enquiry was voiced as t o how the public could be made aware of the hazardous wastes problem, I t was said tha t disasters often j o t governments into action. In the U K there had existed no controls unti l the 1900s when the media raised the issue and a s t a r t was made with pollution control. I t took four years t o gather information on what was happening. I t i s effect ive t o t a l k t o the pub1 i c a t the ievel they uriderstdrid. For example, one cannot f i s h i f a r iver (e.g. the Thames) i s polluted; therefore: " I t must be cleaned up!" The importance of having the r ight agency, properly staffed, with r ight legislat ion. was also stressed.

6.1 -18. Biological treatment of toxic wastewaters

This paper was presented by Dr G.K.Anderso,,. A summary fo l l ows:

The basic principle involved in biological treatment i s the removal of organic materials from the wastewater by t h e i r conversion to s table end-products and to biomass. This may take place i n e i the r an aerobic or an anaerobic environment. A wide variety of such processes has been developed, including biological f i l t e r s , activated sludge systems, s tabi l iza t ion ponds, high-rate anaerobic digestors, anaerobic f i l t e r s , anaerobic contact digestors and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors.

Many industrial processes produce wastewaters which may contain toxic materials. If the wzstewaters contain signif icant quanti t ies of organic matter i t may be economical t o use a biological process f o r treatment, a f t e r g i v i n g due consideration t o the ef fec ts of t h e toxins or toxicants. Wastewaters which do not contain organic matter would not be considered for biological treatment but may be discharged to a municipal treatment plant using a biological process which i n t u r n may be affected by the toxins present. Biological treatment processes are also now widely used to Weat leachate from landfi l l s i t e s and i f the leachate contains toxic matter the biological process must be designed and controlled accordingly.

EM/ES/394-E page 24

While toxic materials may inhibit the !operation of both aerobic and anaerobic treatment systems, whether a t municipal or industrial plants, many of the problems are due to lack of understanding and the application of Incorrect control procedures. These problems a r e readi ly overcome and rmny wastewaters; considered in the pas t to be toxic, may well be su i tab le for biological treatment.

In the subsequent discussion i t was stated that industrial wastes discharged to domestic wastewater increase the formation of hydrogen sulphides which are toxic; therefore the discharge of industrial wastes should be limited to reduce sulphides.

6.1.19. A case study i n mismanagement.

Mr T. Hall presented th i s case study a summary of which fol lows:

T h i s particular case history was specially selcctcd for th i s Workshop, since i t i l lus t ra tes quite dramatically how there i s a need for uniformity of regulation and control between neighbouring countries.

The problem arose because one country in Europe vi r tual ly prohibited a1 1 hazardous waste disposal operations. This was a case of over-reaction and too stringent regulation. I t led to the government encouraging the export of wastes, a fac t which was recognized by some of the less-experienced waste operators.

On th i s particular occasion, an agreement was made between a recycling company in the Netherlands and a new waste operator i n U K t o transfer contaminated aqueous waste to a place of storage in U K pending further action. Unfortunately the WAS were not informed of the movement until i t was too l a t e t o advise against the operation.

Due to a deficiency in U K legislat ion i t was n o t possible to prevent the import of th is waste and the Netherlands authority did not intervene. After many months of argument with the waste operator, his proposed treatment plant was never buil t and he went into liquidation, owing several mil 1 ion pounds.

EMIES j394-E page 25

The most unfortunate aspect of the incident was that the companies who had provided the storage f a c i l i t i e s were l e f t not only with the loss of revenue for the four years during which the waste had been stored, b u t also had t o f i n d t h e cost of disposal of almost 30 000 tons of waste.

Three things were learned from the incident:

1. controls for the transfrontier shipment of waste must be i ntroduced ;

2. legislation for waste disposal must cover a l l hazardous waste treatment and disposal operations, even those which involve recycl i n g and recovery;

3 . regulations regarding waste disposal i n one country will have some effect on the operations i n another; therefore a degr-ee o f uniformity should be sought between governments.

6.1 -20. Emerging hazardous wastes management technology

Mr T. Hal 1 presented. th i s topic which i s summarized below:

The methods used f o r Lhe disposa l of w a s t e s have no t c h a n g e d for centuries in many parts of the world. In other parts , where change has taken place, i t has only been improved in the l a s t 20 years.

Many countries s t i l l use methods of open dumping on land, or discharge into r ivers, even for hazardous wastes.

Due to immediate effects being observable from disposal of wastes into r ivers, many countries now recognize the f ac t that th i s i s no longer acceptable; hence regulations have been introduced t o control the disposal of 1 iquid wastes.

Unfortunately, the disposal of solid wastes on to land does n o t produce the same immediate impact, so regulations for the control of th i s type of waste have been introduced much la te r and w i t h much less enthusiasm.

EM/ES/394-E page 26

The main di f f icul ty has been the apparent confl ict between the in teres ts of industry and those of the environment, since contrnls over hazardous waste have a d i rect effect on industry. This may be a factor i n the reluctance of many governments to introduce and enforce legislation. I t i s often t h o u g h t tha t legislat ion and controls w11 be costly b u t , i f implemented in stages, they need not mean significant costs.

Open dumps can be covered, or wastes can be deposited in quarries or holes, which are improvements on open dumping. Other techniques have been developed by using the system of co-disposal, where industrial wastes are disposed of i n domestic waste s i t e s . Liquids may be p u t on to these s i t e s , so as to use the absorptive capacity of the refuse. Cementation, chemical fixation and polymerization techniques have also emerged to minimize potential problems from leachates i n landf i l l s i t e s .

Much investigation into s i t e lining by natural and synthetic materials i s also taking place. However, the greatest increase in technology has been in the f ie ld of h i g h temperature incineration, both on land and a t sea. Further work i s now progressing Into other destruction techniques b u t these are not yet available on a commercial scale,

In the subsequent discussion and in response to a question as t o whether there are PCBs in developing countries, the reply was in the affirmative. PCBs are used worldwide i n transformers and in many e lec t r i c appliances such as TV condensers, fluorescent iamps, etc. Domestic wastes contain small quantities of PCBs, and the problem i s not very serious. PCBs are now banned in U K and are to be replaced by other materials. All equipment containing PCBs must be so iabelled.

6.1.21. Safety aspects of hazardous waste management

This paper was presented by Dr G.K. Anderson. A summary follows:

EM/ES/394-E page 27

Most countries have incorporated into the i r legislat ion regulations or laws which consider the health, safety and welfare of workers. Often, th is legislat ion s t ipula tes the statutory duties of employers and i n some cases the statutory duties of employees. There i s no reason why the laws which apply to manufacturing industries should not apply t o a l l aspects of hazardous wastes management.

The health and safety of workers and of the public must be the prime consideration during storage, col lect ion, transport, unioading, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes.

Particular concern should be given to the transport of wastes and a system of labelling and safety inctructions such as the "Hazchem" signs the "Tremcard" as used ir, the U K i s of part icular value to the emergency services following an incident.

Special safety care should a lso be specified a t waste disposal s i t e s , since the precise nature of the waste i s not known and the reac t iv i ty of incompatible wastes may be of additional danger t o employees.

Due regard must be given, a t a l l times, by management and employers, t o the health of the workers who should alwayr he given adequate instructions and training i n the handl ing of hazardous waste material s.

In the discussion i t was indicated tha t in some countries tankers evacuate industrial wastes as domestic wastes a1 though ministr ies of health do not allow th is . I t was stated tha t the solution i s policing. Consignment notif icat ion procedure guarantees where wastes should go. If they do not go where they shouid, the responsible person would be prosecuted. The problem i s educating everybody to conform t o the system.

6.1.22. Data collection and handl i n g

Mr T. Hall presented this topic which i s summarized below:

EM/ES/394-E page 28

Data col lect ion i s the f i r s t s t ep in the e f fec t ive control of hazardous waste disposal. This must be so, s ince only when we are aware of the magnitude of the problem can we begin t o define i t and then resolve i t .

We must begin by defining our terms. What do we mean by "hazardous waste?". Generally, we use terms such as toxic, hazardous, d i f f i c u l t , special and polluting t o describe the wastes i n question. Then we determine what i t i s we w i s h t o know, such as:

(a ) Who produces the waste, how, where and i n what quantity?

( b ) What a re i t s principal hazardous components and i n what concentration?

( c ) What type of hazard does i t present? Is i t dangerousto l i f e and does i t present a potential t h rea t t o the environment?

(d) Where and how i s i t disposed of?

( e ) How f a r i s i t being transported?

When we have t h i s information, we can then begin to assess t h e problem. We can then ask:

( i ) I s t h i s the most e f fec t ive or appropriate method of disposal?

( i i ) I s the waste going to the most su i tab le s i t e ?

( i i i ) Can d i f f e ren t waste streams be blended to minimize the problem or hazard?

( i v ) Would pretreatment of the waste a1 l ev ia t e the s i tua t ion?

(v) Do su i tab le s i t e s ex i s t f o r the correct and proper disposal of a l l wastes produced?

( v i ) Where and how should any shor t f a l l i n capacity be r ec t i f i ed?

The next s tep i s t o process the data and assimilate the information in a meaningful way. Hence we must summarize the information. This can be done by means of a computer, or with a manual recording and sorting system. Either way, the summaries produced must be compact enou,h and simple enough to be absorbed and understood by non-technical as well as technicapl observers,

EM/ES/394-E page 29

T h i s can only be achieved by classifying wastes i n t o "categories" or types of waste rather than by chemical name. For example we would have categories f o r acids or a lka l i s , rather than hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, n i t r i c acid o r sodium hydroxide and lime, etc .

This would help us determine the most su i table method of disposal f o r many wastes and also assess what additional treatment and disposal faci 1 i t i e s a re required.

I t can thus be demonstrated t h a t t h e notif icat ion process f o r the movement and disposal of hazardous wastes has a positive and useful place in .any scheme of waste management.

In thesubsequent .discussion i t was s ta ted tha t t o overcome some problems i t i s necessary to educate waste producers t o give the responsible agency a l l the information i t wants, since waste producers are reluctant t o do s o f o r competition purposes. They must be given assurance of the confidential i ty of t h i s information. I t i s a l so necessary to educate the t ransport man to i n s i s t t h a t the necessary form should go w i t h the vehicle. There i s resis tance from hazardous waste disposal contractors to documentation procedures, b u t l andf i l l s i t e operators ( in U K ) were very keen on the system. If a hazardous waste producer wants to have a landf i l l s i t e on his own premises, exactly the same system is appliea, except tha t pre- not if icat ion i s sent once a month predicting amounts expected t o be produced, b u t a report must be issued a t the end of the month. The same procedure i s used f o r incinerators , and the producer must give a summary of wastes he produces.

6.2. Country Presentations

6.2.1. Bahrain

Mr Mirza Salman Khalaf presented the paper on Bahrain. A summary i s given hereunder.

The rapld industr ial development i n Bahrain has led t o growing in teres t in and awareness o f t h e problem which has been a matter of great concern t o the Government. This concern was t ranslated in to the formation of the Environmental Protection Cormnittee (EPC) t o look into the problem of hazardous waste. This committee took the i n i t i a t i v e of contacting a l l industr ies .

EM/ES/394-E page 30

The main objectives of the EPC are:

- t o prepare studies on environmental conditions; - t o e f fec t coordination amongst a l l ministr ies concerned

with carrying out development projects t o ensure tha t a l l environmental considerations have been taken in to account; - t o propose and prepare leg is la t ion and regulations; - t o approve development projects which may a f fec t environ- mental and other standards.

There i s no specif ic leg is la t ion a t present to support the responsible author i t ies , which are endeavouring to safeguard the country against toxic waste hazards. Also, they are trying to propose and prepare legislat ion.

The two main author i t ies responsible f o r hazardous waste disposal are:

( a ) The Environmental Protection Comrni t t e e ; (b) The Municipality.

The following are the methods currently used f o r treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes in Bahrain:

( a ) Hazardous wastes are mixed with other wastes and dumped together i n dumping areas i n the deser t ;

(b) On-site storage; (c ) Discharge t o sewers or t o the sea; (d) Incineration; (e ) Export fo r disposal outside the country.

Future development programmes include:

( a ) recycling or reuse; (b) treatment prior to land disposal, consisting of three

types (physical, chemical and thermal ) ; ( c ) land disposal ; ( d ) incineration plants.

EM/ES/394-E page 31

In the ensuing discussion i t was revealed that the EPC i s under the Council of Ministers and i s chaired by the Minister of Health. Municipalities are deal inq with sol id wastes. Studies have been carried out to identify hazardous wastes s i t e s ( a sanitary landf i l l and an incinerator on two di f ferent s i t e s ) . There i s a single s i t e which i s divided into two parts fo r domestic and hazardous wastes. The Occupational Health Department controls medium-level radio-active wastes movement. Bahrain has a vehicle identif icat ion system. Cooperation between concerned agencies exis ts .

6.3.2. Egypt

Engineer Mohammed Farouk Bedawi presented t h i s paper of which the following i s a sumary:

Hazardous waste i n Egypt varies , a s i n many countries i n the Region. I t comprises domestic, industrial (inciuding food industry wastes), tannery, pesticides and hospital wastes.

Owing to the growth of industry, pollution has become a great problem. The Government began to develop a pol icy f o r environmental management through the Cabinet of Ministers passing relevant legis la t ion , of which the following are examples:

1 . Law 48 (1982) for the protection of the Nile and associated waterways.

2. Decree No. 215 (1985) of the Ministry of Agriculture, regulating the handling and use of chemical pesticides.

3 . Law 38/1967 regulating the storage and transport of hazardous materials; special regulations are needed regarding the i r transport including labell ing, and police escort.

Another law i s to be issued soon regulating the specifications of a i r emissions in certain industries.

EM/ES/394-E page 32

Eventually, a l l new industries, including those i n the private sector, must adopt treatment systems for hazardous wastes in order to eliminate pollution (Decree of Ministry of Industry No. 380 (1982).

Both the municipalities and the private sector share in handling of hazardous wastes which are a t present dumped in the desert without regulation. Local authori t ies i n Cairo, Alexandria and Damietta have implemented plans for the use of some domestic wastes to produce organic f e r t i l i z e r containing nitrogen and phosphorus.

The choice of landfi l l s i t e s in cultivable land i s a great problem. . Wastes must e i ther be transported a long distance or incinerated.

The programme for Nile protection includes 44 governmental factories. The Environmental Affairs Agency i s planning to t r e a t these hazardous wastes within 5 years; th i s i s expected to cost 400 mi 11 ion Egyptian pounds. A Steering Committee, composed of highly experienced persons from a1 1 authori t ies involved, was established i n October 1985.

The following policy i s adopted for treatment projects:

( a ) disposal of wastes according to Law 48 (1982); ( b ) use of water a f t e r treatment in closed c i rcui ts ; i c ) disposal of the hazardous wastes to sanitary landf i l l s or

incineration; (d) reducing the volume of waste to be disposed of to

sewerage sys terns.

The project applied i n the f i r s t phase to 25 treatment processes i n 19 factories. The following steps are now being implemented:

( a ) treatment of phenolic water and sepration of o i l s from the cookery plant a t Helwan;

( b ) treatment of industrial water fo r reuse in i r r igat ion a t A1 Malial spinning factory;

( c j treatment of industrial wastes and recovery of ammonia and fluorine from some f e r t i l i z e r plants;

( d ) treatment of industrial water and recovery of iron coke sludge i n the iron and steel works, Heiwan;

(e ) transport of "brown mud" from 7 sugar factories for reclamation purposes instead of disposing i t into the Nile;

( f ) treatment of some organic wastes from different food industries to produce biogas.

1

EM/ES/394-E page 33

With regard to hospital wastes, some hospi tals have incinerators f o r pathogenic wastes (human or veter inary) , but without regulations or control.

In the subsequent discussion i t was s ta ted tha t a l l indus t r ia l wastes will eventually be t reated and consideration wil l be given t o having a central f a c i l i t y , such as an incinerator , f o r hazardous wastes. I t was suggested tha t a study should be in s t i t u t ed t o determine what hazardous wastes would be produced by industr ial waste treatment a f t e r t h i s programme i s i n i t i a t ed .

6 . 2 . 3 . Jordan

There a re several au thor i t ies and agencies in Jordan concerned with environmental protection. The following a re the most closely concerned:

- Department of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health. - Department of Environmental Health, Ministry of Municipalit ies. - Ministry of Agriculture. - Water Authority of Jordan. - Royal Sc ient i f ic Society. - Department of Community Health, Municipality of Amman.

Several instruments of 1 eg is la t ion have been enacted in Jordan during the l a s t three decades, involving the protection of the environ- ment; most of t h e m a re related t o a i r and water protection. They include:

(a) l eg is la t ion to prevent theuse of diesel-run cars in the c i t i e s ; ( b ) l eg is la t ion to locate industr ial s i t e s f a r from water sources; ( c ) leg is la t ion to compel a l l industr ies t o t r e a t t h e i r l iquid

wastes before disposal; (d) ieg is la t ion to determine the quantity and qual i ty of imported

pest icides and the i r production and use in Jordan as weli as of other hazardous materials.

Sol id wastes disposal i n Jordan r e l i e s on open dumps. There a re no separate s i t e s f o r disposal of hazardous wastes. All so l id wastes, whether domestic or indus t r ia l , a re combined and disposed of a t the same s i t e . Industrial l iquid wastes a re separated from domestic wastewater t o avoid damage to treatment plants.

In some industr ies , such as the alum industry, waste i s stored in concrete holes to avoid the contamination of groundwater.

EM/ES/394-E page 34

A study was conducted a t the A1 Bashir hospitals complex. I t aimed a t collecting data on the quantity and quality of so l id wastes produced by A1 Bashir hospitals as an example f o r other hospitals. The study showed tha t a l l types of wastes, excluding radioactive wastes, are disposed of indiscriminately and without any special treatment of radioactive wastes of technetium 99 and iodine 131 which are used in radioactive therapy. The empty bott les which had contained these elements were stored in lead containers fo r one month; the ha l f - l i f e of technetium i s 6 hours and tha t of iodine 8 days.

In other hospitals and in medical laboratories the same method of collection and disposal of hazardous wastes was used. However, in future, a1 1 hazardous wastes will be subjected t o special treatment and disposed of separately a t specif ic s i t e s .

In the subsequent discussion i t was s ta ted tha t radioactive material from hospitals was monitored and was stored unti l i t reached safe levels.

6.2.4. Kuwait

This paper of which a summary follows was presented by Miss Fatima Hussain Al-Shatti .

The State of Kuwait has participated in various international and regional conferences held t o discuss protection of the environ- ment and i t s conservation, especially agai I-,st hazardous wastes. Also, several laws have been passed, including Law No.12 (1964) for the Protection of Navigable Waters against Pollution by O i 1 and Law 131 (1977) fo r Protection against Ionizing Radiation.

Based on the rezommendation of the Minister of Public Health, and a f t e r the approval of the Counci 1 of Ministers , Law No. 62 (1980) was passed fo r the protection of the environment; item I of Article I11 ensures the safety of a l l premises and working populations and t h e protection of the envi ronrnent i n general.

Kuwait has made many e f fo r t s t o develop effect ive techno1 ogies and administrative procedures fo r hazardous waste management and i s s t i l l developing more. The solution i s t o study the type of hazardous waste and propose industrial a c t i v i t i e s , reviewing the envi ron- mental impact assessment of such wastes, i f generated, in the early stages of project licensing.

EM/ES/394-E page 35

Crude oi l suspension i s pa r t i a l ly recycled. The remainder i s stored i n lagoons where water evaporates, leaving thick sludge. Other sludges are drained o r dumped in temporary sludge p i t s . Any e f fo r t t o reduce o r recycle w d b t e should have p r i o r i t y in any waste management programme.

Landfilling i s the tradi t ional and primary method of disposal available fo r treated o r untreated wastes. However, there are 1 imitations fo r landfi 11 ing of hazardous wastes because of geol o- gi cal , hydrogeol ogi cal , topographical , cl i m t o l ogical and population- density considerations. Pi ts have to be lined with a protective layer of material, with a perr;ieabil i t y of less than 1 x 10-7 cm/sec, such as asphalt, clay, e t c . The thickness of the protective layer will be selected depending on the material used. This is t o protect the soi 1 and groundwater from any possible pollution.

In the subsequent discussion i t was s ta ted that used o i l may be recycled, or i t may be dumped into old o i l f l e lds . T h i s shuuld be studied as in some cases pumping may have t o be used.

6.2.5. Saudi Arabia

No presentati on was made by the .national participant.

6.2.6. Sudan

Mrs Laila Abdel Aziz Gasim presented t h i s paper, a summary of which fo l l ows :

Hazardous wastes are not ye t a major problem in Sudan because of the low level of industri a1 development. Industrial wastes became known in the early seventies and a waste local order was established in 1971 by Khartoum North Municipal Council which stated that :

(1 ) Industrial waste Pretreatment o r disposal and industrial waste treatment f a c i l i t i e s shall be ins ta l led whenever the Cauncil finds tha t such f a c i l i t i e s are required t o safeguard public health and water, to prevent pol 1 uti on of streams, groundwater, e i the r natural or a r t i f i c i a l , and t o prevent damage or increased maintenance costs i n the sewerage system. Also t o prevent ( i ) damage t o public o r private property, ( i i) a public health nuisance or ( i i i ) overloading of the treatment plant.

EM/ES/394-E page 37

inside the industries was another major cause of the problem; the waste has a high content of o i l and grease which causes the accumulation of scum layers which inhib i t s uptake of nut r ients , the bacterial action i n the biologl cal process. Pollutants include detergents, oi 1 and grease, cyanide, heavy metals, minerals, phenolic pigments, tanning agents and sulphide.

Special at tent ion must be paid to the pretreatment f a c i l i t i e s inside the industr ies , e.g. screening, holding tanks, and chemical treatment, ai~d to by-product recovery, stream segregation and recycl ing of wastewater.

Good housekeeping i s necessary t o reduce the .volume of waste discharged f o r treatment i n terms of both qual i ty and quantity. More treatment work and sewerage systems should be constructed. A1 though legis la t ion i s available fo r eff luent control , ye t no enforcement has been practised to overcome exist ing problems. Financial resources and trained personnel shou I d be made avai lable by the Government t o assure ef fec t ive control of industr ial e f f luents .

Laboratories s h o u l d be we1 1 equipped. More at tent ion should be paid by the author i t ies to the sewerage system and sani tary problems. Maintenance should be carried out on the d i f ferent parts of the sewerage network, e.g. a l l industr ial connection sewers, sewage pumping plants, e t c .

6.2.7. Syrian Arab Republic

The paper was presented by Dr Shibly El Shami. A summary follows:

The paper reviewed legis la t ion related t o pollution Law No.30 (1964), which aims a t protecting waters from pollution. Legislation No. 2145 (1971), established a department within the Ministry of Public Works fo r pollution protection. Law No.1 (1972) was intended fo r protection of the coast against o i l pol lut ion; additional legislat ion w a s enacted i n the following years f o r the same reason in the context of protection of the Mediterranean. Parliament has recently approved the establ ishment of an environmental en t i ty f o r pol 1 ut i on.

EM/ES/394-E page 38

There are numerous national agencies involved, the foremost of which i s the Ministry of Housing and U t i l i t i e s ( f o r water pol 1 uti on protection) ; the Meteorology Department ( a i r pol 1 uti on) ; the Ministry of I r r iga t ion; the Ministry of Agriculture ( for chehical and biological f e r t i l i z e r s and pes t ic ides) ; and the Ministry of Industry ( t o decrease pollution from fac to r i e s , including toxic wastes) .

Existing programmes include study of the ef fec ts and impact of wastes on the environment. Industrial factories and refineries have t h e i r own treatment plants. Dust and many toxic gases are being released t o the a i r without control. Some clean-up orders as well as advice t o reduce hazards a re issued, but the s i tua t ion i s alarming. A t present there isno c lear programme fo r disposal of hazardous wastes, b u t ongoing studies could accelerate such actions fo r the future.

In the subsequent discussion i t was indicated tha t the new Ministry of the Environment, wtiich i s currently being organized, I

was expected t o become functional around the end of 1986. Once i t i s , i t will i s sue appropriate legis la t ion . There arc many industries and there are problems w i t h hazardous wastes. For example, there are problems w i t h the industr ies i n Homs w i t h regard t o uria-ammonia and phospho-gypsum, but these problems a r e now being studied. The hazardous wastes s i tua t ion has not been identif ied yet . Legislation alone i s not very helpful; a competent authority i s needed.

7 . EVALUATION OF THE FIELD TRIP ON 25 OCTOBER 1985 TO HOES

A f i e l d t r i p was made t o the major industr ies in Homs comprising a f e r t i l i z e r factory and an o i l refinery. The following comprises the combined comments on the s i tua t i on observed.

The f e r t i l i z e r factory i s emitting many pollutants through i t s chimncy; these land on the ground where c a t t l e , sheep and goats are grazing. Nitrates, fluorides and ammonia are also discharged t o the water course which flows into thelake used fo r drinking and i r r iga t ion; th is lake will therefore become a focus of toxic waste. The factory was closed d0w.n a number of times because of excessive

EM/ES/394-E page 39

pollution. The factory management said tha t a treatment plant would be very expensive and they will not construct i t unless i t was absolutely necessary. I t was f e l t t h a t they could not invest more in pollution control. I t was c lea r , however, tha t they could not afford not t o invest since pollution has become qui te ser ious , althougliTfamage could not be quantified. I t was a l so indicated tha t s i t e select ion of the f e r t i l i z e r plant was not correct with respect t o wind direct ion as i t takes a i r pollution towards the c i ty of Horns.

The poss ib i l i ty of an o i l recovery system ( f o r the ref inery) was worth investigating. What i s considered waste could become a profi table enterprise and would in f ac t help reduce waste. The company claims tha t they t r e a t the e f f luent t o recognized standards where o i l does not exceed 5 ppm, ye t the r ive r had a surface film of o i l and one could smell i t . The r ive r was dying.

S i t e select ion and environmental fac tors a rc important consi' derations. In the case of the f e r t i l i z e r plant an opinion was expressed t h a t i t s location was not correct and i t should have been located near the mine. There was a l so l i t t l e consideration of pollution from huge p i les of phosphates stored on the premises. There were problems, too, with housekeeping. There was concern over the higher costs of solving pollution problems a f t e r they were generated. I t was suggested t h a t , when se l l i ng technology t o developing countries, i t should be ins is ted upon tha t information be provided on how t o deal with wastes t h a t a re produced by the systems sold.

8. CONCLUSIONSAND RECOMMENDATIONS

8.1 Conclusions

The workshop provided an opportunity t o review the whole range of hazardous waste management and f o r the part ic ipants t o exchange experiences in t h i s regard.

I t was revealed t h a t , while i n some countr ies , s t i l l not indus- t r i a l ized, the problem of hazardous waste disposal was not s ign i f i can t ; in others the problem was serious and needed immediate a t ten t ion . Some countr ies have a1 ready taken action t o develop appropri a t e programmes while others have no plans y e t t o control t h e i r hazardous wastes, thus giving r i s e t o potenti a1 ly dangerous s i t ua t i ons .

EM/ES/394-E page 40

The Workshop indicated t h a t , in general, there were many areas of hazardpus waste management tha t need attention. They include: lack of a competent national agency fo r hazardous waste rianagenent; absence of appropriate legislat ion ; insuff ic ient knowledge of the hazardous waste s i tua t ion; lack of the necessary master plan; inappropriate t r a n s ~ o r t a t i o n and disposal of hazardous wastes : insufficiency of adequately trained personnel f o r hazardous wastes manaaement: and absence of ef fec t ive national , regional and international mechanisms f o r cooperation in th i s f i e l d .

The working gorups discussed two main issues: (1) waste disposal authority functions, including training and technical support; and (2 ) system selection and design. Group formations and t h e i r recomnendations are shown in Annex IV. The following are the integrated recommendations made by the part icipants :

8.2 Recommendations

A. Inst i tut ional

(1 ) Legislation should be introduced t o es tabl i sh , in each country, an appropriate competent agency a t national level t o assume responsibility for hazardous wastes management a n d f o r the development of appropriate regulations.

(2) The executive functions of the national agency should be supported by a council o r a committee representing d i f ferent ministries.

( 3 ) Local enforcement agencies should also be established.

B. Planning

(1) Information on hazardous materials and wastes in exist ing industr ies should be collected as a f i r s t s tep in planning.

( 2 ) A master plan fo r hazardous wastes management should be prepared, with a ten-year planning horizon.

( 3 ) A medium-term programme of 5 years should also be prepared t o address immediate needs.

(4) Both long-term and medium-term plans should be updated through regular reviews and necessary surveys. ?

EM/ES/394-E page 41

C . Training

(1) Plans f o r t raining of s t a f f , including dr ivers , workers and other s t a f f i nvol ved i n hazard,ous wastes management, should be prepared.

(2) A t l e a s t one of the management s t a f f in industry should have t ra in ing in hazardous waste management, treatment and disposal.

(3) Opportunities f o r t raining hazard ous waste personnel i n some countries of the Region or elsewhere should be explored.

(4 ) Specially t rained personnel should be avai lable in loca l , pr ivate and pub1 i c hazardous wastes organizations .

(5) Public and industr ial awareness of the dangers of hazardous wastes should be improved through government action.

D. Legislation

(1) As previously s t a t ed , the competent national agency f o r hazardous wastes management should be empowered t o develop appropriate regulations.

(2) Transport leg is la t ion should ensure tha t only special vehicles appropriately marked should be used f o r hazardous wastes and t h a t only authorized ca r r i e r s a re allowed t o t ransport them.

(3) The system adopted f o r control of the movement and disposal of hazardous wastes must be included in the leg is la t ion .

(4 ) Legislation should prohibi t the disposal of hazardous wastes t o any s i t e o r location other than t o designated hazardous wastes disposal fac i 1 i t i e s .

(5 ) The national agency should be required to monitor the system and should be given power t o enforce hazardous waste leg is la t ion .

( 6 ) The national agency should develop codes of pract ice f o r l andf i l l and other disposal f a c i l i t i e s , and f o r t ransportat ion of hazardous wastes. Exis ti ng s t a n d a r d s should bc examined w i t h a view t o a phased introduction of essent ial improvements.

(7 ) Schemes f o r l icensing of s i t e s should be determined.

EM/ES/394-E page 4 2

(8) A system for monitoring of operational and restored s i t e s should be established.

( 9 ) The national agency should adopt national and international systems fo r label 1 inq containers and vehicles transporting hazardous wastes within the framework of exist ing legis la t ion .

(10) Procedure for emergencies during transportation of hazardous wastes should be established.

(11) Planning applications from new industr ies should be referred t o the hazardous waste agency f o r review.

E. Technical

(1) Sources of waste ar is ings should be identif ied.

( 2 ) Types and quanti t ies of wastes produced should also be ident i f ied . Necessary information should be obtained from relevant industr ies and other waste producers.

(3 ) Identif icat ion should be made of exist ing and potential disposal s i t e s and t h e i r qu i t ab i l i ty for various disposal methods. Optimum disposal methods such as sanitary l andf i l l s , incineration, e t c . should also be identif ied. Availability of s i t e s and t h e i r types may af fec t methods of disposal and costs involved.

(4 ) Industries should be encouraged t o consider process changes or exchange of wastes t o reduce output of hazardous wastes.

( 5 ) Where needed, technical support t o industry should be provided in order to a s s i s t in solving hazardous waste disposal problems.

F. Transport System

(1) To prevent i l legal dumping, each country should devise a system t o control the movement and disposal of hazardous wastes which m i g h t include an appropriate consignment notif icat ion proc :dure.

( 2 ) An appropriate procedure should be developed t o enforce such a system a t local level..

EM/ES/394-E page 43

G. Disposal options

(1) Indiscriminate disposal of hazardous wastes w i t h refuse i n open dumps should be probibi ted.

( 2 ) Whenever possible, co-di sposal of hazardous wastes in sanitary landf i l l i s recommended because i t i s l ikely t o be the l eas t costly technique.

( 3 ) The f i r s t step towards controlled disposal of hazardous wastes must be the sanitary landf i l l ing of municipal refuse.

( 4 ) Where groundwater pollution i s possible, contained landf i l l s i t e s should be designed and leachate monitoring will be necessary.

(5) In each country a number of co-disposal s i t e s should be selected i n s t ra tegic locations where there i s no potential f o r ground- water pol lution. This should be preceded by hydrogeologi cal investigations.

( 6 ) Solid hazardous wastes should be integrated i n landf i l l ce l l s along with municipal so l id wastes, and t h e i r location should be recorded.

( 7 ) Liquid toxic wastes could be introduced through trenches a f t e r an area of landfi 11 has been f ina l ly covered. To prevent leachate migration t o working areas, the landfi 11 should be worked in c e l l s where liquid wastes are t o be introduced. A system for leachate monitoring must be provided.

(8) These land techniques are considered t o be a feasible and affordable approach fo r most countries a t the present time.

( 9 ) Incinerators are required f o r hospital wastes in a l l countries and may be feasible in some countries f o r the disposal of those hazardous wastes fo r which the method i s most appropriate.

(10) More advanced technologies could be used i f jus t i f i ed by local conditions.

(11) Countries should be encouraged t o a s s i s t each other in disposing of hazardous wastes by allowing their import and by making morc effect ive use of available disposal f a c i l i t i e s . Export of waste and opti mization of available disposal f a c i l i t i e s should be explored.

Also, possi bi 1 i t i e s f o r waste exchange on a Regional basis should not be overlooked. In case of export o r import of wastes fo r disposal, the decision should be taken i n consultation w i t h the authority involved.

EM/ES/394-E page 44

12 . Assessment should be performed of the involvement of the pr ivate and public sec tors in hazardous waste disposal and of what su i t ab l e balance i s t o be s t ruck between the two in order t o encourage competition and improve the e f f ic iency o f the system.

H. Promotion of Hazardous Waste Management

( 1 ) Countries should take advantage of the hazardous waste experience of other countries in the Region.

( 2 ) There should be a regular dialogue among countries of the Region on waste management through seminars, workshops and expert group meetings.

( 3 ) Spec ia l i s t advice wil l be n2cessary from countries advanced in the management of hazardous wastes.

( 4 ) WHO, UNEP and other relevant internat ional agencies should consider supporting Regional and internat ional a c t i v i t i e s related t o hazardous waste management.

9. CLOSING SESSION

Mr El Shamsy thanked, on behalf of WHO, the Government of Syrian Arab Republic f o r hosting the meeting. He a l so thanked those who attended f o r t h e i r contributions and ac t ive par t ic ipa t ion in the Workshop.

The par t ic ipants in turn indicated t h a t the Workshop had been very helpful and had provided a great deal of information and knowledge about experiences in other countr ies . They f e l t i t could be useful when they return t o t h e i r own countries i n influencing hazardous wastes programmes. They thanked the Government of the Syrian Arab Republ i c and the WHO Sec re t a r i a t .

Ur Karmo, Workshop Chairman, thanked WHO f o r organizing the Workshop and thanked the par t ic ipants f o r t h e i r ac t ive par t ic ipa t ion . He declared the meeting closed.

EM/ES/394-E page 45

ANNEX I

EGY I'T

JORDAN

Mr M i r z n Snlmnti Klialnf P u b l i c l l e a l t l i D i r e c t o r n t e N i n i e t r y o f l l e a l t l i lla nnma

Wr Rnsli id Tnradn O f f i c e o f t h e D i r e c t o r o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l I l en l t h C e n t r e b l u n i c i p a l i t y hlanama

Nr Mohnmmed F a r o u k Bedewy U i t ~ r t o r P r o j e c t R i v e r Nile D e p a r t m e n t C o u n c i l o f M i n i s t e r s C a i r o

Dr Abdu 1 J n l i l A b d u l l a G e n e r a l A d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l

I l e a l t h C a i r o

E n g i n e e r Mohnmmed n n n i l l nn i C h i e f o f C l e a n i n g D e p a r t m e n t Ammnn M u n i c i p a l i t y Amman

Mr Mohammed Abu Knf S n n i t a r y C o n t r o l l e r M i n i s t r y o f I l e a l t h Ammo n -

Miss Soad Abdul l a Abdul-Rollman C h e m i c a l E n g i n e e r , I n d u s t r i a l

P r o j e c t Apprnisnl S e c t i o n M i n i s t r y o f H e a l t h Kuwai t

unable to attend

Wrs Fatimn Hussain Al-Shatti Chemist, Waste Management Laboratory Department of Environmental Protection blinis try of Ilea lth Kuwa i t

bfrs Leila Abdel Aziz Gasim Chemical Engineer Environmental PoIlution Control Dept. Snnitary Engineering Administration Khartoum

M r Abdall lbrahim Nugud Chemical Engineer Sanitary Engineering Adminis tration Khartoum North

EM/ES/394-E page 47

Dr Oner Karmo Head of Environmental Engineering Civil Engineering Department Damascus

Dr Shibly El-Slinmi Professor at the Civil Engineering

Department Dsmascos

UNITED ARAB Dl IRAl'ES*

Etr 1l.EL Shnmsy Regional Adviser Worf d llenlth Organization Environmental Ilealth Eastern Mediterranean Unit (Secretary oi. tile Regional Office Meeting)

Profennor M.B.Pescod hT10 Consultant

Dr G.K.Anderson WHO Consultant

VIIO Consultant

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.

Department of Civil Engineering of Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.

Industrial Kastes Officer, Tyne 6 rear Country Council Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.

Conference Of Eicer . Korld Ilealtt~ Orpanizat ion Eastern Ftedi terranean Regions 1 Off ice

Miss Bnheya El Sl~eri f Secretary Xorld Ilealth Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office.

EM/ES/394-E page 48

ANNEX I1

AGENDA

Opening Session Election o f Officers Adoption of the Agenda Int roductory statement Hazardous Wastes S i t u a t i o n in UAE..Jordan and Egypt Pub1 i c and Environmental Health Aspects o f Hazardous Wastes Management C l a s s i f i c a t i o n and Assessment of Hazardous Wastes Regulation of Wastes conta ining hazardous, t o x i c and highly po l lu t ing wastes Procedures adopted f o r control Master planning Master planning - A case study Transport of hazardous wastes Deci gn of containment s i t e s Co-disposal l a n d f i l l design Inc inera t ion (1 and) Inc inera t ion ( s e a ) S t a b i l i z a t i o n o f hazardous wastes S i t e r e s t o r a t i o n Case s t u d i e s Hospital waste disposal Hazardous wastes management in newly i n d u s t r i a l i z e d coun t r i es Biological treatment of t o x i c wastewaters A case s tudy Waste o i l t rea tment Emergencing hazardous wastes management technology Safety aspec t s of hazardous waste management Data c o l l e c t i o n and hand1 i ng Country p resen ta t ions Workshops on: ( a ) Waste disposal a u t h o r i t y func t ions ( b ) Training needs ( c ) S i t e s e l e c t i o n and design

Summary and conclusions Recommendations Closing sess ion

EM/ES/394-E page 49

ANNEX I 1 1

Pk0GRIIEIf.Z

S a t u r d a y , 18 October 1986

0 8 : O O - 0 9 : O O - R e g i s t r a t i o n

UY:OO - 09:20 - Opening S e s s i o n

- A d d r e s s by 1 I . E . I l ~ e M i n i s t e r o f I l ea l t i l

- Flessage from Dr l iu s se i r i A . G e z a i r y , R e g i o n a l 1 ) i r e c t o r , Kt10 R e g i o n a l Off ice f o t t h e E a s t e r n bled i t e r r a n e a r 1

- R e c e s s

- E l e c t i o n o f O f f i c e r s

I n t r o d u c t i o n :

- O b j e c t i v e s , o r d e r of w o r k , a d m i n i s t r a t i v e er ra t igc l i lents ( I l r G . K . Anderson and tlr 11. E l ~ I ~ a r n s ~ )

- A d o p t i o n of Agenda

- l l a z a r d o u s K a s t e s S i t u n t i o n i l l U A E , J o r d a n and Egyp t - Dacl<grourid p a p e r by Dr G . K . Anderson .

. . - P u b l i c acid ~ n v i r o t i n t c t ~ ~ a l l l e a l t l i A s p e c t s o f

l l a z a r d o u s K s s t e s Flnnngctnent, by P r o f e s s o r M . B . P e s c o d .

- R e c e s s .

- C l a s s i f i c a t i o n arid Asscssnierit o f l l aze rdous ' K a s t e s , b y Dr G.K. Anderson .

- ~ e g u l a t i o n 01 v a s t e s C o n t a i r i j ng I l aza rdous , T o x i c and l l i g l ~ l y P o l l u t i n g K a s l c s , by klr T . l l a l1 .

- U i s c u s s i . o n f o r t l ie a f t e r i ioo r i s e s s i o n .

EM/ES/394-E page 50

Sunday, 19 October 1986

08:30 - 09:30

09:30 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:OO

11:oo - 12:oo

- Procedures Adopted for Control, by Mr T. Ilall.

- Nnster Planning, by Professor N . B . Peficod.

- Recess.

- Na~ter planning - A Case Stt~dy, by Professor F1.B. Pescod.

- Transport of llazardous Wastes, by Dr G.K. Anderson.

- Discussion for morning session.

- Recess.

I 15:OO - 16:OO - Design of Containment site^ by Dr G.K.Anderson.

lionday, 20 October 19 86

- Co-Disposal Landfill Design, by Professor M . B . Fescod.

- Discussion for the of teinoo11 session.

- Incineration (Land), by Mr T.Ha11.

- Incineration (sea), by Nr T.llal1.

- Recess.

- Stabilization of llazardous Wastes, by Dr G.K. Anderson.

- Site Restoration, By Mr T.llall.

- Discussion for morning session.

- Recess. - Cafie studies.

- llospital Waste Disposal, by Dr G.K.Anderson.

- Discussion for afternoon session.

EM/ES/394-E page 51

Tuesday , 2 1 O c t o b e r 1986

08:30 - 09:30 - I l aza rdous k ' a s t e s Mansgemet~t i n Newly industrialized C o u n t r i e s , by F s o f e s s o r N . B . Pescod .

- 0 9 : 3 0 - 10:30 - B i o l o g i c a l I r e a t n i e n t of T o x i c W a s t e w a t e r s , Ily Dr G.K. Anderson.

I 1 l : O O - 12:OO - A Cnse s t u d y , by N r T. I l a l l .

12:OO - 13:OO - K a s t e O i l T r e a t m e n t , b y P r o f e s s o r M.B.Pescod.

13:OO - 13:30 - D i s c u s s i o n f o r the morn ing s e s s i o n .

a 3 :30 - 1 4 : 3 0 - R e c e s s .

14:30 - 18:OO - A v i s i t t o n s o l i d w a s t e d i s p o s a l s i t e , 1 p r e f e r a b l y l a n d f i l l .

! - D i s c u s s i o n .

Wednesday, 22 O c t o b e r 1986 1 - - Emergirlg I l aza rdous Wastes Management

T e c l ~ n o l o g y , by Fir T. I l a l l .

- S a f e t y A s p e c t s o f I l aza rdous k-as t e Planagernent, by Dr G.K. Anderson.

- Data C o l l e c t i o n and l l a r ld l ing by M r T . t l a l f .

- D i s c u s s i o n f o r t h e m o r n i n g s e s s i o n .

- I n t r o d u c t i o n t o C o u n t r y P r e s e n t a t i o n s by D r G.K. Anderson.

- C o u n t r y p r e s e n t a t i o n s ( a b o u t 30 m i n u t e s p e r p r e s e n t a t i o n i n c l u d i n g d i s c u s s i o n ) .

- R e c e s s .

- C o n L i n u a t i o n o f C o u n t r y p r e s e n t a t i o n s .

EM/ES/394-E page 52

T l ~ u r s d a y , 2 3 October 1986

-08: - 1 1 : O O - Three Workellops :

( A ) k 'as te D i s p o s a l A u t h o r i t y F u n c t i o n s , F a c i l i t a t o r : 11r T.llal1.

(B) T r a i n i n g Needs, F a c i l i t a t o r : D r G.K. Anderson.

( c ) s i t e S e l e c t i o n and Design F a c i l i t a t o r : P r o f e s s o r M-B.Pescod.

- Recess .

- Same Vorksliops b u t groups change a s fo l l ows : ( A ) P r e v i o u s l y Group G , F a c i l i t a t o r Nr T.11all.

(B) Previously Group A , Facilitator Dr G.K. Anderson.

(C) P r e v i o u s l y Group, F a c i l i t a t o r P r o f e s s o r M.B. Pescod.

Af t e rnoon f r e e - Rappor t eu r s and S e c r e t a r y t o p r e p a r e d r a f t recommendations.

F r i d a y , 24 Oc tobe r 1986

F r e e day

S a t u r d a y , 25 October 1986

F i e l d t r i p t o be i d e n t i f i e d - (some i n d u s t r i a l s i t e s ) .

Sunday, 26 October 1986

08:30 - 10:30 - Repor t s o f t h e Korking Groups and d i s c u s s i o n

10:30 - 11:OO - Recess .

- Sun~mnry , C o r ~ c l u s i v ~ ~ s and a d o p t i o n o f

recommendat ions.

12:OO - 12: 15 - C l o s i n g S e s s i o n

EM/ES/394-E page 53

ANNEX I V

TOPIC (A) :

TOPIC (8 ) :

WASTE DISPOSAL AUTHORITY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

SYSTEM SELECTION AND DESIGN

WORKING GROUPS

GROUP I I GROUP I 1

I

FACILITATOR (A) I FACILITATOR (B)

M r Moh. Farouk Bedewy (Egypt) 1 M r Mi rza Salman h a l a f (Bahra in)

M r T. H a l l

Engineer Saad Yaqub A lh i shn (Jordan)

Miss F.Hussain A1 - S h a t t i (Kuwai t )

M r A.Abdu1 l a h A1 Oubeisy (Saudi Arab ia)

M r Abda l la Ib rah im Nugud (Sudan)

D r S h i b l y E l Shami (Sy r ian Arab Republ

Pro fessor M.B.Pescod

Dr G.K. Anderson

Mr Mohammed Abu Kaf (Jordan)

Miss Soad A.Abdu1 -Rahman (Kuwai t )

Mrs L a i l a Abdel Az iz Gasim (Sudan

D r Orner Karmo (Sy r ian Arab Republ

i 2 ) D r Abdul J a l il Abdul la (Egypt)

EM/ES/394-E page 5 4

I TOPIC A - WASTE DISPOSAL AUTHORITY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

There should be in each country an appropriate competent

agency at the national level to assume responsibility for hazardous

wastes manaqement. The agency would carry out t-he following

functions.

1 . Mas Ler Plarining

a. The preparation of a master plan for hazardous waste

disposal.

b. Regular updating of the plan by carrying out surveys.

Identification and Quantification of Wastes arising

a. Identification of sources of waste arising

b. Identification of types and quantities of wastes produced.

Necessary information to be obtained from relevant

industries and other waste producers.

c. Identification of existing and potential disposal sites

and their suitability for various disposal methods. Also,

identification of optimum disposal methods such as

sanitary landfills, incineration , etc. Availability

of sites and their types may affect methods of disposal

and costs involved.

d. In the case of export or import of wastes for disposal,

the decision should be taken in consultation with the

authority involved.

e. Assessment of the involvement of the private and public

sectors in hazardous waste disposal and what suitable

balance is to be struck between the two in order to

encourage competition and improve the efficiency of the 'P

system.

EM/ES/394-E page 55

3. Controlled Disposal

a. Determination of codes of practice for landfill, other

disposal facilities, and transportation of hazardous

wastes. Existing standards should be examined with

a view to a phased introduction of essential improvements.

b. Deterrr~ining schemes for licensing of sites.

c. Establish a system for monitoring of operational and

restored sites.

d. Adoption of national and international systems for

labelling containers and vehicles transporting hazardous

wastes within the framework of existing legislation.

e. Establish procedures for emergencies during transportation

of hazardous wastes.

4. Training and Technical Support

A. Preparing plans for training of staff including drivers,

workers and other staff involved in hazardous wastes

management.

b. Provide technical support to industry where needed in

order to assist in solving hazardous waste disposal

problems.

c. Maintaining complete directory of all facilities and

updating it regularly.

EM/ES/394-E page 56

TOPIC B - SYSTEM SELECTION AND DESIGN

1. Basic Policy Decisions

a. The executive functions of the national agency responsible

for hazardo~ls waste management shall be supported by a

council or a committee representing different ministries.

b. Establishment of a local enforcement agency will usually

I I be necessary.

c. Specially trained personnel should be available in local,

private and-public hazardous wastes organizations.

d. Planning applications from new industries should be

referred to the hazardous waste- agency for review.

e. Information on hazardous materials and wastes in existing

industries should be collected as a first step in

planning.

f. A master plan for hazardous wastes management should be

prepared with a 10-year planning horizon . A medium-term

programme of 5 years should also be prepared and should

address the immediate needs. Both plans should be

subject to regular review . g. Public and industrial awareness of the dangers of hazardous

wastes should be improved through government action.

2. Opportunities for In-house Modification or Waste-Exchange

a. Encourage industries to consider process changes or

exchange of wastes to reduce output of hazardous wastes.

b. At least one of the management staff in industry should

have training in waste management, treatment and disposal.

1P

EM/ES/394-E page 57

3. Transport System

a. To prevent illegal dumping, each country should devise

a system to control the movement and disposal of hazardous

wastes which might include an appropriate consignment

notification procedure.

b. An appropriate procedure should be developed to cnforcc

such a system at the local level.

4. Disposal Options

a. Indiscriminate disposal of hazardous wastes with refuse

in open dumps should be prohibited.

b. Whenever possible, co-disposal of hazardous wastes in

sanitary landfill is recommended because it is likely

to be the least costly technique.

c. The first step towards controlled disposal of hazardous

wastes must be the sanitary landfilling of municipal

refuse.

d. Where groundwater pollution is possible, contained

landfill sites should be designed and leachate monitoring

will be necessary.

e. In each country a number of co-disposal sites should be

selected in strategic locations where there is no

potential for groundwater pollution. This should be

preceded by hydroqeoloqical investigations.

f. Solid hazardous wastes should be integrated in landfill

cells along with municipal solid wastes, and t l ~ e i r

location should be recorded.

EM/ES/394-E page 58

g. Liquid toxic wastes could be introduced through

trenches after an area of landfill has been finally

covered. To prevent leachate migration to working

areas, the landfill should be worked in cells where

liquid wastes are to be introduced. A system for

leachate monitoring must be provided.

h. These land techniques are considered to be a feasible

and affordable approach for most countries at the

present time.

i. Incinerators are required for hospital wastes in all

countries and may be feasible in some countries for the

disposal of those other hazardous wastes for which the

method is most appropriate.

j. More advanced technologies could be used if justified

by local conditions.

k. Countries should be encouraged to assist each other

in disposing of hazardous wastes by allowing their

import and by making more effective use of available

disposal facilities.

5. Legislation

a. Legislation should be introduced to establish the

national agency with responsibility for hazardous wastes

management and for the development of appropriate

regulations.

EM/ES/394-E page 59

b. Transport legislation should ensure that only special

vehicles appropriately marked should be used for hazardous

wastes and that only authorized carriers are allowed

to transport them.

c. The system adopted for control of the movement and

disposal of hazardous wastes must be included in

the legislation.

d. Legislation should prohibit the disposal of hazardous

wastes to any site or location other than to designated

hazardous wastes disposal facilities.

e. The national agency should be required to monitor the

system and should be glven power to enforce hazardous

waste legislation.

6. Regional Cooperation

There are opportunities for Regional cooperation in the

following areas:

a. Export of waste and optimization of available disposal

facilities should be explored.

b. Countries should take advantage of the hazardous waste

experience of other countries in the Region.

d. Opportunities for training hazardous waste personnel in

some countries of the Region should be exploited-

d. possibilities for waste exchange on a Regional basis

should not be overlooked.

e. There should be a regular dialogue among countries of

theRegion on hazardous waste management through seminars,

workshops and expert group meetings.

EM/ES/394-E page 60

7. International

a. Specialist advice will be necessary from countries

advanced in the management of hazardous waste.

b. Advantage should be taken of training opportunities

which may be available in other countries.

c. WHO, UNEP and other relevant international agencies

should consider supporting these Regional and international

activities.