Hazardous Waste Regulations Research Articles

Political Capture in the Exclusion of FABA and Slag from Hazardous Waste List Regulation in Indonesia

Purpose: This research analyses the political capture that exists in the Indonesian law-making process to show the possible link between the involvement of business in the coal and mining sectors and politicians’ personal interest that may outweigh the goal of protecting human’s health and the environment. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis departs from a conceptual and normative approach on the law-making process in Indonesia, then juxtaposes it with facts and provisions around the enactment of hazardous waste regulation. Findings: This paper concludes that business and political influence is undeniably infringing the protection of human rights and environment through the exclusion of fly ash bottom ash (FABA) and slag from the hazardous waste list. Despite the potential harm that FABA and slag may cause to human health and the environment, the government remains confident that they are non-hazardous materials. The debate on the benefit and drawbacks of FABA utilisation put aside the facts regarding limited access to remedy and weak environmental law enforcement. Research limitations/implications: This paper aims to invite more discussion to criticise the policy process and law-making process in Indonesia in which politicians’ personal interests should not outweigh the interests of protecting human health and the environment.

Characterization of industrial hazardous waste generation in South Korea using input-output approach

The industrial hazardous waste (IHW) regulation has been highlighted by the Basel Convention, and the South Korean government has announced a plan for the great transition to resource circulation in 2020 to strengthen waste management. Accordingly, South Korea is faced with the challenge of efficiently managing IHW at the national level. For this, research to understand national IHW generation characteristics considering economic activities should be prioritized, but there have been few studies on this. As a first try, this paper aimed to compile the waste extended input-output table for IHW in South Korea for a systematic evaluation of waste generation from the supply and demand perspectives across all economic sectors. This study developed the waste extended input-output table using the 2018 monetary input-output table and industrial sectorial IHW generation. From a supply perspective, considering direct and indirect generation, ‘Electronic and electrical equipment’, ‘Chemical’, and ‘Basic metals’ industries were identified as the top three key sectors in direct IHW generation, with the contribution to more than half of the total amount. Meanwhile, from a demand perspective, considering domestic consumption, investment and exports, domestic consumption contributed more than 48% to the IHW generation. In comparison, net exports contributed about 15%, despite the total output from net exports being only about 6%, implying that scientific regulations and improvements in IHW management from the demand perspective are also required. The results provide insightful policy recommendations for establishing IHW management reflecting the characteristics of industrial waste generation in the national economic system.

STUDY ON PIT CLOSURE GUIDELINES FOR OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES

Study on pit closure guidelines for the oil and gas industries has been conducted by Lemigas Team to observe the existing guidelines in the implementation of the guidelines in the closure program of the temporary use of pits. Goals of the study are to review the manual guideline or standard operating procedure (SOP) of pit closure applied to the petroleum fields, and compare it to the relevant government regulation. So far, governmental regulation concerning pit construction and closure has not been established yet. Nevertheless, management approach of pir construction and closure can be established by referring to the available regulation, namely PP. 18/1999- hazardous waste regulation, and the related Ministerial Decree. This approach is based on the reason that such solid wastes are also categorized as hazardous wastes. Looking at from regulation point of view, it can be said that pit management guideline established by the industry has fulfilled and matched with the available regulation such as Kep.-04/Bapedal/09/1995. Nevertheless, some criteria have to be re-evaluated and post-closure plan seem not to be included in the guidelines vet. This paper presents the results of the study describing the existing guidelines used by the oil and gas industry and its implementation as well as reviewing the government regulation related to the pit closure program.

STUDY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF PIT CLOSURE GUIDELINES FOR OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES

Exploration, development, and production activities associated with oil and gas production projects can have a variety of impacts on the environment. A variety of wastes are produced by such activities. Apart from the wastewater that is in the form of produced water, many kinds of solid wastes are produced during exploration and production of oil and gas. These solid wastes, among others, are drilling mud and cuttings, and tank bottom oily sludge. These solid wastes are dumped temporarily in a certain place called a pit before they can be treated further. In order to minimize and possibly eliminate the environmental impacts of those solid wastes, pit construction has to be developed in such a way that release of pit contents to the environment could be prevented. In addition, pollutant loading of ground water from waste leaks, releases of hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulphide to the atmosphere are some of the factors that have also to be considered. As dumping such solid wastes in a pit is a temporary storage, pit closure management has also to be developed. Explicitly, governmental regulation concerning with environmental aspects of pit closure has not been established yet. Nevertheless, environmental management approach of pit construction and closure could be established by referring to the available regulation, namely Governmental Regulation PP. 18/1999 juncto PP. 85/1999 - hazardous waste regulation, and the related Ministerial Decree, such as Bapedal Decree No. Kep.-04/BAPEDAL/09/19995 decsribing methods of landfilling or land disposal for hazardous wastes. This approach is based on the reason that such solid wastes are also categorized as hazardous wastes. In regard to pit construction, study on pit location should include the hydrogeology pattern of the site. Furthermore, pit wall materials are parameters that also have to be considered in minimizing impacts to the surrounding. Upon closing the pit, a pit closure plans that call for the dewatering of mud and reserve pit contents before burial have to be developed to reduce the chance of the downward transport of contaminants to shallow aquifers. The grading of soils covering the pits may reduce the chances of infiltration of rainwater, which may migrate to ground water. Other consideration, for example revegetation, has also to be included. All of the above factors should be considered in pit closure and assessment guideline. In addition to the available national references, other worldwide references such as those of US-EPA guidelines deserve to be considered in studying pit management. The author has conducted a short study concerning pit closure management that has been implemented in oil and gas producing companies. Goals of the study are to review the manual guideline or standard operating procedure (SOP) of pit closure applied to the fields. The followings are report concerning with the implementation of the study.

The essence of the logistics activities of the enterprise in modern business conditions

The article considers the evolution of scientific approaches to the essence of the concept of "logistics activities". In particular, the concepts provided by different scientists from the standpoint of systemic, functional, economic and process approach are systematized. Control objects are defined depending on each approach. The property of logistics activity as interaction with the external environment is emphasized. It is substantiated that the interaction with the external environment occurs through timely and reliable exchange of information. The main prerequisites for the implementation of logistics activities, such as: globalization, technological progress, knowledge economy. The nature and features of each of the prerequisites for the implementation of logistics activities are revealed. The importance of the concept of prevention of negative impact on the environment is emphasized. Within this concept, "green logistics activities" are gaining popularity, which are aimed at saving energy, materials, efficient land use, reducing air pollution, by reducing the number of lands, air, water transport, noise and hazardous waste regulation. A manifestation of the environmental approach in logistics is reversible logistics, i.e. logistics that involves the return of goods and waste. Taking into account the considered approaches, the definition of logistics activity is given.

Regulation of Persistent Chemicals in Hazardous Waste: A Case Study of Washington State, USA.

Despite ongoing controversy, several strategic frameworks for defining chemicals of concern (e.g., persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic [PBT]; persistent, mobile, toxic [PMT]; persistent organic pollutant [POP]) share persistence as a key criterion. Persistence should be considered over the entire chemical life cycle from production to disposal, including hazardous waste management. As a case study, we evaluate persistence criteria in hazardous waste regulations in Washington state, USA, illustrate impacts on reported waste, and propose refinements in these criteria. Although Washington state defines persistence based on half-life (>1 y) and specific chemical groups that exceed summed concentration thresholds in waste (i.e., >0.01% halogenated organic compounds [HOCs] and >1.0% polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]), persistence is typically addressed with HOC and PAH evaluation but seldom with half-life estimation. Notably, persistence is considered (with no specific criteria) in corresponding federal regulations in the United States (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). Consequently, businesses in Washington state report annual amounts of state hazardous waste (including persistent waste) separately from federal hazardous waste. Total state-only waste, and total state and federal waste combined, nearly doubled (by weight) from 2008 to 2018. For the period 2016 to 2018, persistence criteria captured 17% of state-only waste and 2% of total state and federal waste combined. Two recommendations are proposed to improve persistence criteria in hazardous waste regulations. First, Washington state should consider aligning its half-life criterion with federal and European Union PBT definitions (e.g., 60-120 d) for consistency and provide specific methods for half-life estimation. Second, the state should consider expanding its list of persistent chemical groups (e.g., siloxanes, organometallics) with protective concentration thresholds. Ultimately, to the extent possible, Washington state should strive toward harmonizing persistence in hazardous waste regulations with corresponding criteria in global PBT, PMT, and POP frameworks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:455-464. © 2020 SETAC.

Environmental impacts of energy storage waste and regional legislation to curtail their effects – highlighting the status in Jordan

Abstract The need for energy storage systems (ESS) is increasing with expanding demand for energy and with newly emerging renewable energy technologies. Following this growth in ESS, the environmental impacts of such technologies are crucial and must be carefully studied and evaluated. Multiple aspects to disposal and after-use treatment of different ESS can have adverse effects on the environment and the ecological systems. Scientists, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations are attempting to address issues of disposal of ESS waste as well as their environmental impact. This paper lists the types of ESS and the environmental impacts associated with each type; while also highlighting the disposal and recycling of batteries and the corresponding regulations governing their disposal in different regions. The European Union's Directive 2006/66/EC, the United States of America's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Australian's Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act are all statuets for ESS waste classification and management. The EU and the US have implemented and enforced those regulations while they are less so in Australia. Jordan, a country located in the Middle Eastern region and part of the Basel Convention, faces an ESS waste management problem where the Ministry of Environment claims to follow the EU rules and regulation, yet none are implemented or enforced. This is made worse by the decreasing number of batteries disposed of at specialized landfills where spent batteries are stored, which there is only one of its kind in Jordan. While recycling technology is known, social awareness is vital in encouraging the Jordanian population to properly dispose of ESS waste and to incentivise safe collection, treatment, and recycling.

Should solid waste from shale gas development be regulated as hazardous waste?

In 1980, solid waste from oil and gas fields was exempt from US federal hazardous waste regulations (according to the US Environmental Protection Agency's Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, RCRA). However, recent developments in oil and gas extraction from deep shale formations warrant a closer look at this exemption. We obtained lab reports submitted to state regulators to characterize the solid waste generated from 231 shale gas wells in Pennsylvania. Of the 40 chemicals listed as toxic in RCRA, eight were present in our samples and two exceeded RCRA toxicity limits for classification as a hazardous waste (Ba and Cr). We also found overlap with chemicals listed in international lists of toxicity, suggesting that these wastes could pose health problems that would not be regulated by RCRA. Radiation in solid waste is regulated at the state-level; the maximum detected concentrations of radium-226 and radium-228 (51 picocuries/g and 8.87 picocuries/g, respectively) exceed the regulatory limits for landfills in Ohio and New York, however it is common practice to ship waste across state lines. Removing the RCRA oil and gas exemption would increase testing and reporting burdens but would leave most shale waste management practices unchanged while protecting against some hazardous outliers.

HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT -A GROWING HEALTH CONCERN

HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT -A GROWING HEALTH CONCERN

DENGUE OUTBREAK -IS THE PANIC JUSTIFIED ?

DENGUE OUTBREAK -IS THE PANIC JUSTIFIED ?

Suit seeks tougher regulation of oil, gas drilling waste

A coalition of community and environmental groups is asking a federal court to force EPA to require oil and natural gas companies to safely handle and dispose of drilling and hydraulic fracturing wastes. The absence of adequate federal regulations has led to a hodgepodge of weak state controls that threaten public health and the environment, they say in a lawsuit filed on May 4. As a result, toxic wastes have leaked into groundwater, been spread on roads and land, or been discharged into leaking surface ponds. The suit notes that a 1980 federal waste control law exempted oil and gas wastes from hazardous waste regulation but also required EPA to periodically review and justify that exemption. The agency conducted its only review in 1988 and concluded special oil and gas waste regulations were necessary. However, as years slipped by and drilling activity exploded, EPA never developed regulations. Currently, these wastes

From Waste to Resources? Interrogating ‘Race to the Bottom’ in the Global Environmental Governance of the Hazardous Waste Trade

The rise of global environmental governance regimes allegedly contradicts the process of an environmental “race to the bottom” (RTB) that results from capitalist globalization. We examine new developments in this area through a qualitative case study of the Basel Convention. Here, we find that new regulations in toxic wastes governance are in fact being co-created with industry actors and aim to accelerate the flow of toxic “resources” to less-developed countries. Further, these shifts are legitimized by a shift in discourse— from thinking of toxics materials as “wastes” to thinking of them as “resources”— that re-frames the toxic wastes trade as essential for sustainable economic development rather than as a manifestation of global environmental injustice, thereby undermining environmentalist claims. Our findings suggest that, despite an expansion of hazardous waste regulations, the RTB concept is still relevant in the context of global environmental governance. We conclude that a fruitful avenue for applying the RTB concept in this context is to go beyond a strict materialist interpretation of global politics to also consider the role of discourses and contesting ideologies in shaping global environmental policy debates.

Hazardous waste status of discarded electronic cigarettes

The potential for disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to be classified as hazardous waste was investigated. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) was performed on 23 disposable e-cigarettes in a preliminary survey of metal leaching. Based on these results, four e-cigarette products were selected for replicate analysis by TCLP and the California Waste Extraction Test (WET). Lead was measured in leachate as high as 50mg/L by WET and 40mg/L by TCLP. Regulatory thresholds were exceeded by two of 15 products tested in total. Therefore, some e-cigarettes would be toxicity characteristic (TC) hazardous waste but a majority would not. When disposed in the unused form, e-cigarettes containing nicotine juice would be commercial chemical products (CCP) and would, in the United States (US), be considered a listed hazardous waste (P075). While household waste is exempt from hazardous waste regulation, there are many instances in which such waste would be subject to regulation. Manufactures and retailers with unused or expired e-cigarettes or nicotine juice solution would be required to manage these as hazardous waste upon disposal. Current regulations and policies regarding the availability of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes worldwide were reviewed. Despite their small size, disposable e-cigarettes are consumed and discarded much more quickly than typical electronics, which may become a growing concern for waste managers.

Obstacles to preserving precaution and equity in global hazardous waste regulation: an analysis of contested knowledge in the Basel Convention

The Basel Convention is regaining attention for the potential entry into force of the heretofore stalled Ban Amendment. In this paper, we draw parallels between the current debate surrounding the Ban Amendment and contestations that occurred in the early years of the Basel Convention’s Technical Working Group (TWG) over defining ‘hazardousness.’ Like the present debate, TWG deliberations involved a contestation between two divergent discourses concerning how hazardous wastes should be regulated—as ideally managed versus actually managed in the global South. Scholars have shown how the TWG is a site for industry to press for a definition of hazardousness favorable to their economic interests. However, explorations of the specific processes by which this occurred—particularly, how a framework for defining hazardousness that privileges private technical expertise over concerns of precaution and equity was successfully institutionalized within the TWG—have yet to be completed. We show that it is important to reexamine this debate today in order to better understand current Basel Convention developments.

Development of an integrated electro-coagulation–flotation for semiconductor wastewater treatment

In this study, an electro-coagulation–flotation process was used as a polishing treatment of semiconductor wastewater after precipitation. Batch mode experiments were undertaken using aluminium sheets as anode and stainless steel as cathode. Experiments on a synthetic solution showed that coupling electro-coagulation with electro-flotation in the same cell is efficient for simultaneous defluoridation and clarification. This combination was carried out by proper electrode arrangement and material choice. The performance is ascribed to the combined effect of anodically created coagulants and hydrogen micro-bubbles evolving on the cathode. The effects of the main parameters: electrode nature and arrangement, treatment time, current intensity, initial pH, initial concentration, type and concentration of supporting electrolytes were studied. Defluoridation efficiency may reach 90% corresponding to residual fluoride of 4.61 mg/L, while, turbidity removal efficiency may reach about 85% which corresponds to a residual turbidity of 3.09 NTU. The obtained final concentrations comply with national hazardous waste regulations.

DGI-070 The Purple Waste Stream – How North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) Deals with Hazardous Waste Medicines

BackgroundAll hazardous pharmaceutical waste must be clearly identified, segregated and consigned with the six digit European Waste Catalogue code (18 01 08) within purple-lidded containers to permit safe destruction. [The...

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

The authors conducted a survey based on conjoint choice experiments in Milan, Italy, about mortality risk reductions delivered by hypothetical private behaviors and public programs, and used it to estimate the value of a prevented fatality (VPF) when the cause of death is cancer. Their estimate of the VPF is €4.2 million. The VPF is about €1 million larger when the risk reduction is delivered by a public program, but further analyses reveal that it is so only when the respondent believes that public programs are effective at reducing this particular type of mortality risk. This estimate of the VPF is higher than generic European Union–wide figures recommended by the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment (DG Environment) for environmental policy analyses, and is comparable to other VPFs that are appropriate for Italy, hazardous waste regulations, and enforcement-based cleanup programs. The authors use their VPF to compute the benefits of addressing leaking landfills, illegal disposal of hazardous wastes, and poor hazardous waste management practices in the provinces of Naples and Caserta in southern Italy. The authors also examine the importance of the discount rates, since the mortality benefits of remediation begin in 20 yr and are assumed to continue over 30 yr. Implications: Cost-benefit analysis that includes monetized nonmarket goods and services such as adverse health and premature mortality effects has become a standard tool in project appraisal and policy decision-making. The authors' estimates of the mortality benefits of cleaning up hazardous waste sites in a region of southern Italy are much larger than previous calculations that relied on the guidelines by DG Environment, raising concerns that using one VPF for all member countries of the European Union, and/or VPF figures estimated in a private risk reduction setting, might considerably underestimate the benefits of cleanup policies.

Do Carrots Work? Examining the Effectiveness ofEPA's Compliance Assistance Program

AbstractThe role of compliance assistance in theU.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency's overall enforcement strategy has been quite variable over the past decade and a half, increasing in prominence under theBush administration and now slated for significantly reduced funding under theObama administration. While theoretical models and anecdotal evidence suggest that compliance assistance should play some role in a comprehensive enforcement strategy, to date there has been relatively little empirical evidence on the actual effectiveness of existing compliance assistance programs. To help inform the debate over the appropriate use of compliance assistance, this paper uses data on hazardous waste generators nationwide to assess the effect of federal compliance assistance programs in improving compliance with hazardous waste regulations. The paper also conducts a direct empirical analysis of the relationship between traditional enforcement tools and compliance assistance. The results show that federal compliance assistance efforts do increase compliance, but the evidence does not suggest any consistent relationship between traditional enforcement and compliance assistance. Also, while states do not appear to substitute federal compliance assistance for traditional enforcement, state compliance assistance programs do appear to decrease the likelihood of inspections among the smallest hazardous waste generators.

Do environmental audits improve long-term compliance? Evidence from manufacturing facilities in Michigan

Using a unique facility-level dataset from Michigan, we examine the effect of environmental auditing on manufacturing facilities’ long-term compliance with U.S. hazardous waste regulations. We also investigate the factors that affect facilities’ decisions to conduct environmental audits and whether auditing in turn affects the probability of regulatory inspections. We account for the potential endogeneity of our audit measure and the censoring of our compliance measure using a censored trivariate probit, which we estimate using simulated maximum likelihood. We find that larger facilities and those subject to more stringent regulations are more likely to audit; facilities with poor compliance records are less likely to audit. However, we find no significant long-run impact of auditing on the probability of a regulatory inspection or compliance among these Michigan manufacturing facilities.

English

A legacy of waste rock associated with abandoned mining operations continues to degrade water quality in the Colorado Front Range. The success of remediation at these sites may be impeded by financial constraints, uncertain liability, and the legal status of lands in question. However, the development of safe, cost-effective reuses for orphan mine wastes may offset remediation costs and encourage stakeholder participation. Service-based, experiential education adds value to the effort, allowing undergraduate students to provide preliminary assessments of mine waste while interacting with nonprofit and consulting organizations. To investigate the feasibility of this approach, collaboration among the nonprofit Clear Creek Watershed Foundation, Colorado School of Mines, and Frontier Environmental Services, Inc., examined waste piles along Trail Creek, near Idaho Springs, CO. Piles were assessed for impact on the surrounding watershed and for potential reuse as foundational concrete aggregate for a proposed local wind farm. Grab samples and 30-subsample composites were evaluated according to established physical and chemical criteria. Physical data gathered included volumetric assessments of the piles, sieving to compare particle size distributions to ASTM aggregate standards, and ranking of each site according to distance to drainage, erosion, and vegetation present. Concentrations of metals regulated by EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) were analyzed in leachates by ICP-AES and compared to regulatory limits. Slag material had sufficient coarse aggregate content for concrete applications (ASTM standards), while unprocessed waste rock, which comprised most of the material available, contained an excess of fines. Regarding chemical leachability, both waste rock and slag were found to be acceptable for landfill disposal with the exception of isolated lead measurements exceeding hazardous waste regulations. Over the investigated reach of Trail Creek, total metal loading increased by 4.8 kg/day proximal to the piles, suggesting that removal could alleviate the metal burden (particularly Zn and Cu) on receiving waters.