HAZARDOUS WASTE

TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 1

 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1899 Rivers and Harbors Act

 Prohibited the disposal of solid objects
into navigable waters, prohibited
interference with interstate navigation
 1954 Atomic Energy Act
 Required public participation in siting of
nuclear energy facilities, broader powers
for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 2

 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act

 Established guidelines, to a limited extent,
for the disposal of solid waste.
 Did not address hazardous waste
 1970 National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA)
 Required an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for all federal
government related projects
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 3
 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

 Control of toxic chemicals produced and
distributed in the nation.
 Does not regulate hazardous or toxic wastes
 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA)
 First significant controls on hazardous waste
management. Regulates the generation, storage,
transportation, treatment and disposal of
hazardous wastes

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 4

 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1980 Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liabilities Act
(CERCLA or Superfund)
 Intended to supply funding and mechanism for
cleanup of uncontrolled hazardous waste disposal
sites. Provides for emergency (limited scope)
cleanup, long-term (through) cleanup, and a
mechanism for obtaining reimbursement from
disposers.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 5

 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste

Amendments (HSWA)
 Amended RCRA to tighten land disposal
regulations, added underground storage
tank requirements, new requirements for
small quantity generators of hazardous
waste

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 6

 Selected Environmental
Legislation

 1986 Superfund Amendments and

Reauthorization Act (SARA)
 Amended CERCLA to increase funding and
require more stringent cleanup standards,
$8.5 billion dollars
 Altered the funding method to include
both a petrochemical tax and general
revenue funding

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 7

 Philippine Environmental
Law

 Republic Act 6969 - Toxic Substances

and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control
Act of 1990.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 8

 Hazardous Waste Sources

 Petrochemical industry
 Chemical industry
 Manufacturing industry

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 9

 Hazardous Waste Sources

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 10

 Properties of Hazardous
Waste

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 11

 Classification of Hazardous
WAste

 Ignitable wastes – are those which may cause a

fire during their storage, transportation and
disposal. The EPA defines ignitability in terms of
the material’s flash point and other
characteristics.
Example: gasoline
 Corrhave pH measurement outside the range of 2
to 12.5 or, corrode steel at a rate greater than
6.35 mm (0.25 in) per yearosive wastes –.
Example: metal cleaning solutions
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 12
 Classification of Hazardous
WAste

 Toxic wastes – are defined by a rigorous

test procedure, the Toxicity Characteristics
Leaching Procedure (TCLP).
Leachate – residual acidic liquid

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 13

 Hazardous Waste from
Nonspecific Sources

 Common halogenated degreasing solvents

Example: trichloroethylene (TCE)
 Electroplating wastes
 Waste from metal heat treating and
recovery.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 14

 Discarded or Spilled
Commercial Chemicals

 This classification includes only commercial

and chemical products that are discarded,
their container if not triple rinsed, and any
spills or spill residues of these products.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 15

 Generation Rates

From EPA data

 17,677 large quantity generators -- over 1000

Kg/month
 These generated about 238 million tons of HW in
1987
 5 largest generators contributed >57% of the HW

 50 largest generators contributed >90% of the HW

 The nation's HW is managed at 3300 treatment,

storage, and disposal facilities

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 16

 RCRA Program
Requirements
The Four Program Areas of RCRA

Subtitle C Subtitle D Subtitle I Subtitle J

Hazardous Solid Underground Medical

Waste Waste Storage Waste
Program Program Tank Program
Program

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 17

 Subtitle C Regulatory
Coverage
RCRA Subtitle C Program Regulations

Treatment
Storage and
Generators Transporters Disposal
Facilities

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 18

 Subtitle C Regulatory
Coverage

 Generators – all generators are required to

obtain an EPA identification number.
 Transporters – any organization transporting
hazardous waste is required to obtain an ID
number from the EPA.
 Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities –
treatment in any method, technique, or process
intended to improve the character of waste.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 19

 Recycling and Waste
Minimization

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 20

 Waste Minimization

 Hazardous waste minimization – the

elimination or reduction of a waste prior to
its generation.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 21

 Waste Minimization

 Recycling – the reuse of a waste products

either by directly reusing the material or by
reclaiming it.
 Source Reduction – the elimination or
reduction of a waste at its source by
modifying the process that produces it.

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 22

 Treatment and Disposal
Methods
 Physical and Chemical Treatment
 Precipitation and Coagulation
 Filtration
 Neutralization
 Oxidation and Reduction
 Adsorption Processes
 Landfill Disposal
 Incineration
 Chemical Fixation – the term for several methods
or chemically immobilizing hazardous materials
into a cement, plastic, or other matrix.
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 23
 Disposal
Secured Hazardous Waste Landfills

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/ DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 24

 Disposal
Monitored Hazardous Waste Incinerators

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/ DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 25

 Remediation -- Cleaning Up
Past Mistakes

There are two levels of cleanup under CERCLA

 Emergency response

 A short term cleanup to prevent imminent danger

to human health and the environment
 Remedial action
 Long term cleanup to return the site to the
environment

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 26

 Type of Subsurface
Contamination

 Heavy non-aqueous liquids, often called

dense non-aqueous phase liquids or DNAPLs
 These are organic compounds that are heavier
than water and do not mix with the water
 They move downward through the soil and the
aquifer only stopping when they reach a layer
they cannot penetrate
 Chlorinated organic solvents such as those used
for dry cleaning or industrial cleaning are
examples

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 27

 Types of Subsurface
Contamination

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/ DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 28

 Type of Subsurface
Contamination

 Light non-aqueous liquids, often called light

non-aqueous phase liquids or LNAPLs
 These are organic compounds that are lighter
than water and do not mix with the water
 They move downward through the soil to the
aquifer
 They pool on the top of the aquifer
 Fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel are examples

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 29

 Types of Subsurface
Contamination

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/ DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 30

 Type of Subsurface
Contamination

 Aqueous phase liquids which mix with the

groundwater
 These are organic or inorganic compounds that
will dissolve into water or are mixed with water
 They move downward through the soil to the
aquifer
 Once in contact with the aquifer they move into
and then with the groundwater
 Some soluble pesticides, other soluble
compounds are examples

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 31

 Types of Subsurface
Contamination

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/ DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 32

 Site Remediation
Procedures

 Containment
 Pumped Containment
 Slurry Walls
 Conventional Cleanup Methods
 In Situ Cleanup Methods
 Vacuum Extraction
 Air Stripping
 In Situ Biological Treatment
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 33
 Site Containment

To prevent any further contamination

 Remove contaminants to secure hazardous
waste landfill
 Place a cover (cap) over the site to prevent

water entry and install drainage trenches to

prevent contamination from moving off site
 Install a slurry wall to prevent chemical

migration

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 34

 Correcting Subsurface
Contamination

Pump and treat

 Pump the
contaminated
water to the
surface and
remove
contamination

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 35

 Correcting Subsurface
Contamination

Vacuum extraction
 Use vacuum wells to
remove volatile
chemicals from the
subsurface

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/

DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 36

 Example: DuPont's Chambers
Works, Tidewater, New Jersey

A major manufacturing facility

 Hazardous wastes are either
incinerated or placed in a
secure hazardous waste
landfill. Their contaminated
process water is sent to a
wastewater treatment
facility and then discharged
 Hazardous sludges from
wastewater treatment are
incinerated at a hazardous
waste incinerator

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 37
 Example: DuPont's Chambers
Works, Tidewater, New Jersey

 The ash from the

incinerator is placed in a
hazardous waste landfill
 Any liquids generated at
the hazardous waste
landfill are returned to the
wastewater treatment
facility
 to a nearby stream

http://civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/
DR. YVONNE LIGAYA F. MUSICO 38