WASTE MANAGEMENT (GENERAL) Presented by Paulette E. Kolbusch Manager Environmental Standards and Regulations National Environment and Planning Agency at the JUDICIAL SYMPOSIUM May 16 - 18, 2003 Jamaica Grande Hotel, Ocho Rios ‘Sewage treatment facilities can only deal with about 50% of the sewage produced and not always in an adequate manner. Liquid wastes are insufficiently treated and are entering watercourses; thus impacting negatively on the quality of the natural environment’ This morning, | have been asked to speak on the topic Waste Management in a general way at this Judicial Symposium, The complementary use of a variety of practices to safely and efficiently handle waste streams embodies Waste Management. And, when we speak of the management of waste, we are referring to the practices we employ in a systematic manner for the handling, collection, storage, treatment and final disposal of the waste we generate. We may want to believe that these activities don’t involve us; it involves them =the owners of industrial and commercial facilities. Wrong! Here in Jamaica, the natural environment, land, water, air, supports our society by providing us with essential products such as fuel wood, pharmaceuticals, seafood, forests, food crops, water for irrigation, recreation, drinking, domestic and industrial uses raw materials for clothing, shoes, construction and industrial activities, energy, oxygen that we use for our survival and other economic benefits. For the next 10 minutes allotted me, | will take you through quickly: + The issues and challenges of waste management in Jamaica » The response strategies «The need to employ non-regulatory and regulatory tools Issues and Challenges of Waste Management in Jamaica Some of the challenges that we currently face include poor air quality in urban areas and in the vicinity of industrial facilities, improper disposal of garbage, raw and poorly treated sewage and industrial waste flowing into our rivers, guilies and coastal waters, malodours from sewage treatment facilities, increasing quantities of hazardous waste, the costs associated with improving the provision of infrastructure and additional facilities to collect, treat and dispose of the waste generated,Waste Management (General) The rate and scale of our economic activities have affected the natural capacity of the natural environment (our rivers, gullies, streams, land, coastal waters and air) to degrade the waste we dispose in it. Failure to respond to these challenges leads to ever increasing environmental and health problems locally and nationally. As a nation, we face: water depletion, water pollution, upper-respiratory tract infections, cardiovascular disease, diseases associated with poor sanitation, loss of soil fertility, degradation of coastal water quality, loss of coral reefs, increased siltation, prevalence of flooding, severe hurricanes, human settlements - much of which has been presented before. Response Strategies The nature of response to the issues and challenges that face us depends on how we perceive our responsibilities: a manufacturer or consumer of products and services that generate waste, a regulator, a provider of services to mitigate against environmental problems, a supplier of equipment, technology, environmental services, or one who uses the natural environment. Interventions triggered by our commitments as a member of the international ‘community through its Conventions and Protocols have been addressed already. We have a responsibility to respond to the increasing number of complaints from our local communities that continue to grapple with environmental problems in their local areas (Uncollected garbage, gullies being used as disposal sites, cil spills in the harbours and bays - Easter Sunday in Montego Bay -, dust nuisance associated with industrial facilities such as bauxite companies, Cement Company, siltation of rivers and coastal areas, fish kills, crocodiles attacking humans and animals, livestock, poultry in Old Harbour and parts of St. Thomas). The conventional responses include: The elimination of the operation entirely or in part Modification of the operation Relocation of the operation Application of appropriate control technologies Options Available To Manage Waste Regardless of the type of waste, solid, liquid or air emissions, there are three major aspects that are common: the collection, treatment and disposal of the ‘end product. The National Solid Waste Management Authority has the mandate to address solid waste issues and those were already presented. Recycling, reuse and other options will not be addressed here. Liquid Waste Liquid waste includes sewage and industrial wastewater. Municipal facilities and individual industrial treatment facilities that handle their own wastewater have these three components. Page 2‘Waste Management (General) We can also classify our facilities based on whether they discharge directly or indirectly into our streams, gullies, rivers, and coastal waters. Direct dischargers include most of our treatment facilities. However, a residential community or an industrial facility whose wastewater is connected to a municipal sewer line that jeads to a treatment facility is an indirect discharger. Collection of Wastewater ‘A compiex network of pipes and pumps of many sizes is usually employed to collect and transport wastewater to the treatment plant. The waste flowing into the treatment facility is called the INFLUENT. Plant operators need to know the location, amount and type of waste (industrial type) that it is receiving Sewage entering treatment facilities carries waste from households, commercial establishments in urban areas, and possibly raw, pre-treated or partially treated industrial waste. These are referred to as SANITARY SEWERS. All storm water run-offs from streets, land and roofs of buildings are collected separately in a STORM SEWER. This normally discharges into a watercourse without treatment, Where there is only one network of sewers that collect sanitary waste and storm water, we refer to them as COMBINED SEWER. Manholes are included in sewer lines to permit inspection and maintenance activities. Treatment of Wastewater Wastewater upon reaching a wastewater treatment facility flows through a series of treatment processes that removes the waste and reduces its original toxicity, where it existed, and its threat to public health before being discharged from the plant. The number of treatment processes and the degree of treatment depend on the water quality standard that is to be applied. Wastewater at the treatment plant may require the following processes: 1. Preliminary treatment to remove debris, rags, roots, sand, gravel, oil and grease 2. Sedimentation to remove settleable and floatable materials and some organic matter load 3. Biological treatment whereby organisms living in the controlled environment of the process are used to partially stabilize or oxidize the remaining organic matter and to convert it into a form that is easier to remove from the wastewater. Page 3‘Waste Management (General) 4, Advanced treatment methods are used to generate the final clean up of wastewater or the removal of substances not removed by conventional methods. 5. Disinfection is usually added at this stage for sewage treatment facilities to prevent the spread of disease. Commonly used disinfectants are chlorine, ozone, ultraviolet radiation and sulphur dioxide. Disposal of Wastewater The treated wastewater that flows from the treatment facilty is referred to as EFFLUENT. Its allowed to enter gullies, rivers, streams and coastal wasters and should meet the statutory requirements. Here in Jamaica, there are standards for sewage and industrial wastewater that flow into the environment. Treated sewage effluent, permitted to irrigate lawns must also meet specific quality criteria. The sludge or semi-solid generated from sewage treatment facilities are usually disposed of as soil conditioner. However, the use of sludge generated from industrial waste is directly related to its composition. The toxic constituents will determine whether further treatment would be necessary. When dried, the sludge is treated as soled waste. Septage, the partially treated semi-solid material removed from septic tanks requires treatment prior to disposal Air Emissions Air emissions include gases, vapours, suspended particles in various combinations that are released into the atmosphere from combustion and domestic sources, agricultural, municipal and industrial facilities The sources of air emissions are either fixed point sources, e.g. from industrial stacks or chimneys, or mobile such as vehicular emissions. In the management of air emissions, it is important to collect the air emissions at 2 point for treatment. There is another source, fugitive, that describes Industrial sources For fixed industrial emitters, there are various types of control technologies that are used to combat gaseous air pollutants. These include absorption, adsorption, condensation and incineration and combustion. Absorption refers to the intimate contact of a mixture of gases so that part of ‘one or more constituents of the gas will dissolve in the liquid. Wet scrubbers designed with plates or columns are used to remove one or more constituents by absorption. Page 4Waste Management (General) Adsorption refers to the concentration of a substance on the surface of a solid or liquid by physical or chemical forces. Activated carbon, activated alumina and silica gel are frequently used as the adsorbent materials for this purpose. Condensation is the process of converting a gas or vapour to liquid by sufficiently lowering its temperature and/or increasing its pressure. Reducing the temperature is usually a cheaper option. Contact and shell and tube condensers are usually employed. Incineration or combustion is used to control emissions of organic compounds generated by industrial operations. At a sufficiently high temperature and adequate residence time, any hydrocarbon can be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water by the combustion process. Combustion systems are usually relatively simple devices capable of achieving high destruction efficiencies. Prior to release to the air, scrubbers may be necessary to mitigate against unwanted pollutants generated (sulphur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and phosgene). Particulate Matter Using cyclones to separate the particles prior to collection and disposal controls gas or vapour streams containing particles. Wet Scrubbers are commonly used at some point to recover valuable components or to prevent harmful compounds from escaping into the atmosphere. The liquid collected is treated as industrial wastewater. An electrostatic precipitator is a particle control device that uses electrical forces to move the particles out of the flowing gas stream and onto collector plates, Fabric filters remove dust from a gas stream by passing the stream through a porous fabric. The dust particles form a more or less porous cake on the surface of the filter and actually do the filtration. Fugitive particulates or dust are emitted by a wide variety of sources in both the industrial and non-industrial sectors, entering the atmosphere without first passing through a stack or duct designed to conduct the flow. These may be sub-divided into process sources and open dust sources. Process sources are associated with industrial operations that change the chemical or physical chemical characteristics of a feed material. Open dust sources entail the entrainment of solid particles into the atmosphere by the forces of wind or machinery acting on exposed material Odours This is defined as a sensation resulting from the reception of a stimulus of the olfactory sensory system. The intensity, detectability, character, degree of pleasantness or unpleasantness of an odour are some of the factors that require determine the types of human response. Page 5‘Waste Management (General) Selection of Air Pollution Control Technology The control technology used depends on the pollutants that are to be removed, removal efficiency required, the pollutant and gas stream characteristics and the characteristics of the site. Mobile sources Vehicular emissions containing sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds resulting from the combustion of fuels release particulates and gases into the atmosphere. (40% of the nitrogen oxides present in the air are from motor vehicles). As a regulatory agency, NEPA has a mandate to protect and conserve the environment. The Agency employs a mixture of non-regulatory (voluntary) and regulatory (compulsory) tools to manage waste. The focus has been on the sources of domestic and industrial waste including air emissions whereby the major contributors will be required to address their contribution to the environmental problem. Doing nothing as a response contributes to the overall problem. The regulated community has options available to manage its specific waste. The regulated community is increasingly being made aware of the importance of international competition, market access, technological changes and environmental issues. Some of these industries have employed voluntary non-regulatory tools to address their environmental issues, namely, codes of practice within their industrial sector, best industry practices, guidelines, standards, waste minimization strategies and certification such as implementation of Environmental Management Systems. Persistence of Problem Despite the valiant efforts of some domestic and industrial owners to manage their waste, the problem has persisted and continues to persist. The problems have contributed to impairment of the physical problem, an economic impact and also health impacts (social). The Regulatory Agency must introduce regulatory tools such as ACTS and Regulations to combat the persistent problem, because voluntary compliance has failed. In addition, the need remains to achieve reduction in adverse impacts on the environment and to fulfill our obligations under the international conventions to which Jamaica is a signatory. ‘Some of these regulatory tools being employed are: NRCA Act (1991) Permits and Licences Regulations (1996) Air Quality Regulations (Draft) Draft Sewage Effluent Regulations (DRAFT) Trade Effluent Regulations (in development) Page 6‘Waste Management (General) Pursuant to Section 17 of the NRCA Act (1991), the Agency receives information on request from industrial facilities, industrial treatment facilities and the owners of sewage treatment facilities on the quantity and quality of all types of waste they discharge. Environmental permits are granted for the construction and operation of twenty-six categories of industrial projects and where the potential exists for significant environmental impacts, an environmental impact assessment of the project being contemplated is usually required Environmental licences are granted for the discharge of sewage and trade effluent into the environment. All environmental permits and licences contain specific conditions related to the project activity. Post-permit and post-licence monitoring activities are included in the strategies employed to ensure that the specific conditions in each permit and licence are enforced. In waste management activities, the Agency regulates the remediation of sites where contamination occurs and the closure or decommissioning and decontamination of areas and structures that could possibly result in the release of contaminants to the air soil or water. Conclusion In summary, waste management is mandatory requiring the inputs of all who generate waste from our individual, communal and corporate activities — packaging materials - paper, bottles, cartons, cellophane, chemical use, unused or residual amounts of medications, soaps, grease, wash water from the kitchen, bathrooms are some personal examples. Regulatory strategies must be mandatory, as voluntary compliance to protect and conserve the environment has failed. Let me remind you that the issues and challenges of waste management remain to haunt us if we fail to deal with them effectively. The evidence stares us in the face: poor air quality in urban areas and in the vicinity of industrial facilities, improper disposal of garbage, raw and poorly treated sewage and industrial waste flowing into our rivers, gullies and coastal waters, malodours from sewage treatment facilities, increasing quantities of hazardous waste, cil spills, fish kills, capital costs associated with improving the infrastructure to collect, treat and dispose of the waste generated, the costs of processing and preparing environmental permits, licences, post-permit and post-licence monitoring. Options to deal with collection, treatment and disposal of waste whether air emissions, domestic waste, sewage, industrial wastewater are available. Some questions to ponder: Page 7‘Waste Management (General) Can we voluntarily engage practices to safely and efficiently handle waste streams? How do we manage our waste? * State of the Environment Report 2001 produced by the National Environment and Planning Agency and the Statistical Institute if Jamaica Page 8TRADE EFFLUENT STANDARDS (Extracted from the Jamaican National Trade Effluent Standards 1995) PARAMETER STANDARD LIMIT Ammonia /Ammonium 1.0 mg/l Barium 5.0 mg/l Beryllium 0.5 mg/l Boron 5.0 mg/l Caleium No Standard Chloride 300 mg/l Colour 100 TCU. Detergent 15 mg/l or <0.015 kg/ 1000 kg product Fluoride 3.0 mg/ Iron 3.0mg/l Magnesium No standard Manganese 1.0 mg/l Nitrate (as Nitrate and Nitrite) 10 mg/l. Oil and grease 10 mg/l or <0.01kg/ 1000 kg product pH 65-85 Phenols 0.1 mg/l Phosphate 5.0 mg/l Sodium 100 mg/l Sulphate 250 mgy/lSulphide TDS Temperature Toc TSS Heavy Metals Arsenic Cadmium Chromium Copper Cyanide (Free HCN) (Total CN) Lead Mercury Nickel Selenium Silver Tin Zine Total Heavy Metals 0.2 mg/l 1000 mg/l 2°°C +/- average ambient temperature 100 mg/l All times <150 mg/l Monthly average 50 mg/l 0.5 mg/L 0.1 mg/l 10mg 0.1 mg/l 0.1 mg/l 0.2 mg/L 0.1 mg/l 0.02 mg/l 1.0 mg/l 0.5 mg/l 0.1 mg/l No standard 15 mg/l 2.0 mg/lSTREAM LOADING BODs <30 mg/l cop <0.1kg/ 1000kg product or<100 mg/l DO >4mgil BACTERIOLOGY Total Coliform < 500 MPN/ 100m! Feacal Coliform <100 MPN/ 100m1 ACRONYMS FOR PARAMETRS USED IN STANDARDS BOD _ Biochemical Oxygen Demand COD — Chemical Oxygen Demand DO Dissolve Oxygen MPN Most Probable Number TCU Total Colour Unit TDS Total Dissolved Solids TOC Total Organic Carbon TSS Total Suspended Solids FURTHER CLARIFICATION Nitrates Refers to nitrogen in nitrates and nitrites Phosphates Refers to phosphorous in phosphates pH Measures acidity or alkalinity Residual Chlorine ‘Where natural treatment systems are designed to reduce coliform levels without the use of chlorine then the residual chlorine criteria would not applyTHE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AUTHORITY ACT (Extracted from the Jamaica Gazette Supplement Proclamations Rules and Regulations. vol. CX1X : ‘Wednesday, August 7, 1996 No. 66E) The Natural Resources Conservation (Ambient Air Quality Standards) Regulations, 1996 In exercise of the power conferred upon the Minister by section 38 of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act, the following Regulations are hereby made:— 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Natural Resources Conservation (Ambient Air Quality Standards) Regulations, 1996. 2. The standards specified in the Schedule are hereby declared to be the Ambient Air Quality Standards. SCHEDULE (Regulation 2) AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS Averaging period Standard Particulates Total suspended Maximum annual average — Limit of 60 _ug/m* particulates Maximum twenty-four hour Limit of 150 ug/m* average PMyo (b) Maximum annual average Limit of 50. ug/m? Maximum twenty-four hour average Limit of 150 ugim*Lead Sulphur Dioxide Photochemical ‘Oxidants (Ozone) Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen dioxide NOTE: (a) (b) (co) Per calendar quarter Limit of 2 ugim? Maximum annual average —_—_Limit of 80; 60ugim> (c) Maximum twenty-four hour average Limit of 365; 280 ug/m? (c) Maximum one hour average Limit of 700 ug/m* Maximum one hour Limit of 235 ugim* average (0.12 ppm) Maximum one hour Limit of 40 mg/m? average (35 ppm) Maximum eight hour average Limit of 10 mg/m? Maximum annual average Limit of 100 ug/m* Total Suspended Particulates means all particles and aerosols that have an aerodynamic diameter of 100 micrometers or less and can be measured by the high volume sampling method. PM refers to particulates with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 micrometers or less as measured by a PM io sampler. The secondary standards for Sulphur Dioxide (maximum annual average 60ug/m” and maximum twenty-four hour average 280 ug/m? ) are designed to protect public health and welfare. They represent the long term goal for air quality and provide the basis for an Anti-degradation Policy for unpolluted parts of the country and for continuing development of pollution control technology.SEWAGE EFFLUENT STANDARDS (Extracted from the Jamaican National Sewage Effluent Standards, 1996) Immediate Technology Based Effluent Standards ~ Existing Plants PARAMETER EFFLUENT LIMIT BODs 20 mg/l TSS 30 mg/l Nitrates (as Nitrogen) 30 mg/l Phosphates 10 mg/l coD 100 mg/I pH 6-9 Faecal Coliform 1000 MPN/100ml Residual Chlorine 1.5 my Proposed Sewage Effluent Standards — New Plants’ PARAMETER. EFFLUENT LIMIT BOD 20mgit TSS 20 mg/l Total Nitrogen 10 mg/l Phosphates 4mgi/l cop 100 mg/l eH 6-9 Faecal Coliform 1000 MPN/100m! Residual Chlorine 1.5 mg/l "A plant is considered new if it was constructed and commissioned on or after January 1, 1997 (ie. the commencernent of the INRCA's Permit and Licence System) PARAMETERS IN STANDARDS ‘The parameters for which the standard establishes limits are: Bop Biovogical Oxygen Demand Iss ‘Total Suspended Solids itrates [Nitrogen im Nivate and Nitnte Phosphate Phosphours in Phosphate cop ‘Chemit] Oxygen Demand pH ‘Acidity or Alkanity Faceal Coliform Coliform Bacteria MPN ‘Most Probable Number Residual Chlorinet ‘Where natural treatment systems are designed to reduce coliform levels without the use of elorne then the residual chlorine enteria ‘would not applyTABLE 6 Jamaican National Ambient Water Quality Standard Freshwater Parameter Measured as | Standard Range Unit Calcium (Ca) [40.00 101.0 mg | Chloride 1 (cy 5.00 — 20.0 mg/L Magnesium (Mig") 3.60 —27.0 mg/L Nitrate (NOs) 010-75 mg/L. Phosphate 08) 0.01 -0.8 mg/L pH © 7.00 -8.4 - Potassium: (K) 0.74 -5.0 mg/L ica | (Sio") 5.00 — 39.0 mg/L | Sodfam (Nay 4.50 — 12.0 | mg/L Sulfate (S07) 3.00 — 10.0 mg/L Hardness (CaCO; 127.00—381.0 | mg/L (as CaCOs) Biochemical 0.80 —1.7 mg/L Oxygen Demand Conductivity 150.00-600 | @S/em Total Dissolved 120.00-300 | mg/L Solids4.4 Discharge as Irrigation 6.5.1 Treated sewage effluent to be used for irrigation, including but not limited to agricultural irrigation applications, must receive prior approval from NRCA. 6.5.2 Treated sewage effluent shall conform to the NRCA Interim Irrigation Standards as listed in the following table: Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Irrigation Standards Parameter Standard Limit Oil & Grease 10 mg/l Total Suspended Solids (TSS) | 15 mg/l | Residual Chlorine 0.5 mg/l | | Biochemical Oxygen Demand 15 mg/l | | (BOD) | Chemical Oxygen Demand <100 mg/l (COD) | Faecal Coliform 12 MPN / 100mI