HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

ENVIRONMENTALLY- SOUND MANAGEMENT FOR RE-ROCESSING OF ZINC ASH/SKIMMING, LEAD WASTE & WASTE OIL :
The Rule 11 of Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 prohibits import of hazardous waster for dumping. However, the import of hazardous waste is allowed for the purpose of recycling/recovering and use as raw material. The import of hazardous waste is also covered under the Basel Convention on Control of Tran boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal. The wastes permitted for import are required to be reprocessed in an environmentally sound manner. Procedures and environmentally safeguarded of proposals seeking import of hazardous wastes. For providing technical assistance to the Central Government and to the Court in taking decision on import of waste recycling/reuse, CPCB has formulated codes of practice for handling the following categories of wastes:

(A) Code of Practice for Environmentally- sound Management for Recycling and Recovery Operation of Zinc        Ash/Skimming
Zinc ash/skimming, which contain not less than 65% recoverable zinc, may be permitted for import to meet the demand of secondary zinc industries subject to compliance of following:

  1. Import of zinc ash/skimming shall be allowed for import to only those industries, which have requisite pollution control equipment to meet the emission and effluent standards and hazardous waste management guidelines. The units should have "consent" and" authorization" for disposal of hazardous wastes from respective State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).
  2. During transpiration, processing for recovery of zinc and production of zinc oxide/zinc sulphate, the following measures will be taken for environmental safeguards:
    • To avoid dust emission during handling and transport, property covered containers should be used
    • In the rotary furnaces, the industry should install properly designed bag fitter followed by scrubber. The particulate matter emission should not be more than 10 mg/Nm3 for lead. The effluent from scrubber should be properly treated and it should meet the standards stipulated by the concerned State Boards.
    • In the refining section, the solid waste generated from drum filter cake, which contains lead and also nickel and copper, should be properly disposed in the secure landfill as per the guidelines issued by MoEF for implementation of Hazardous. Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989. The design of secure landfill should be approved by SPCB and the leach ate should pass the US-EPA limit.
    • In the Electrolysis section, the fugitive emission generated by electrolysis process, i.e. acid fumes, should be properly controlled. The industry should install canopy hood for proper canalization of emission and it should be connected to a properly designed scrubber before discharging through a stack.
    • The industry should utilize the solid waste as far as possible.
    • The container of zinc ash/skimming (after taking the material) should be properly cleaned and the washing would be treated in the ETP.
    • The industry should regularly (once in a month) do the emission/effluent monitoring and leach ate sampling and analysis result should be submitted to SPCB.
    • Treated wastewater from the industry should be fully recycled.
  3. The importer industry shall maintain records of collection, treatment, transport, storage and disposal of hazardous waste in Form 3 of HW (M&H) Rules, 1989.

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