Hazardous Waste management in Estonia

13.06.2006, Valencia

Peeter EekDirector GeneralWaste DepartmentMinistry of the Environment

peeter.eek@envir.ee

Legislation in basic

...As is required by Waste Directive 75/442 and Hazardous Waste Directive 91/689

To take HazW from other companies and persons, special HazW management licence in addition to normal waste permit, is required. Insurance is required to HazW activities, depending from the activity

There are ca 100 HazW licencies issued, big part only for collection and for bilge water, some have been reappealed, because of failures to fill requirements

The HazW licence is issued by Moe, waste permits by Regional Environmental Departments

Basic problems with the Hazardous waste Directive

Where is exact borderline between HazW and Non-HazW?

As a first step, answer should be found from EWC (European Waste Catalogue), but often is this not enough, or are some (mainly economical) reasons to say, that HazW is not a HazW!

As second step, decisions should base on researches and analyses;

On 2003 there was carried out study to clear the hazardousness of the Oil-shale semi coke, what was found to be HazW, because of oil-content, phenols, H5,H8 and H14 properties

Basic problems with the Hazardous waste: Financing

Basic approach – 'Polluter pays' – but it's not possible to use this 100 % .... - means, different financial supports are needed

- State established a network of basic Centres of collections, also Regional Landfills and Waste Stations are supported essential amounts

- Municipalities are supported for the collection of HasW from Households

- from ERDF, Cohesion Fund etc., also Private operators have been or could be yet supported – but the HasW from businesses must base on 'polluter pays' as long as possible (but – State Aid problems etc.)

The State Supports trough the Environmental Investment Centre, income 100 % from Environmental charges incl. landfill tax for all industrial landfills

Amounts of the Hazardous Waste: General

Average Total Waste generation in EU per capita is 3,5 t/a,

from that Hazardous waste ca 3 %

Average Total Waste generation in Estonia per capita is ca 13 t/a

from that Hazardous waste ca 30 %

Average Municipal Waste generation in EU per capita is 450 kg/a

Average Municipal Waste generation in Estonia per capita is 400 kg/a (

Aim of the Waste Management Plan 2008 – de-coupling the Growth of Economy from the increase of the Waste Generation

Share of the hazardous Waste in total Waste in Estonia

blue- non-hazarduos waste, violet – Hazardous Waste, (mill T)

Jäätmeteke aastatel 2001-2013 mln tonni

02468

1012141618202224

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Ohtlikud jäätmed Tavajäätmed

Hazardous Waste Total mill T 98 % 'oil-shale industry waste'

2 % , 150 th t – all others

Oil-shale semicoke: Ski-Resort or HasW landfill ?

Thermal processis in the landfill

Tar-waste lagoon

Some Basic considerations: .In general – HazW management is private business

The competition makes to companies minimize costs - what could be in HazW management also really dangerous.... as HazW is sometimes just abandoned – then comes to the Public costs anyway

There are 3 State-owned HazW collection Centres, but a lot of operations are performed by private Companies

- Service area ca 100-150 km from such a centre

- Important part is incineration – ca 30 Th t different (mainly liquid) wastes are incinerated in cement Kilns, it is increasing

- There is also one small private incinerator for Solid HasW

In General, co-operation with dedicated Private companies works well, although there have bees cases of abandoned HasW

Hazardous waste – special needs....

Sometimes it seems, that knowledge of astrology and astrophysics are needed...

As the planning of the HazW quantities is often more 'just forecasting', then data-based estimation (i.e. Similar to Astrology) – depends from changes in the production etc

There always 'a hidden mass' in HazW management, 'invisible part' of HazW, not-reported, officially non-existing-

partly is this just not sorted out (as part of the municipal waste), partly is separated, but not treated legally (as waste-oils) - this is like 'Hidden mass' in astrophysics

Hazardous waste generation by counties

Development of the State owned Hazardous Waste System (HazWS)

HazWS is developed since 1994, on 1994-2004 with the essential support by Denmark

Several studies were carried out, to get basic data for planning

Four regional HazW collection-treatment Centres was planned, one as a central with the special HazW landfill

Collection centre in Tallinn in operation since 1998, new centre in Tartu opened 2007

New Regional landfills operate partly as HazW collection centres

- Since the planning face is Economy changed basically – generation of certain types of HW is ended ....

HazW collection-treatment centre in Tallinn

The site selection and construction 1995-1998owned by MoE, operated by private HazW

management Company

- total capacity up to 12 th t/a HazW, but due to the changes in economy, much less is treated

- re-packing, labelling, separation of oil-water mixtures is carried out, temporary storage until transport to the R-D facilities

Waste amounts t/y1998 2551999 16682000 17802001 20902002 31402003 34012004 28302005 30682006 3613

Year

HazW management centre in Vaivara

Serious dispute on site selection until 1999, final site near power station in N-E of Estonia

Special landfill – planning area ca 3 ha, from that four cells together 1,6 ha is ready. Landfilling in layers up to 3 m.

The site selection and construction 1999-2000, co-financed by PHARE

owned by MoE, operated by private HazW management Company

'Gate fees' mainly 100-200 €/t, thus for heavy-metals, small chemicals etc. wastes up to 30 €/kg

All obsolete pesticides over the Estonia was brought to Vaivara (ca 600 T), 2001-2006 was sent to treatment to the other EU countries (FI, DE), financed by State

HazW Management Centre in Tartu:Collection, re-packing, analising, inceneration of solid HasW

(incl. Hospital waste)

Contaminated soils

Huge amount to treat, still only most dangerous areas or the areas with other development interest have been cleaned off

- most of the former Soviet military bases- majority of former industrial sites, related with oil-products and

chemicals- estimation given – up to 500 th. T of contaminated soils to treat- under Cohesion Fund Technical Asssistance program there is in

preparation project to clean up ca 70 sites during 2008-2010

Collection of the Municipal HazW

Municipalities are responsible to organise municipal HazW collection

In most towns this is organised by special HazW collection sites, sometimes in gasolin station, but generally in waste stations etc.

In rural municipalites collection is often organised by special collection campainges, when special HazW management company is hired to do the job. Household HazW is free of charge on most cases (depends from quantities)

State supports both HazW set-up of collection system with containers as collection campaignes

WEEE, Batteries and ELV – new types of HazW

Covered by 'producer responsibiliy principle', but in the sence of HazW treatment – new waste fractions

- WEEE and ELV collection often motivateid by material prices (metals) – often reason for illegal collection and handling

There are licenced treatment facilities, but at least on WEEE treatment are the PRO-s using on 'lower price' basis services in other MS-s

Recovery and Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Special waste streams under considerationPort facility's waste – pilge water, slops etc. - up to 37 th

t/a – but in comparison with other EU countris per register t of ships – seems to be too few

Waste oil – estimated by 'new engine oil put on the market' that at least 50 % will be as 'waste oil', but just 25 % from that amount is collected

Asbestos- containing materials incl. roof plates 'eternite' is allowed to landfill on landfills for non-haz-waste, but it's costs ca 35-40 €/t

PCB-containing appliancies – registrations was carried out already on 2001, but it comes clear, that there are additional apllianced, not covered before....

Under the Discussion

Future of the State -owned HaW managent system – should it remain 'state owned' or is it possible to privatizise it?

Supervision of HazW in general – from PCB appliances to CRT-monitors and batteries !

Further development of household HazW collection – as not sufficient yet

Further development of waste inceneration in cement kilns,

Hospital waste – still HazW (H14) quantities sent to the treatment differ highly by different hospitals

Thank for Your attention!