SUMMARY OF LANDFILL DIRECTIVE WASTE ACCEPTANCE
PROCEDURES
1. INTRODUCTION
The Landfill Directive requires that before
waste is accepted as a landfill site, the holder or operator must
be able to show that the waste can be accepted according to the
permit conditions and the waste acceptance criteria set out in
Annex II of the Directive. This must be shown by waste acceptance
procedures (WAPs) which are:
— waste characterisation and testing;
— waste acceptance criteria.
Annex II of the Directive requires that waste
acceptance procedures are set for the various classes of landfill.
These procedures are referred to in this document as the full
procedures of criteria. They have been set out in a draft Commission
Decision Document to be voted on by Member States at the end of
July 2002. The full criteria consist of lists of leaching test
limit values, some limit values for organic content and buffering
capacity for inert waste landfills, stable, non-reactive hazardous
waste going to non-hazardous sites and for hazardous waste sites.
The full limit values are stringent and meeting
them will pose a challenge for industry, particularly those for
hazardous waste which will lead to a significant change in the
nature of hazardous waste landfills. Essentially, the full criteria
for inert waste landfills define the term inert waste and those
for hazardous waste to be accepted at non-hazardous sites define
both the criterion stable and non-reactive and also the treatment
criteria for hazardous waste acceptance at non-hazardous sites.
Those for hazardous waste sites define the treatment for the landfilling
of hazardous wastes.
Until final procedures are implemented, the
UK must set interim requirements. Further details will be available
in the Agency's Regulatory guidance Note 2, version 3, and Guidance
on National Interim Waste Acceptance procedures.
2. WASTE ACCEPTANCE
CRITERIA
2.1 General
For all classes of site, a risk assessment should
be carried out to demonstrate that the acceptance of a waste would
meet the following criteria in both the short and long term (post
closure):
— there are no unacceptable emissions
to groundwater and surface water and the surrounding environment;
— the environmental protection systems
such as liners, leachate and gas collection and treatment systems
at the site are not jeopardised;
— waste-stabilisation processes such
as degredation or wash out within the landfill are protected;
— there is no unacceptable risk to
human health.
The following wastes are prohibited from any
class of landfill (see the Summary Section 4 for when these wastes
are prohibited from the different classes of landfill):
— waste which, in the conditions of
landfill is explosive, corrosive, oxidising, highly flammable
or flammable;
— hospital and other clinical wastes
arising from medical or veterinary establishments, which are infectious;
— chemical substances arising from
research and development or teaching activities which are not
identified and/or are new and whose effects on man and/or the
environment are not known (eg laboratory residues etc);
— whole used tyres (from July 2003),
excluding those used as engineering material, and shredded used
tyres (from July 2006) (excluding in both instances bicycle tyres
and those with an outside diameter above 1,400 mm);
— untreated waste, although there are
some exceptions to this.
2.2 Landfills for Hazardous Waste
Wastes acceptable at landfills for hazardous
waste are those listed on the Hazardous Waste List of the European
Waste Catalogue, or having similar characteristics to those listed.
All sites taking these wastes after 16 July 2002 must be classified
as hazardous.
Wastes are to be excluded if the risk assessment
shows that they have total contents or leachability of potentially
hazardous components that are high enough to:
— constitute a short-term occupational
risk; or
— constitute an environmental risk;
or
— prevent waste stabilisation within
the projected lifetime of the landfill.
2.2.1 New Landfills
New hazardous waste landfills may not accept
non-hazardous wastes, and may only accept treated wastes. These
wastes are required to meet the full criteria.
2.2.2 Existing Landfills: until 16 July 2004
After 16 July 2002, existing landfills classified
as hazardous may continue to take the present range of wastes,
unless they are on the list of prohibited wastes or fail the interim
criteria. Any wastes not previously accepted should be considered
against the findings of the risk assessment.
2.2.3 Existing Landfills: after 16 July 2004
Acceptance of non-hazardous and untreated wastes
must cease on 16 July 2004. In order to avoid any pollution or
harm from the deposit of hazardous wastes alone, the Agency intends
that co-disposal loading rates will continue to apply. That is,
the ratio of hazardous wastes to non-hazardous wastes, and any
mixing requirements, will apply, using the non-hazardous wastes
already deposited. Operators will need to consider the implications
of the full criteria, which will take effect after 16 July 2005.
2.3 Landfills for Non-hazardous Waste
Non-hazardous waste landfills may only be used
for the following types of waste:
— other non-hazardous wastes;
— stable, non-reactive hazardous waste
with leaching behaviour similar to the other non-hazardous wastes
described above.
Hazardous wastes may not, in general, be deposited
at landfills for non-hazardous waste. However, there is a provision
for stable, non-reactive hazardous wastes to be deposited, provided
that they are not deposited in cells for the disposal of biodegradeable
non-hazardous waste.
"Stable, non-reactive" means the leaching
behaviour of the waste will not change adversely in the long-term
under the landfill design conditions.
There are similar provisions for the deposit
of asbestos and gypsum wastes.
2.4 Landfills for inert waste
The Directive definition of inert waste is very
restrictive and is unlikely to include many of the wastes sent
to current inert waste sites. Inert waste is insoluble, inorganic
material.
2.4.1 New landfills
New landfills for inert waste must meet the
full criteria.
2.4.2 Existing landfills
The requirement to classify existing landfills
does not apply to landfills for inert or for non-hazardous wastes
until the landfill is re-permitted. In the interim, provided that
a landfill is not receiving hazardous wastes and that the risk
assessment shows that the landfill meets the general criteria,
there will be no requirement to distinguish whether the wastes
deposited are inert or non-hazardous.
The full requirements should be used to assess
whether, upon re-permitting, the wastes to be deposited are likely
to result in an inert or a non-hazardous classification.
2.4.3 Full criteria for inert waste landfills
Wastes listed in Table 1 are assumed to meet
the definition of inert waste and can be admitted without testing
at a landfill for inert waste. Wastes that are not listed must
be tested to confirm that they comply with the limit values proposed
in the Commission Decision Document.
Table 1
LISTED INERT WASTES
| EWC Code |
Description | Restrictions
|
| 10 11 03 | Waste glass based fibrous materials
| Only without organic binders
|
| 15 01 07 | Glass packaging
| |
| 17 01 01 | Concrete
| Selected C&D waste only
|
| 17 01 02 | Bricks
| Selected C&D waste only
|
| 17 01 03 | Tiles and ceramics
| Selected C&D waste only
|
| 17 01 07 | Mixtures of concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics
| Selected C&D waste only
|
| 17 02 02 | Glass
| |
| 17 05 04 | Soil and stones*
| Excluding topsoil, peat; excluding soil and stones from contaminated sites
|
| 19 12 05 | Glass
| |
| 20 01 02 | Glass
| Separately collected glass only
|
| 20 02 02 | Soil and stones*
| Only from garden and parks waste; excluding top soil, peat
|
| * For the purposes of waste acceptance soil includes naturally occurring sands and clays.
|
3. WASTE CHARACTERISATION
AND TESTING
3.1 The Three Level Hierarchy
The general characterisation and testing of waste must be
based upon a three level hierarchy. Before a waste can be landfilled,
the properties listed at Section 3.2 below (Level 1) must be known.
The waste should then be periodically checked by the landfill
operator to ensure that those properties have not changed (Level
2) and checked at the landfill to verify that it is the expected
waste and has not been contaminated in storage or transport (Level
3).
The Agency expects that most wastes will require some testing
to determine the relevant properties. The exceptions will be wastes
where all the data is already available from previous testing,
wastes which are listed as not requiring testing, or wastes whose
composition can be predicted to the satisfaction of the Agency
from a knowledge of the process producing the waste.
3.2 Basic characterisation (Level) 1)
Basic characterisation is the responsibility of the waste
holder and should provide all the necessary information for the
safe disposal of the waste in the long-term. The information required
is:
— source and origin of the waste;
— information on the process producing the waste
(description, including SIC code, and characteristics of raw materials
and products);
— description of the waste treatment applied in
compliance with Article 6(a), or a statement of reasons why such
treatment is not considered necessary;
— data on the composition of the waste and the leaching
behavious, where relevant;
— appearance of the waste (smell, colour, physical
form);
— code according to the European Waste Catalogue;
— for hazardous waste the relevant hazard properties
according to Annex III of Confirmation that the waste is not prohibited;
— the landfill class at which the waste may be accepted;
— additional precautions to be taken at the landfill;
— check if the waste can be reduced, recycled or
recovered.
4. SUMMARY
Table 2 below summarises the timetable for the introduction
of both interim and full waste acceptance procedures.
4.1 Full Acceptance Criteria
For new sites these will apply immediately. For existing
landfills, these will be addressed when the landfill is re-permitted.
4.2 Full Characterisation and Testing
Level 1 basic characterisation applied to all landfills in
the interim, subject to the qualifications below. Compliance checking
and on-site verification apply to all landfills in the interim.
The scope of these will depend upon the basic characterisation.
4.2.1 Waste Pre-treatment
This only applied to new landfills. It will apply to existing
hazardous waste landfills from 16 July 2004 and to other existing
landfills on a date yet to be specified.
4.2.2 Composition and Leaching Behaviour
Characterisation will be required to the extent that landfill
class criteria are set, or to comply with the Duty of Care. Full
criteria presently apply to new inert and hazardous landfills,
and to hazardous wastes to be accepted in a landfill for non-hazardous
waste.
4.2.3 Prohibited Wastes
This presently applies to new landfills and landfills for
hazardous waste. It will apply to landfills for non-hazardous
waste on a date yet to be specified. Confirmation that the waste
is not prohibited should be supplied accordingly.
Environment Agency
8 July 2002
Table 2
SUMMARY: TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF WASTE ACCEPTANCE
CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES
At all sites, compliance is required with Schedule 1 Para
1 of 2002 Regulations and with any licence or permit conditions,
in addition to the following requirements for the appropriate
class of landfill.
| New landfills
| Existing landfills
|
| Inert
| Non-hazardous | Hazardous in non-hazardous
| Hazardous | Inert
| Non-hazardous | Hazardous in non-hazardous
| Hazardous |
|
| WACs | Interim
| Treated waste listed in Table 1 above or meeting full leaching limit values and total organic content criteria.
| Any treated non-hazardous waste (including inert).
| | |
| |
|
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Non-hazardous gypsum waste must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Treated stable, non-reactive wastes per full criteria.
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Asbestos and haz gypsum wastes must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Treated hazardous waste subject to full criteria.
| No change until 16 July 2005 when site is permitted (whichever is the sooner).
| Any non-hazardous waste (including inert).
| | |
| |
|
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Non-hazardous gypsum waste must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Stable, non-reactive waste per full criteria.
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Asbestos and haz gypsum wastes must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| | |
| |
| | |
|
| Full (on or after 16 July 2005)
| Treated waste listed in Table 1 above or meeting full leaching limit values and total organic content criteria.
| Any treated non-hazardous waste. |
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Non-hazardous gypsum wastes must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Treated stable, non-reactive waste per full criteria.
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Asbestos and haz gypsum wastes must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Treated hazardous waste subject to full criteria.
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Treated1 waste listed in Table 1 above or meeting full leaching limit values and total organic content criteria.
| Any treated1 non-hazardous waste.
| | |
| |
| | |
| Non-hazardous gypsum waste must be disposed of as per full WACs.
| Treated stable, non-reactive waste per full criteria.
| | |
| |
| | |
|
| Abestos & haz gypsum wastes must be disposed of as per fulll WACs. Treated2 hazardous waste subject to full criteria
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
| WAPs | Interim |
Interim require- ments (as set out in guidance on National Interim Waste Acceptance Procedures).
| Interim requirements. | Interim requirements.
| Interim requirements. | Interim require- ments except treatment.
| Interim requirements except treatment.
| Interim require- ments. | Until 16 July 2004 interim requirements except treatment.
|
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| From 16 July 2004 interim require- ments. |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| Full (on or after 16 July 2005).
| Full require- ments (as indicated in guidance on National Interim WAPs).
| Full require- ments. | Full require- ments.
| Full require- ments. | Full require- ments.
| Full require- ments. | Full require- ments.
| Full require- ments. |
1 This assumes that DEFRA will introduce the inert and non-hazardous
treatment requirements at the same time as full WAPs and WACs.
2 After 16 July 2004.
| 
