Currently, there are about 24, 000 facilities in Russia that relate to landfills for municipal solid waste. At the same time, only a tenth of them are operated legally, not to mention compliance with the rules and standards established by Rosprirodnadzor. This is partly due to problems that arise at the stages of registration, design and construction of such facilities. It is no secret that landfills are very specific and impose special requirements on the owners for maintenance, as well as for reclamation or transfer to another status. Each of these issues should be studied in detail to increase the chances of implementing a modern, safe and legally clean landfill.
MSW landfill licensing
Waste collection and disposal activities are strictly regulated and subject to registration. The document authorizing the management of household and industrial waste is a license. Before starting the registration procedure, you must make sure that the company meets the requirements of the supervisory authority, which will evaluate the landfill. A license is issued only if the facility meets sanitary and epidemiological standards, has the necessary equipment, is serviced by trained workers, etc. In addition, the applicant must provide a draft system that will carry out production control during waste management.
Documents for obtaining a license
A person wishing to obtain a license to conduct this type of activity must submit to Rosprirodnadzor a package that includes the following set of documents:
- legal entity documents;
- a list of work that is planned to be carried out in the field of waste management;
- documents confirming the ownership of the site where the waste collection zone is planned (often MSW landfills are built up with special facilities, which also require relevant documents);
- certificate of successful completion of environmental impact assessment;
- certificates for the right to handle waste;
- certificate of payment of state duty for a license.
Licensing Procedure
Rosprirodnadzor checks the information and documents sent by the applicants within 5 days. Based on the results of the audit, a decision is made in the form of a refusal or a license. As a rule, landfills are licensed if they initially meet the technical, legal and environmental requirements. The correctness of the design of the package of documents also matters. During the procedural processing, the employees of Rosprirodnadzor verify the completeness and accuracy of the information specified in the application and documents.
It is important to note that the so-called self-regulatory communities (SROs) are gaining popularity in construction in recent years, participation in which relieves new market participants from the need to obtain an appropriate license. In the field of waste management, this practice is only gaining momentum, but joining a SRO of this profile can be very useful. Representatives of such associations not only legalize their landfills, but also receive legal, as well as information and technical support from their colleagues, which is especially important in the early stages of enterprise development.
Polygon Design
Already at the stage of project development, the special purpose of the landfill as an object designed for the collection and disposal of household waste is taken into account. In order to minimize the hazardous effects of such complexes on the environmental situation of the adjacent territory, the project provides for protective systems that act as barriers to pollutants. Their presence determines the difference between special landfills and ordinary landfills.
To successfully neutralize the harmful effects during the operation of a future facility, the design of solid waste landfills should include the following:
- Development of a waterproofing system for a contaminated massif. This is necessary to prevent direct contact between the landfill and sludge.
- Study and plan the surface of the landfill zone, taking into account the location of the slopes to ensure the removal of surface runoff.
- Creating a ventilation system for the landfill.
- Development of a filtrate management and control system.
- Planning for landscaping.
Design is carried out in accordance with principles that minimize the likelihood of an environmental crisis and environmental pollution. At the same time, water bodies are the most important from the point of view of safety.
Landfill construction
Measures for the technical implementation of solid waste landfill projects are largely similar to traditional construction projects. Such complexes may include the same utilities, utility structures, etc. The differences include the inclusion of special requirements for insulation and the selection of building materials. In addition, the construction of a solid waste landfill involves the construction of sanitary facilities with anti-filter screens, which are the main elements in any complex of this type.
Natural geological obstacles to the spread of pollution in practice are rare, therefore, developers equip special protective screens on the surface of the working area. With the help of such barriers, the risk of harmful environmental damage resulting from the impact of the unfavorable environment of landfills is minimized.
