Overview of Landfilling in Latvia

1
Overview of Landfilling in Latvia

• Ilze Donina,
• Ministry of Environment,
• Latvia

2
Content of presentation

• General information
• Development of landfilling in Latvia
• Legal requirements
• Challenges

3
General facts about Latvia

• Area - 64 000 km2
• Population - 2.3 million and decreasing
• Population density- 40 people/km2
• 43 of the territory are covered with forest
• 12 of the territory are prohibited areas
• length of Baltic Sea coastline - 500 km
• Main industry - metal production and manufacture,
  chemical industry, textile production, timber
  production, electronics, food production

4
Waste Management Situation Waste generation

• It is estimated that there are produced 1 000 000
  tons of municipal (non-hazardous) waste
  (including industrial non-hazardous waste)
  content of biodegradable waste more than 50
• Annually in Latvia are produced approximately 27
  000 tons of hazardous waste (HW)

5
Waste Management Situation Collection and
Transportation

• Municipal Waste
• - Collection and transportation carried out by
  waste management companies
• - Privately owned companies are serving more than
  50 of the population of Latvia, as these
  companies are working in bigger cities
• in the towns and cities almost 80 of the
  population get waste management service. In
  countryside - up to 20 of inhabitants are
  provided with service
• Hazardous waste
• - collection and transportation carried out by
  private companies which have received permits for
  these activities

6
Development of landfilling in Latvia

• Historically linked to the development of towns
  and cities
• In Soviet Union time dumps mainly placed in
  quarries. There existed standards for
  construction of landfills, but they were not
  observed (at least not in territory of Latvia)
• After gaining independence first activities in
  area of landfilling were linked to solving waste
  management problems of Riga

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Development of landfilling

• Development of National Municipal Waste
  Management strategy 1998-2010, 500-
• Review of existing situation
• 558 dumps
• 77 less than 1 ha
• 75 receiving less than 1000 m3 of waste per
  year
• Majority of waste disposed of at dumpsites of
  bigger cities and towns

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Development of landfilling in Latvia
9
Municipal Solid Waste Management Strategy for
Latvia, 1998 - 2010

• In 1998 Cabinet of Ministers approved Municipal
  Solid Waste Management Strategy for Latvia
  (programme 500-), where some of set targets are
  
• Transition from waste management on municipal
  level to regional level, optimal number of
  inhabitants in each region is above 100 000
• Construction of a technically and economically
  feasible landfill providing services for a waste
  management region
• Reduction of number of dumps not responding
  legislative requirements
• Stipulation of reuse and recycling
• Facilitation of intermuniciapl co-operation
  creating regional waste management organisation
  responsible for implementation of EU co-financed
  projects.
• Strategy is forming part of State Waste
  Management plan, 2006-2012

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Waste Management Regions
ZIEMELVIDZEME
PIEJURA
MALIENA
VENTSPILS
RIGA
RIGA
AUSTRUMLATGALE
VIDUSKURZEME
ZEMGALE
LIEPAJA
VIDUSDAUGAVA
DIENVIDLATGALE
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• Waste what cannot be recovered is destined for
  disposal
• In 1998 there were 558 dumps, in 2001 - 252,
  while in 2005 there are 148 dumps in operation
• In 2005 waste disposal was started at 4 newly
  constructed landfills
• Landfill for hazardous waste will be constructed
  by middle of 2008. Until that hazardous waste has
  to be stored at enterprises

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Institutional system and Organization of Waste
Management

• Municipalities (548 cities, towns, parishes) have
  to
• Organize management of municipal waste
• Supervises transportation and disposal of
  industrial waste
• Issues local regulations on management of
  municipal waste and on order of paying for waste
  management services
• Takes decision of location of new waste recovery
  and disposal facilities
• Municipalities may
• co-operate with other municipalities in carrying
  out above mentioned tasks
• prepare local waste management plans.

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Institutional System and Organization of Waste
Management

• Ministry of Environment
• Preparation of State and regional waste
  management plan, including hazardous waste
• Co-ordination of the implementation of the State
  and regional waste management plans
• Drafting of legal acts on waste management
• Compilation of the waste management information
• Co-ordination and organization of the hazardous
  waste management
• Organization of construction and management of
  hazardous waste disposal and recovery facilities
• Coordination of landfill construction for
  municipal waste

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System and Organization of Waste Management

• Environmental State Survey control and
  supervision of the implementation of waste
  related legislation
• Regional Environmental Boards (8
  units)-subordinated to Environmental State
  Survey, practical implementation and enforcement
  of waste management legislation (issuing permits,
  inspection of waste management practices and
  facilities data collection)
• Latvian Geological and Hydrometeorological
  Agency- compilation and processing of waste
  management data and statistics, providing
  information to the public
• State Environmental Bureau- preparation of
  programs for Environmental Impact Assessment on
  waste management projects

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Waste Management Law (2001)
• Distribution of competencies
• Delegation to CoM to issue regulations on
  establishment of landfills, and on management and
  closure of landfills and dumps
• Prohibition of illegal dumping
• Waste, what is not recovered, shall be disposed
  at landfill or dump
• General requirements for the operators of waste
  disposal facilities to receive permit, to
  manage facility in accordance with requirements
  of legal acts to provide for closure and
  re-cultivation of facility.

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No.474
  Regulations on establishment of landfills and on
  management, closure and re-cultivation of
  landfills and dumpsites (13.06.2006)
• - Transposes directive 1999/31/EC and Decision
  2003/33/EC
• Contains definitions as set in the Directive
  1999/31/EC
• Contains targets for decreasing of landfilling of
  biodegradable waste Strategy itself is a part of
  State Waste Management Plan 2006-2012.

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Location of landfill
• Factors to be taken into account
• Places where it is prohibited to locate landfills
  (levels of ground water, nature protection areas,
  protective zones, Karst areas.
• If construction of landfill site is to be
  financed by State, local government or
  international institution resources, the owner or
  manager of the landfill site, before commencing
  construction, has to prepare a feasibility study
  for landfill site construction.

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Requirements for the design of landfill
• Functional zones of the landfill
• Technical requirements (insulation, collection
  systems for run-off and leachate, collection and
  use of landfill gas).
• Premises for personnel
• Time period for the operation of landfill at
  least 20 years.
• Landfills are operating in accordance with IPPC
  permits, dumps have received permits by 2002,
  after that time no new permits for existing dumps
  have been issued.

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Acceptance of waste at landfills and dumps
• It is allowed to dispose off only treated waste
• Waste not to be accepted at landfills, in
  addition to those mentioned in the Directive
  1999/31/EC
• Sludge of waste water treatment plants with water
  content above 80
• Food and timber industry waste if waste is not
  intended for composting or for generation of
  landfill gas.
• All waste shipments shall be accompanied by waste
  description. If there is a contract between
  landfill management and waste transporting
  company, waste description may be a part of that
  contract.

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Visual checking and sampling of waste
• If waste does not correspond to the description,
  it is given back to the transportation company
  and Regional Environmental Board is informed
  about non-compliance.
• Analysis of waste samples in accordance with
  Decision 2003/33/EC
• Special requirements regarding disposal of
  asbestos waste at landfills for municipal waste

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Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Monitoring and reporting
• Registration journal management of landfill or
  dump, delivieries of waste, environmental
  monitoring results, etc
• Yearly report to Regional Environmental Board and
  to municipality where landfill or dump is
  located
• Requirements for environmental monitoring
  (sampling and analysis of run-off and ground
  water, air quality, landfill gas, landfill body)

22
Legislation regarding landfilling of waste

• Closure and re-cultivation on landfills and
  dumps
• Criteria for closure of landfills and dumps
• Municipality is starting the closure procedure
  technical requirements are issued by Regional
  Environmental Boards involvement of operator of
  landfill or dump
• Requirements for the design of closure and
  re-cultivation works
• Requirements for the environmental monitoring
  after closure of landfill or dump

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Challenges

• Challenges
• Implementation of regional approach-increased
  costs for disposal of waste, littering
• Implementation of strategy for biodegradable
  waste