Waste Management

(The study has been conducted by Georgian Center for Environmental Research within the frames of UNOPS/GEF Project on NBSSAP. It is constituted from the information compiled from NEAP and other sources of information)

Wastes

There are 15  garbage dumps are operational in almost every major city. Besides all district centres are equipped with dump sights. Nevertheless uncontrolled dumping of communal (municipal) garbage lead to worsening of hygienic conditions throughout the country. According to official estimates  the total amount of solid wastes in 1992 was 64,5 million tons 70% of the total amount (45,2 mill tons comes from the mining industry. Metallurgy , the chemical industry , the construction industry and other sectors are responsible for the following pattern of solid waste generation:

Hydrides-658 tons, Arsenic -containing substances- 1899 tons, Nickel -containing substances-222 tons, Oil containing Substances 70 000 tons, Phenol - containing substances- 226 000 tons, Chrome - containing substances- 72,6 tons, Pesticides- 2500 tons, Carbon enrichment wastes- 1,3 million tons. 

Legislation related to waste management

The aim of the waste management in Georgia  is to ensure the protection of public health and environment from harmful impact in the whole cycle of the existence of wastes - from their origin to final disposal.

The system of waste management must rely on the main principles, defined in the “Act on Environmental Protection of Georgia”. These are:

·        the principle of risk reduction;

·        the principle of sustainability;

·        the principle of priority;

·        the principle of charged use of nature;

·        the principle of protection of biological diversity;

·        the principle of minimization of wastes;

·        the principle of restitution (restitutio in integrum)

·        the principle of environmental impact assessment;

·        the principle of public participation in the process of decision-making;

·        the principle of availability of information;

·        the principle of the Polluter Pays

·        the principle of Cleaner Production

·        the principle of Environmental Management

For the purpose of ensuring the realization of these principles in waste management it is necessary to work out comprehensive policy and implementation strategies.

Hazardous and non-hazardous waste management, and waste storage and processing are regulated under the Law on Transit and Imports of Waste in the Territory of Georgia, 1994 as well.  The Law is enforced by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Department of State Environmental Expertise of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Department of Recycled Materials of the Ministry of Industry, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Services, and the State Hydrometrology and Monitoring Department. 

The following former USSR legislation is also applied.   

Transboundary Movement of Wastes

  On 14 October 1994, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the Law on Transit and Imports of Waste in the Territory of Georgia which prohibits:

·      the import of toxic and radioactive industrial and economic waste;

·       transport and import for the purposes of neutralization, processing or burial of radioactive and toxic industrial and economic waste.

The only wastes that may be imported into Georgia are non-toxic and non-radioactive materials for recycling of the following types: ferrous and non-ferrous metals, waste paper and waste plastics.

From January 23, 1995, legislative acts on import and re-export of waste were brought into compliance with western standards.  Standards are currently being developed that will be implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection concerning waste treatment and use.

The Office will be the main authority for executing the laws and regulation following the signing of the Basel Convention. The convention provides rules for regulating waste transport and for banning a certain transport. In the EU this is translated in the EU regulation 259/93 of 6 may 1994. The regulation is enacted in national legislation (as is the procedure for EU regulation).

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Waste management bodies

Ministry of Environment and its structural unit Main Department of Land Protection and Waste Management composing of:

1.    Department of Waste Management

2.    Division of Chemicals

are the maim  national bodies for waste management.

National bodies are responsible for:

·      working out national policy and strategies;

·      hazardous and non-hazardous waste management;

·      regulatory issues;

·      enforcement of legislation;

·      reporting;

·      information processing.

At the regional level:

1.    regional administration;

2.    Municipalities

are responsible for: management of non-hazardous wastes:

·      landfill operating, closing, etc.

·      information processing;

·      reporting;

·      fines, inspection (control);

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 The State Strategy

State Recycling Policy

The first requirement for recycling system is that Government has to be committed to increasing the level of recycling of household solid waste. In order to implement this commitment it has to be set a target to recycle Household Solid Waste (HSW) step by step, and at the same time it should be declared (stated) that recycling can make good environmental and economic sense, given the right conditions. It will conserve natural resources (even if those resources are not obtained inside of State); reduce the risk of pollution as well as saving costs in pollution control; reduce the demand for landfill space and produce goods more cheaply. All these above listed should correspond to the Waste Management Hierarchy.

Key element in the strategy is Recycling, however it is clearly better to avoid or minimize waste in the first place, where possible; or to re-use the product. Commonly, Waste Minimization and Re-Use are largely controlled by industry but there could be minimized the amount of generated waste by encouraging householders; or to influence local industry and business. In this case should be made a list of suggestions how the amount of waste could be minimized.

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   Basic Requirements for Recycling in Georgia

The success of recycling schemes depends critically on economics. The economics of the scheme itself depends in turn on the way in which these different stages inter-act. Secure and stable markets are important for the long-term viability of recycling schemes. For recycled materials to compete, they must often be sold at lower prices than virgin ones.

The local authorities direct involvement in collecting and separation will result in more productivity of the scheme. Also it will be needed a clear understanding of the processing and marketing stages.

The Ministry will develop initiatives to stimulate recycling and reuse. Industry as well as public organizations will be invited in this process.  

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 Categories of Waste

Management of hazardous waste in the country must be within jurisdiction of properly authorized body (central authority), since the existence of these substances in the whole cycle is connected with major risk for human health and environment, often in transboundary context.

The necessary component for the management of this field is the obtaining and processing of information. Only on this basis inventory of the existing waste is possible, and the latter is a foundation for the working out of classification, which represents a necessary tool for waste management from the moment of its rise till its final disposal.

It is necessary to elaborate a new classification, which will correspond to thenational needs and international approaches. And first of all it is necessary to introduce the definition: what is waste; hazardous waste and other wastes. These definitions must be included in the “Act on Waste of Georgia”, the draft of which is planned by the Government for submitting to the Parliament in 1997 after appropriate examination.

It is important that the elaborated classification be temporary, so that the observation over it occurs for 1-2 years for the purpose of its improvement. It must be approved by a decree of the Ministry. It is not advisable to insert the classification into the act on wastes the in the form of appendix, as the changes of approaches to classification are expected.

An appropriate questionnaire has been proposed for the obtaining of information about the wastes. The creation in the future of a single information service, which will include the whole environmental data/information, including those about the wastes, emissions into the water and air and others, has been also proposed by the consultant. The collection/recycling of the information about wastes is still conducted by the Department.

There is certain information about the existing wastes, which requires reexamination and improvement. According to the data of 1990 of E.A.S.B. joint-stock company the amount of industrial waste exceeded 1 million tons. For example: the amount of the waste of Zestaponi City Ferro-Alloys Plant constitutes 432 000 tons of silicate manganese slag; of Rustavi City Metallurgic Plant - 250 000 tons of open-hearth slag; of Batumi City Oil Refinery - 40 000 tons of acid petroleum tar and etc. Out of this 100 000 tons of waste at least may be utilized as secondary raw materials. The catalogue is prepared for the purpose of supplying the Gardabani Incineration Plant, planned in 1989, by waste and contains only that waste, which can be burnt.

“Catalogue of Industrial Toxic Wastes and Wastes, Used in Production of Building Materials and Civil Engineering” (Tbilisi City, 1995) of the Research Institute of Building Materials is composed according to the following sections: the names of wastes; the name of an enterprise; technical features of waste (composition, physical condition); toxisity of waste (according to I - IV classes); use on site; transfer to other organization; accumulation; opportunity of use (or disposal). Data from 88 industries about 104 types of waste is given. Some data because of the complexity of the obtaining of information is of 1985. The wastes, which are non-toxic and are used for secondary treatment, have not been included in the catalogue. Those wastes, the possible use of which is not obvious, have not been included either.

Despite the fairly labor-intensive work , the existing information may be used as auxiliary means. The result of non-coordinated work of departments and scientific organizations previously is, that the approach in information collecting was only one-sided which resulted in its “hardness”.

The information about the accumulated amount and composition of expired pesticides and unfit mineral fertilizers existing in the warehouses of the former Saksoplnakopiereba is obtained in 1996.  The time of accumulation is mostly not defined ( 10-20 years). Most of the warehouses are in very poor condition, no sanitation and environmental norms are observed. The obtained information is admissible by primary approach. For these wastes it is urgently necessary to plan the place of temporary disposal.

 ·      It would be advisable to establish two places of temporary storage: one in Eastern Georgia and the second in Western Georgia. On the Map I the distribution of these wastes according to the regions is given. Before the beginning of action it would be advisable to make the information more precise on site by the competent group, which is important for defining the details of the Action Plan. At the same time it must be noted that for the warehouses described their impact on the health of local population and environment (soil, ground water, leakage into reservoirs or other) is not known  

 It is necessary to obtain the information about the medical and infectious wastes. The better coordination is necessary from the Ministry of Public Health. The details of this activity will be considered in the discussions with the consultant and group I.

Particular attention must be paid to the amount, composition and responsibility for the waste originated by mining. The waste obtained in mines, as a result of mining, by existing approaches is considered as the problem of sewage. Approaches for the minimization of waste in the field of mining are to be worked out. It is necessary to strengthen the coordination with the Department of Mineral Resources Protection.

    In portal cities, except for the waste typical for the urban environment, there is additional factor - the waste originated as a result of the service of ships having come to ports from the sea. In Batumi and, because of increase of port cargo turnover in recent years, Poti special attention must be paid to, first of all, obtaining the information on the waste, such as: ballast waters; domestic waste; wastes obtained as a result of the chemical recycling; used oil and others. At the same time it is necessary to work out general schemes of waste management in portal cities. For the purpose of putting into effect the fine and control mechanisms in waste management system the cooperation with marine inspectorates, city administrative bodies, management of the port should be strengthened. Among the tasks of urgent order in portal cities is the training of the representatives of organizations of local authority and ship services.

 For the conducting of this activity working groups must be created in (city) administrative bodies, which will collect/process information (which further must develop in monitoring) on the amount and composition of domestic waste. Originally it would be advisable to form these groups in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Poti city administrations. It is necessary to organize practical trainings for the members of the groups

All data will stored in a Management Information system. This will be maintained by the statistical bureau or the department of waste management. This organization will also be responsible for future collection of data on behalf of the ministry.

Aptness and Price Policy. Despite the fact, that the pricing policy faces special requirements due to new social and economic changes, wastes management still applies to the former soviet standards. The approach like this hinders processing activities, as well. There are complaints from the Municipal services part about unwillingness of the population to cover the services costs. At the same time, uncontrolled process is under way: part of the population make private deals with the entities which are supposed to provide the services.

It seems reasonable to work out the strategy of payment and funding at the central level (hazardous wastes), as well as at the regional and local levels (household wastes).

In the sphere of household wastes the entities engaged in providing the mentioned services (both state and private) are not imposed requirements to perform their duties based on the environmental and sanitation regulations. These regulations have never been followed, moreover, they are not being followed even at the present moment. In wastes management practice there are no services providing control and penalty payments to ensure proper disposal of the wastes. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to define operation term of the landfill and to elaborate projects for new sites.

At the same time, it is essential to train the personnel engaged in the entities providing the services (both state and private), since the operation of new landfill, establishment of entities providing control and penalty payment requirements and rising demand of the population towards the services will result in substantial increase of the service costs, (likely in 2-3 years), likewise, the business risk is supposed to grow, too.

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Responsibilities. After inspection of the solid landfill and submitted documents analysis it was evident, that the environmental and sanitation regulations, standards and requirements are being brutally violated.  During construction of the landfill there had not been observed necessity of the essential environment-protecting facilities, like the trenches enclosing the disposal site, special wells on the said trenches designed to make surface water samples, green area along the fence around the site, control wells for underground water sampling, facilities ensuring safety against self-ignition capacity of the wastes and their damping cycling water supply systems, special facilities for animal burial (which is available in Tbilisi and Telavi), whereas special automatic washing facilities are available only in Tbilisi Rustavi and Kutaisi sites of solid wastes.

Neither of the site construction designs had been agreed with the entities involved in environmental protection activities, operation and technological design have been violated at almost all landfill, there is no practice of the wastes pressing and their isolation with the soil cover which is required under the provisions of operation regulations.

There are cases when the industrial wastes are being disposed at the household landfill with brutal violation of environmental protection regulations. In fact, the household landfill are uncontrolled random sites.

 ·      It is required to establish efficient system of control and penalty payment. Control functions should be assigned to the entities subordinate to the supervision of the Minister of Environment, there should be elaborated the guidelines for the inspectors, where the authorities and duties of the responsible person, inspection procedures, inspection technological processes, etc. shall be defined.

The penalty system is not operating, in fact. It is necessary to hold consultations with the I working group in order to elaborate amendments in Civil and Criminal Codes.

The above mentioned issues should be considered in the draft law on wastes.  

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 Waste Disposal   

Generator Permits and Other Requirements

There are no specific waste disposal requirements in operation.  Waste issues are addressed in the Feasibility Study, EIA and State Environmental Examination .  A mechanism is being developed that will define the functions of the Ministry of Environmental Protection as the authority that issues permits and the functions of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station as the monitoring authority.

Operator Permits and Other Requirements

The land for waste disposal sites is allotted by the local bodies of governmen