ADL-18: Environment Management

Subject Name & Code: ADL-18 Environment Management

ASSIGNMENT A

Q1. What is the need to regularize biomedical wasters? Give examples from Hospitals you are familiar with.

A1. Five Vancouver area Health Boards announced recently that they would join together with a private contractor to dispose of hospital biomedical waste in a new way.The Health Boards are responsible for producing almost all the hospital biomedical waste in BC. At present this material is shipped to Alberta or Washington. In 1998 the five Health Regions considered dealing with the waste locally, with a view to reducing the risks associated with the transportation of this material and the liability involved. Theresult is a plan to eliminate 85% of the hospital biomedical waste locally.Biomedical waste is only a small part of hospital waste. The traditional method of incineration has been replaced with a sterilizing technology known as “autoclaving” in other parts of North America. A new method called “hydroclaving” was developed in Canada using high pressure steam to decontaminate biomedical waste. This is similar to the technology of autoclaving, except that it uses steam and pressure to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter. Hydroclaving, although new to BC, has been used successfully in Ontario and other parts of the world for a few years.

Q2. What are disposal strategies for various categories of Solid Wastes? What are the principles of Sustainable Development? List 3 of them

A2.SISWM: Sustainable and Integrated Solid Waste Management

Supportive of Good Governance• SISWM is an integral part of good local governance and one of the most visible urbanservices influencing local perception of governance• SISWM provides a minimum level of acceptable service to all urban residents andestablishments, with higher levels of service where there is either a greater need (e.g., interms of business development or tourism) or a greater desire to pay for a higher level• SISWM is conducted in a transparent and accountable manner to minimize opportunity forcorruption and unwarranted political interference• SISWM provides workers with uniforms, clear-cut performance tasks and outputs, andpredictable routes and schedules so that the public can participate in performance monitoring• SISWM is responsive to the service levels and conditions desired by the residents andestablishments receiving service

• SISWM is affordable within the context of available customer funds to meet the necessaryrange of basic urban services and compatible with the service levels desired• SISWM establishes management information systems that enable cost-effective accountingof costs and overall cost-related performance monitoring• SISWM is open to all viable parties, including women and micro-enterprises, that couldcontribute to the economic provision of services• SISWM recognizes that willingness to pay is affected by perception of service quality beingreceived and involvement of stakeholders in decision-making, and therfore places a highpriority on keeping stakeholders informed and involved regarding issues and proposals• SISWM looks for ways to enable communities to be responsible and for individuals to takeaction in ways that build public cooperation with the serviceProvides Economic Service Delivery• SISWM considers economies-of-scale in facility sizing and route designs, and seeks todecentralize or bundle services as needed to optimize such economies• SISWM recognizes that collection is the major cost element of the solid waste system andrequires comprehensive cost analysis for continuous rationalization of routing, crew sizes andtechnologies, with appropriate planning and supervisory staffing and technical resourcesapplied to enable this outcome• SISWM includes pre-collection systems, to the extent that they enhance willingness to payand obtain cooperation of the public with the service• SISWM ensures that sufficient resources are devoted to preventative maintenance of vehiclesand facilities, and that skills, spare parts and consumables are available to assure steady andreliable provision of service• SISWM recognizes that systems and equipment should be selected according to localconditions, and not be transplanted from other situations without careful consideration oflocal conditions• SISWM builds local capacity to engineer and produce equipment and spare parts, to theextent economically viable, so that the skills to maintain and replace such equipment shall bereadily availableEstablishes Cost Recovery Mechanisms for Long-Term Financial Sustainability• SISWM is sustainable through a range of revenue sources, including direct fees, indirectgeneral taxes, and revenues from recycling and resource recovery• SISWM tariffs establish fair distribution of costs according to ability to pay, the serviceprovided, and level of waste pollution generated

• SISWM lets all parties know the costs of the services and what level of service canreasonably be expected for the costs incurred• SISWM minimizes hidden costs and subsidies, making all costs as transparent as possible• SISWM sets up cost recovery mechanisms and financial management systems that are leakproofand constrain the potential for undue political intervention• SISWM uses segregated accounts for solid waste revenues to ensure reliable cash flowremains available to meet service needsConserves Natural Resources• SISWM encourages indigenous manufacturing capacity for vehicles, machines, and partsrequired by the service• SISWM is conducted in an environmentally conscientious manner that conserves naturalresources and recovers wastes where appropriate• SISWM provides incentives for waste minimization, recycling, and resource recovery at thesource, or as near to the source as possible• SISWM involves comprehensive cost analysis of alternatives as essential to sound decisionmaking;for example, smaller collection systems using more labor and less fuel may havecosts that are comparable to larger collection systems using less labor and more fuel• SISWM seeks disposal sites that minimize area required by optimizing the depth of fillEmbraces Public Participation• SISWM planning and operations consider gender, children and cultural aspects of the localpopulation, and avoids inconveniencing or placing the work burden unduly on any specificgroup• SISWM planning and operations are participatory and enable continuous feedback fromthose involved in receiving and providing service• SISWM provides a forum for handling and tracking complaints and related responses• SISWM provides incentives, education, and public sensitization to foster cooperation withservices provided and cost recovery mechanisms• SISWM sensitizes the public to environmental issues, occupational health and safety issues,waste minimization opportunities, and the values of recycling and resource recovery• SISWM enables the public to perform its role in monitoring service delivery, environmentalimpacts, and costsFosters Environmentally Appropriate Technologies and Sites• SISWM conducts environmentally appropriate facility siting investigations and ensures thatfacilities are designed to meet environmentally cost-effective discharge and impact standards• SISWM monitors the emissions and environmental changes related to all waste storage,handling, and disposal activities

• SISWM recognizes that landfill is an anaerobic technology that generates methane, thatmethane is a significant greenhouse gas, and that efforts to recover or flare landfill gasescontaining methane need to be addressed in landfill design• SISWM recognizes that compost has benefits to the rural economy outside of the municipalservice area, for replenishment of soils, minimization of erosion, development of highnutrientfoods, and reduction of water irrigation needs; thus every effort to enhance the costeffectiveproduction of high quality compost and the development of compost markets needsto be made• SISWM involves environmental impact assessment and public involvement for all newtransfer, treatment, and disposal facilitiesSISWM addresses traffic and queuing impacts of all new facilities and routing changes• SISWM involves the phased closure of all open dumps unless they can be upgraded tocontrolled landfills that pose no significant environmental threat• SISWM involves the curtailment of dumpsite waste picking, with interim steps to upgradetheir status, earning power and working conditions• SISWM prevents children and domestic animals from having access to waste disposal sitesand other waste handling facilities• SISWM employs systems to track and document hazardous wastes to ensure that significantquantities are not mixed with other wastes but are taken to secured facilities for hazardouswastes treatment and disposal• SISWM recognizes the need for reliable data to ensure effective planning and management• SISWM recognizes that the state of literature on the health and safety consequences of wastemanagement is still developing and that cautious health and safety obligates cautiousmeasures, such as providing a buffer zone between people and other living creatures and anysignificant waste storage and handling facilities or disposal sites• SISWM requires minimum occupational safety and health be met for all waste workers andwaste pickers, whether engaged by the public or private sectorSeeks Appropriate Levels of Source Segregation, Recycling and Resource Recovery• SISWM requires separate transport, treatment and disposal of significant quantities ofmedical, hazardous, or construction/demolition wastes from general municipal wastes• SISWM optimizes waste minimization and segregation of recyclable materials at the sourceof waste generation• SISWM encourages the development of markets for recyclable materials in major centers ofwaste generation, including the provision of incentives for increased industrial demand of

secondary materials as feedstockConducts Strategic Facility Planning and Development• SISWM invites structured participation of key stakeholders in the strategic planning process• SISWM requires long-term strategic planning so that the lands necessary for handling wastesare set aside for the future• SISWM requires acceptable resettlement, property compensation, and livelihood assistancestandards be applied to siting of any new facilities and closure of any existing facilities• SISWM does not include incineration of general municipal wastes unless the year-roundcalorific value supports self-sustainable combustion at temperatures adequate to protect airquality• SISWM recognizes that modern and environmentally safe landfill is a part of every longtermdisposal strategy, and that there will always be some wastes that can not be otherwiseeconomically treated, recycled, or recoveredBuilds Institutional Capacity• SISWM has adequate local authority and autonomy provided to enable good municipalgovernance over the solid waste sector and self-sustainable financing and cost recovery• SISWM allows local governments to enter into multi-year private sector arrangements thatmatch periods of depreciation for investments provided• SISWM strengthens local capacity in planning, operations, rationalization of operations,maintenance and repair of equipment, labor management, performance monitoring, tendering,procurement, accounting, management information systems, and private sector involvement• SISWM places key functions at the appropriate level within municipal government, so thataccess to cash flow and decision-making powers are commensurate with the work required• SISWM separates planning, operations, performance monitoring, and regulatory functions toavoid conflicts of interest• SISWM has a supportive and equitable foundation of clear regulations, licensingarrangements, procurement procedures, and sanctions

Q3. What are the benefits of ISO 14000?

A3.

Increased Profits

Implementing ISO 14001 today can provide a basis for implementing the other standards in the ISO 14000 series. This incremental approach can reduce overall costs to implement ISO 14000 because of lessons learned in each phase.

The quantity of materials and energy required for manufacturing a product may be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the product, material handling costs, and waste disposal costs.

OperationsThe EMS standards can define "best practices" and create a foundation for the next level of improvementAn EMS integrated with all other business systems improves management's ability to understand what is going on in their organization, determine the effect on the company, and provide leadership.The standards build consensus throughout the world that a common terminology for environmental management systems is needed. A common terminology for all locations of a multinational organization will increase efficiency of communication and improve results.

MarketingA major study by ICF Kaiser International "shows that when public companies improve their corporate environmental practices, they are able to increase shareholder wealth by up to 5 percent...The findings suggest that when environmental risks are reduced, the company becomes a more attractive investment to potential and current stockholders." Three factors contribute: corporate environmental management, environmental performance, and environmental communications.

SocialISO 14000 helps create a common language and way of thinking about environmental aspects which can help companies, communities, governments, and organizations communicate and work together.

Q4. What is EMS? Briefly explaining the 17 step process of getting ISO 14001 Certification.

A4.

EMS or environmental management system is defined as a cycle of planning,

implementing, reviewing and improving the actions of an organization taken to

address its environmental obligations (which it can influence or control). 

 

One of international standards developed by the ISO is the ISO 14000 group of

standards. Of which, ISO 14001, is intended for registration. It is comprehensive and

uses a proactive approach by identifying environmental aspects of an organization’s

activity and consequently the significant environmental impact. 

 

ISO 14001 focuses on steps to identify environmental aspects and significant

environmental impact as basis for continual improvement whilst ISO 9000 focuses on

consistency of process with continual improvement.

The general process in obtaining the ISO14001 certification is outlined below:

Q5. What is the role and importance of communication process between the regulatory agencies and the users of environmental resources?

A5.

Companies must adopt various kinds of strategies to meet their goals. The Goals primarily concern profitability and the interest of share holders. Increase in business growth increases the burden on environment and natural resources. Hence ecological considerations that support the business ought to be integrated into business strategy.

Many countries are offering subsidies for the companies or industrial sectors that shift to clean technologies, recycling programmes or for energy conservation/use of non conventional energy resources. Incentives for those who incur additional costs in their operations for the protection of ecosystem. These incentives maybe in the form of financial compensation.

Companies must work towards:

Improvement of image and sales of products

Manufacturer’s being more accountable to environmental impacts

Consumer’s awareness that their choice of product do affect the environment as some products are less damaging to environment than others

Eco-Labelling is an important requirement. The products must meet the relevant standards of BIS. Manufactures must produce documentary evidence in regard to compliance of EPA, Water and Air Acts and other rules and regulations such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Acts and rules made there under.

The product to display the list of critical ingredients in descending order of quantity present. The material used for packaging to be recyclable/reusable/biodegradable.

ASSIGNMENT B

Q1. What is role of Environmental Laws and agencies in Environmental control?

A1.

The Environment Agency plays a vital role in authorising how much water resource

can be made available for supply and in the way it is managed and developed. The

Agency's focus is on the protection and improvement of the environment and as such

it strives to ensure the best use of the limited resource available. This requires not

only that existing water resources are used effectively and efficiently but also that

future plans do not place an unnecessary burden on the environment.

Q2. Write short notes on Vermiculture, Hydroclaving, Land Filling and Incineration.

A2.

Vermiculture:

Vermicompost (also called worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure) is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworm. Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer and soil conditioner. The process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting .

The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are Red Wigglers (Eisenia foetida) or Red Earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus). These species are commonly found in organic rich soils throughout Europe and north America and especially prefer the special conditions in rotting vegetation, compost and manure piles. Composting worms are available from nursery mail-order suppliers or angling shops where they are sold as bait. Small-scale vermicomposting is well suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil, where space is limited.

Together with bacteria, earthworms are the major catalyst for decomposition in a healthy vermiposting system although other soil species also play a contributing role other organisms such as insects, mold

Hydroclaving:

A new method called “hydroclaving” was developed in Canada using high pressure steam to decontaminate biomedical waste. This is similar to the technology of autoclaving, except that it uses steam and pressure to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter.

Land Filling:

Land filling is one of the methods used to reduce and manage the waste as well as being the most common method by which waste is disposed off. After dumping the waste in landfill sites, several chemical hazard materials such as

volatile organic compounds, (VOCs), methane, heavy metals, dioxin, furan, hydrogen sulphide and natural occurrence radioactive material (NORM) are vented to environment as result of several biological and chemical processes occurring in the landfill site.

Incineration:

Incineration is a waste treatment technology that involves the combustion of organic materials and/or substances.[1] Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gases, particulates, and heat, which can in turn be used to generate electricity. The flue gases are cleaned for pollutants before they are dispersed in the atmosphere.

Incineration with energy recovery is one of several waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies such as gasification and anaerobic digestion. Incineration may also be implemented without energy and materials recovery.

In some countries, incinerators built just a few decades ago often did not include a materials separation to remove hazardous, bulky or recyclable materials before combustion. These facilities tended to risk the health of the plant workers and the local environment due to inadequate levels of gas cleaning and combustion process control. Most of these facilities did not generate electricity.

Incinerators reduce the volume of the original waste by 95-96 %, depending upon composition and degree of recovery of materials such as metals from the ash for recycling.[2] This means that while incineration does not completely replace landfilling, it reduces the necessary volume for disposal significantly.

Incineration has particularly strong benefits for the treatment of certain waste types in niche areas such as clinical wastes and certain hazardous wastes where pathogens and toxins can be destroyed by high temperatures. Examples include chemical multi-product plants with diverse toxic or very toxic wastewater streams, which cannot be routed to a conventional wastewater treatment plant.

Waste combustion is particularly popular in countries such as Japan where land is a scarce resource. Denmark and Sweden have been leaders in using the energy generated from incineration for more than a century, in localised combined heat and power facilities supporting district heating schemes.[3] In 2005, waste incineration produced 4.8 % of the electricity consumption and 13.7 % of the total domestic heat consumption in Denmark.[4] A number of other European Countries rely heavily on incineration for handling municipal waste, in particular Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Germany and France

CASE STUDY

1. What are the activities that are critical to the company’s environmental management certification?

A1.

Companies must adopt various kinds of strategies to meet their goals. The Goals primarily concern profitability and the interest of share holders. Increase in business growth increases the burden on environment and natural resources. Hence ecological considerations that support the business ought to be integrated into business strategy.

Many countries are offering subsidies for the companies or industrial sectors that shift to clean technologies, recycling programmes or for energy conservation/use of non conventional energy resources. Incentives for those who incur additional costs in their operations for the protection of ecosystem. These incentives maybe in the form of financial compensation.

Companies must work towards:

Improvement of image and sales of products

Manufacturer’s being more accountable to environmental impacts

Consumer’s awareness that their choice of product do affect the environment as some products are less damaging to environment than others

2. List the activities that have potential environmental impact in a paint industry.

A2.

In the paint industry the raw materials used deplete natural resources. The process of paint manufacturing leads to release of toxic gases into the environment. And finally the by-products and waste generated during manufacturing needs to be disposed off without effecting the immediate surrounding environment.

Therefore it is important that the paint industry keeps these factors in mind and invests in systems and procedures to avoid effecting the environment.

3. List the legal requirements and discuss.

A3. Eco-Labelling is an important requirement. The products must meet the relevant standards of BIS. Manufactures must produce documentary evidence in regard to compliance of EPA, Water and Air Acts and other rules and regulations such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Acts and rules made there under.

The product to display the list of critical ingredients in descending order of quantity present. The material used for packaging to be recyclable/reusable/biodegradable.

4. Is there a trade related issue involved?

A4. For Trade related issues pertain to:

Source of raw material

Production Process

Energy use/conservation in the production

Wastes arising from the process of production

Utilization of wastes

Disposal of wastes

Suitability of recycling or packaging

Biodegradability

5. Explain how your company can prepare itself towards certification.

A5.

The products must meet the relevant standards of BIS.

Manufactures must produce documentary evidence in regard to compliance of EPA, Water and Air Acts and other rules and regulations such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Acts and rules made there under.

The product to display the list of critical ingredients in descending order of quantity present.

The material used for packaging to be recyclable/reusable/biodegradable.

ASSIGNMENT C

QUESTION ANSWER

1 A

2 A

3 A

4 A

5 B

6 D

7 B

8 A

9 A

10 A

11 B

12 B

13 B

14 D

15 B

16 A

17 A

18 A

19 B

20 C

21 B

22 D

23 C

24 C

25 D

26 E

27 A

28 C

29 B

30 A

31 C

32 A

33 B

34 B

35 B

36 C

37 C

38 D

39 A

40 D