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Waste management for remote locations and temporary communities
WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR REMOTE LOCATIONS AND TEMPORARY COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES TEMPORARY LOCATIONS AND FOR REMOTE MANAGEMENT WASTE
My experience in assisting remote and temporary communities with water and wastewater treatment challenges has shown that there is often a lack of experienced management for their overall operation . Accurate budgeting and cost management are lacking, as is a suitable labour pool of trained workers . All of these are essential to any project to ensure that operations are successful and that the communities have the benefits of reliable and viable systems . There is a need for these costs .
There are various solutions for smaller communities affected by the varying size of waste streams and difficulties encountered by climate, remoteness, and content make-up that are not the norm . In this context, a “remote location” is one that has only seasonal access by road or water transportation, while a “temporary community” is one with an established time span for the construction of a project or operation of a resource-industry facility .
WASTE SOURCES
Set out below is a summary of the various waste sources and methods of disposing of waste in the most economic manner for a remote location, while ensuring that environmental impact is minimized . The management and operation of waste disposal facilities and systems does require supervision and a degree of technical competence and skill .
1 . Wastewater treatment plant: Sludge, compost, compression, incineration, and landfill . 2 . Domestic solid wastes: Sorting items, recycle and off-site disposal, landfill, and incineration . 3 . Kitchen waste: Compost, landfill, and incineration . 4 . Industrial solid or liquid waste: Haul to waste processor, incineration, and landfill . 5 . Domestic waste (glass etc .): Sort and haul to recycle facility . 6 . Cardboard, paper, scrap metals: Sort and haul to recycle facility . 7 . Non-combustible construction debris etc .: Sort, recycle, and landfill . 8 . Animal remains: Incineration .
MEANS OF DISPOSAL
1 . Composting: The biodegrading of materials that will, after time, break down to form a soil type material – but, in Northern climates during the winter, this process is dormant . 2 . Incineration: Total destruction of materials by heat – but it is necessary to have initial fuel sources such as diesel or dirty oil to create heat . 3 . Landfill: Requires the on-site construction of a landfill cell with membrane liners and soil to progressively cover the waste . 4 . Waste processor: Hauling to a waste processor requires on site
preparation, packaging and handling operations prior to shipment off-site to a major disposal centre .
This could be part of an annual resupply process . 5 . Hazardous materials: These require specialized containers and identification prior to shipment to a certified disposal facility – and there will be cost incurred for the disposal process .
LOCAL LANDFILL FACILITY
A landfill cell has to be constructed in accordance with local, provincial, and federal regulations; it requires a multi-layer membrane and leachate gathering system . The preferred construction of the cell is initial excavation in order to create material to provide the periodic cover material and final capping of the cell . In areas with substantial rock, an alternative method is to construct a bermed cell . The challenge in this form of construction is sourcing local material for covering and capping . An additional problem is the freezing of the stockpiled cover material during winter months . A solution to this problem is to incinerate the waste material during the winter months . This will also extend the life of the landfill cell .
TRANSPORTATION
The movement of waste material off-site to an approved disposal site or recycling site will incur costs, even when backhaul opportunities arise . Most locations do tend to have limited winter roads or summer barge services; both of which have limited durations . Therefore, in order to mitigate costs of disposal, incineration should play a major factor for both waste disposal and reduction .
RECYCLABLE ITEMS
Recyclable items fall into various categories followed by subcategories . The two main methods of processing are: 1 . Processing for re-use in whole or part . 2 . Neutralization prior to final disposal . There are numerous items in the waste streams that can be recycled through a properly managed waste disposal program . The amount of recycling that can be carried out at remote or isolated locations is limited to sorting, packaging, and preparation for shipment . Biodegradable waste can be composted to supplement local soils for gardening opportunities for the growing of fruits and vegetables .
In addition to the above, there are a number of other factors that will impact both the methods and processes being used . These are seasonal transportation access, seasonal weather conditions, volume of items, structure of the communities, and the desire to reduce environmental impact .
The key to success of any program lies in the education of all involved .
About the author
Roger Ward PQS(F), FCIOB is Business & Construction Advisory Consultant for Gwent Building Systems Ltd . With over 40 years of experience in various positions within the construction industry, Roger started off as a draughtsman, then worked his way up to Project Construction Director . He now works as a consultant, specializing in construction claims, and writing RFPs for mine site remediation .
Roger has substantial amount of experience on projects throughout the construction sectors, including industrial buildings, petrochemical facilities and various infrastructure projects . He has also had many opportunities to work on construction projects overseas in Nigeria, South Korea, China, and the Bahamas .
QSM
MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL COST CONSULTING
Dennis M. Smith PQS
dennis@qsmcon.ca www.qsmcon.ca
CELL 416-949-8540 OFFICE 905-649-8540
