The minimum requirements for waste disposal through landfill form part of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's Waste Management Series which establishes a reference framework of standards for waste management in South Africa. It also facilitates the enforcement of the landfill allowance system provided for in terms of Section 20 of the Environmental Conservation Act, 1989 (Act 73 of 1989). The aim of the Department is to protect the environment and the public from the impact of bad waste disposal practices.
For this reason, responsibility for some aspects of waste management was assigned to DW AF. The responsible person must be qualified to the satisfaction of the department and must be able to understand and correctly apply the minimum requirements.
MOTIVATION
The permit holder is primarily and ultimately responsible for the landfill and any consequences it may have on the receiving environment. However, the permit holder may appoint a responsible person, such as a consultant or operator, to ensure that appropriate minimum requirements are applied during the development, operation and closure of the landfill. However, it is speculated that these requirements, as derived from first world environments, are not practically feasible in a developing environment such as that of RSA and particularly the province of KZN.
Consequently, this strategic objective may be flawed at the outset, because insufficient resource capabilities will correspond to what may be considered 'rather stringent requirements'. So, if we list the requirements, we have a set of 'resource requirements' which can be applied as a set of criteria in determining resource capacity/incapacity, at the KZN local authority/municipal level.
VALUE
PROBLEM STATEMENT
OBJECTIVES
Apply this scheme as a measuring instrument in a local government in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. To determine to what extent it can be inferred that a municipality is capable of carrying out the MR. Documenting and reaching out the nature of the shortcomings that are expected to hinder successful implementation of the MR.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
The investigation focuses on the operation of the landfill by the local government, which has been authorized by the Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry, and excludes irrelevant information that does not benefit this investigation. The archives of the DW AF and university libraries (DW AF, UND and UDW) will be examined for any prior research or research. This will involve interviewing people with expertise and knowledge on key aspects of the subject of waste management in South Africa, and waste disposal site management in particular.
Ensure that informed consent is sought from all parties so that the integrity of respondents is not compromised. The Department of Water and Forestry, Local Authority and Landfill Manager may be reluctant to participate for fear that this study may have negative implications for their management of the landfill.
ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY The study will consist of the following chapters: -
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
- CONCLUSION
Some of the initiatives to implement micro-level environmental management can be found in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Business Charter for Sustainable Development (ICC, 1991 and SABS, 1996), and the Responsible Care program supported by the South . Chemical and Allied Industries Association (CAIA) African Charter (CAIA, undated). The CMC Integrated Solid Waste Management Feasibility Study sums up the situation in South Africa quite well in the statement. The National Waste Management Strategy presents the Government's integrated waste management strategy for South Africa.
According to the integrated waste management hierarchy, waste disposal is the last waste management option to be considered. The minimum requirements for waste disposal through landfills are part of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's Waste Management series. It also facilitates the enforcement of the landfill licensing system provided for in section 20(1) of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act 73 of 1989).
In the past, the emphasis of waste management in South Africa has been on waste disposal. Long-term impacts include problems such as water regime pollution and landfill gas generation. Alternative waste management technology refers to the use of the first three options in Integrated Waste Management, i.e. avoidance, recycling or reuse and treatment instead of disposal.
As the most important framework law for environmental issues, it has direct relevance for the implementation of the National Waste Management Strategy. Existing waste management legislation in South Africa is generally fragmented, diverse and currently ineffectively managed. In terms of the National Waste Management Strategy, all provincial environmental departments will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing functions related to waste management in the province.
Local authorities are responsible for providing waste management services, including the collection, transport, treatment and safe disposal of waste and the management of landfills. The main reason for this is the introduction of tiered standards into minimum requirements documents which, in the hands of waste management professionals, have dramatically changed the landscape of waste management in South Africa.
CHAPTER THREE
CASE STUDY: THE UMLAZI LANDFILL SITE
- THE UMLAZI LAND FILL SITE
- Monitoring Committee
- Reporting of Incidents
- Water Quality Variables Required for Monitoring
- CONCLUSION
The Permit Holder shall upgrade the Site for the purpose of closing the Site on the Closing Date and rehabilitate the Site accordingly within the minimum requirements and to the satisfaction of the Director and the Monitoring Committee. The site must be constructed in accordance with recognized engineering practice, meeting the requirements of the minimum requirements with particular regard to stability. The slopes of the site must be constructed and maintained in such a way that the occurrence of erosion is prevented.
Surface leachate drains shall be constructed on and around the site in accordance with the minimum requirements to effectively capture and drain all leachate generated on the surface of the site. All windblown waste within a radius of 200 meters from the site must be recovered daily and disposed of at the site. Monitoring of the impact of the site on surface water quality shall be conducted in the Isipingo River downstream of the site or at any other location identified by the Director.
The permit holder must implement measures in accordance with the minimum requirements and at the request of the director to ventilate or prevent the lateral migration of methane gas generated in the waste disposal area within the site, so as to prevent the accumulation of dangerous concentrations. Polluted rainwater and runoff is stored in a dam at the top of the town. A pollution cloud based on a highly mobile chloride chemical analyte near the waste.
On the west side of the site, polluted rainwater flows into the Isipingo River. Continuing complaints were received about the location of the landfill and the lack of community consultation. There has been a negative reaction to the operation of the landfill by members of the surrounding community.
CHAPTER FOUR
EVALUATION AND DISCUSSON
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS .1 Introduction
The case study assessment revealed a common thread in areas of non-compliance. Although waste disposal is only one of the four components of integrated waste management, it has the greatest impact on the environment. Of the total remaining general airspace for waste, only about 38% is currently acceptable in terms of minimum requirements.
Fragmented leadership as a result of the legitimacy of the existing structures and a general uncertainty about areas of responsibility. Institutional inadequacies are experienced at all levels, from political decision-making down to the operation of the site. High costs of running a website coupled with increasingly onerous regulatory requirements affect the website's affordability.
Health and safety issues must be addressed for site staff in terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act (Act 85 of 1993). An example of the interrelated compound effects of inadequate waste management, showing political, biophysical, social and economic effects, is the Umlazi Landfill. There is a fragmentation of responsibility for the enforcement of by-laws at local authority level in relation to waste disposal.
There is a lack of knowledge and awareness of the health impacts of poor waste disposal and the dangers of cleaning. Disposal of waste in landfills, being part of the waste management process, was also subject to inferior standards. The next chapter will highlight the conclusions and make recommendations to try to bridge the gap for effective implementation of the Minimum Requirements.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- INTRODUCTION
- CONCLUSIONS
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- SUMMARY
- REFERENCES
Waste treatment and disposal is ineffective in treating or disposing of the waste streams generated in the jurisdictional area;. The response to the Minimum Requirements tended to vary in accordance with the views of the various stakeholders interviewed. Some had problems with the public participation process related to the development and implementation of the Minimum Requirements per se.
The main effect of the minimum requirements is to improve the quality of waste disposal. This could actually enhance the public relations image of the local authority in its area. Consideration should be given to reducing government activity by involving the private sector in service delivery.
A careful consideration of the potential advantages and disadvantages of using the private sector should be made. Different decisions will have to be made at different stages of the landfill process. The government should concentrate on the first three steps of the waste hierarchy, that is, Waste A disposal, Waste recycling and Waste treatment.
This could depict common and unique resource requirements necessary for effective implementation of the minimum requirements. The overall aim of the minimum requirements was to upgrade the standard of warehousing in South Africa. Environmental legislation in South Africa with particular reference to waste management: an analysis of the current position and likely future trends.
