Landfill as a future option for the disposal of treated electroplating chemicals such as metal bearing sludges and filtercakes in Ireland

摘要

Currently the fifteen Irish electroplating plant that have applied for an IPCudlicence produce 394.6 tonnes/annum electroplating sludge and 33.6 cubicudmetres of waste solution. This electroplating sludge is exported for recovery,udexported for disposal or landfilled in Ireland. Prior to the 4th of February 1998udthe EPA had received sixteen Waste Licence applications for the operation of audlandfill. Of these nine have applied to accept non hazardous industrial sludgeudbut only four are containment sites, which are suitable for the acceptance ofudmetal bearing electroplating sludge.udShould electroplating sludge be categorised as hazardous this will pose specialudproblems for the Irish electroplating industry if the European CommissionudDirective on Landfill is accepted, as Ireland presently has no hazardous wasteudlandfill.udThe continuance of landfill as a disposal option for electroplating sludge in theudshort and intermediate term can be assured by recategorising electroplatingudsludge as non-hazardous using EWC/HWC codes and the use of solidificationudand stabilisation to produce a non-hazardous product suitable for landfill.udThe long-term continuance of landfill as a disposal option for electroplatingudsludge requires the urgent provision of an Irish hazardous waste landfilludfacility.