|
Waste Management Services
E.A.R.T.H. has been granted a certificate Of Environmental Clarence to set-up and operate a waste treatment and disposal facility for harazadous wastes within the Guapo area. This site will house cutting edge technologies for the proper treatment, disposal and re-cycling of most waste streams generated from industrial processes.
We are committed to ensuring that all waste is handled responsibly and that it is stored and disposed of at the facility in an environmentally sound manner. E.A.R.T.H. requires that all operations are carried out in accordance with international best practice and within the companies own HS & E guidelines. Waste management manuals are being developed for E.A.R.T.H.’s operations. The objective of the waste management manuals are to ensure that all wastes generated are managed by environmentally acceptable methods which:
- Maximize protection of the environment;
- Protect the health and safety of employees and the public; and
- Comply with national and international legislation, regulatory requirements, as well as E.A.R.T.H. requirements.
E.A.R.T.H. applies the five ‘R’ principles in Waste Management:
- Reduce – the quantity of waste generated;
- Reuse – waste directly at source;
- Recover – waste materials than can be used or sold.
- Recycle – waste materials which have secondary value; and finally
- Remove - hazards from waste prior to final disposal by pre-treatment where practical.
The main elements of the waste management manuals include:
- Waste identification and labeling;
- Waste storage and segregation;
- Waste transportation and transfer;
- Waste disposal; and
- Waste minimization
We can provide the following disposal solutions
Waste Re-mediation Services:
- Pigging waste, Contaminated soil and Tank bottoms would consists primarily of:
- Hydrocarbons
- Effluent water
- Sand
- Corrosion Products
This waste will be collected in MPTs and transported to E.A.R.T.H.’s remediation site for processing.
E.A.R.T.H. Co. Ltd has designed a treatment system, which is capable of separating and treating all of the above to a level of contamination, which would meet or exceed the current discharge regulations.
Waste Incineration Services:
Waste disposal technologies improvement in recent years have greatly reduced the adverse environmental impacts associated with past waste disposal practice. Improperly operated landfills have been linked to soil, surface, and ground water contamination. Insufficient pollutions control on incinerators has led to air quality problems.
Incineration is considered as a practical step for achieving safe disposal of non-recyclable municipal and industrial wastes. Modern incinerators are more secure than ever and adverse environmental impacts can be detected and properly addressed.
We are able to incinerate the following materials and substances without any adverse effects to the environment.
- Most types of air, gas and oil filters
- Any hydrocarbon based fluids.
- Hydrocarbon contaminated absorbent pads, booms and socks.
- Hydrocarbon contaminated rags.
- Hydrocarbon contaminated vegetation.
SPECIAL WASTES
Alkaline & Nickel Cadmium Lithium Batteries:
The positive pole (anode) of the battery contains zinc, while the negative pole (cathode) contains manganese dioxide. Potassium hydroxide electrolyte, a strong alkali, is contained within the cells of alkaline batteries. If alkaline batteries are damaged or mishandled, the potassium hydroxide may leak out of the battery cell. Severe chemical burns can result if potassium hydroxide comes into contact with the skin or eyes.
Alkaline batteries are not considered to be hazardous waste by the USEPA because they do not exhibit the following characteristics ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity.
Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries contain an electrolyte of potassium hydroxide which caustic and can cause severe chemical burns. There are several types of lithium batteries; these include lithium manganese dioxide, lithium sulfur dioxide and lithium thionyl-chloride. The second component of the battery i.e. manganese dioxide, sulphur dioxide and thionyl chloride vaporize upon exposure to air and are highly toxic.
NiCd batteries are considered hazardous due to the nature of cadmium. Lithium manganese dioxide and single cell lithium sulfur-dioxide batteries are considered non hazardous waste according to the USEPA. Multi-cell lithium sulfur dioxide batteries are considered hazardous if they are not equipped with a Complete Discharge Device. Multi-cell lithium thionyl batteries are considered hazardous waste if they are equipped with a Complete Discharge Device.
Handling:
Do not handle hot or warm batteries. Do not heat, incinerate, crush, puncture or mutilate batteries. Do not package damaged batteries with undamaged batteries. Wear personal protective equipment if batteries show signs of leakage, bulging, swelling or deformity. Warning: If potassium hydroxide electrolyte from an alkaline battery comes in contact with the skin, do not try to neutralize the electrolyte with vinegar or any other acidic solutions. Neutralization may trap electrolyte on the skin. Flush the affected skin area with copious amounts of water. If the battery electrolyte gets into your eyes, it can cause severe damage and/or blindness.
Bulky Wastes:
Appliances can be dismantled and resources recovered for reuse. Materials such as metal, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), refrigerants, used oils and mercury can be recovered and recycled. Capacitors and ballasts need to be treated as hazardous waste since they contain PCBs. Reclaimed refrigerants can be used in air conditioning units and heavy equipment. Copper wire and plastic can be salvaged from used telephones and computers
Drill Cuttings:
The drill cuttings wash system using E.C.101 enzyme technology has proven to be very effective alternative for cuttings remediation and disposal for both onshore and offshore applications.
This system has been tried and tested extensively throughout the industry, this process has achieved results of less than 0.5% hydrocarbon retention on cuttings by Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons tests conducted, (1% = 11,227 ppm) in a single treatment.
This simple yet effective process utilizes water jets to provide agitation, which ensures that the E.C. 101 comes into contact with all hydrocarbon contamination as possible resident on the drill cuttings.E.C.101 is also shear sensitive i.e. the more you mix it the better it works.
Advantages:
E.C. Cuttings Wash is proven technology. Results indicate that there is less than two (2%) percent retention of oil on the cuttings. Footprint required for implementing the system is negligible when compared to other technologies Circulation of the enzyme ensures that there is proper contact for agitation and less product is used in the treatment process There is approval for the enzyme technology by all the necessary regulatory authorities The treat of mechanical failure is reduced, if not eliminated by the provision of back-up equipment for all the major components of the system. The system is simple to install and operate with the given infrastructure Should there be any oil-spills, systems will be already in place to start dealing with the problem, having E.C. 101 on board. Minimal water usage to move the cuttings down the auger.
All equipment supplied by E.A.R.T.H. Company Limited will have a back-up unit in the unlikely event of a mechanical failure.
Florescent Tubes And Other Filament Bulbs:
Fluorescent lamps contain small quantities of mercury, cadmium and antimony. Through improper disposal methods, mercury can travel from the soil to various water sources. As mercury moves up the food chain, it becomes more concentrated. In concentrated form, it is poisonous to the human nervous system. As such it is classified as a hazardous waste.
A generator may dispose of as non-hazardous waste no more than 25 spent fluorescent light tubes and/or mercury vapour lamps, regardless of size, at any one time in one day (e.g. 20 tubes and 5 lamps or 15 lamps and 10 tubes, etc., but not 25 tubes and 25 lamps). The Cal-EPA DTSC believes that the 25-tube and/or lamp limit would reasonably represent the maximum amount of mercury (based on the average quantity contained in each tube or lamp) that may be disposed at one time.
Both the State of California and the Federal EPA classify Mercury as both hazardous and toxic. Fluorescent lamps often contain over three times the concentration of mercury allowable for landfill disposal. Disposal of spent tubes and lamps at a designated hazardous waste landfill can be costly and lead to increased liability in the long run.
Waste Minimization Techniques
|
AREA
|
WASTE MINIMIZATION TECHNIQUE
|
|
General office waste
|
- Make double-sided copies.
Reuse single sided pages for drafts and notepaper. Establish a draft paper tray near printers and copy machines so single sided sheets can be reused. Before running a large number of copies, do a one-page test of copier settings. Avoid making extra copies. Make extras later if you need them. Post paper-saving copy ideas at every copier. Proofread documents on the computer screen before printing. Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos and drafts. Reuse office supplies such as file folders and envelopes (manila and padded). Set up a "reuse station" area for employee use. Circulate one copy of memos and reports, or post in a central location. Better yet, make them available on-line, such as through electronic mail. For example, employees may not need telephone directories or certain reference manuals in their offices if this information is available on-line. Share publications rather than ordering several copies of the same publication. Store old documents on disk, CD-ROM, or microfiche to minimize the number of hard copies needed. Encourage employees to communicate via electronic mail. Revise forms to reduce length and eliminate unnecessary duplicates. Avoid cover sheets for faxes. Use a rubber stamp especially made for fax transmittal. Create a central filing system instead of maintaining duplicate files for each employee.
|
|
Kitchen waste
|
Provide durable cups, dishware, and cutlery in employee kitchen or cafeteria. Provide cloth towels as an alternative to paper towels. Offer beverages dispensed from tanks or refillable bottles instead of individual packages, provided that you make available reusable cups for these beverages. If this is not feasible, provide beverages in aluminum cans or glass bottles, which are readily recyclable.
|
|
Shipping and purchasing wastes
|
Purchase products in concentrated form or in bulk. Negotiate with suppliers to provide merchandise in returnable or reusable packaging – or in packaging that you can recycle through your in-house recycling program. Instead of cardboard boxes, use durable containers for shipping to your branch offices, stores, or warehouses. Set up a system for returning cardboard boxes and packaging materials to distributors for reuse. Reuse packaging materials -- such as boxes, newspaper, tissue, polystyrene "peanuts" and foam pads -- from incoming shipments as alternatives to buying new packing material. Return, reuse, and repair wooden pallets and crates. When billing customers, use "two-way" envelopes that can be folded inside out and returned to you with payment.Repair rather than replace equipment. Purchase reused or reconditioned office partitions, and remanufactured office equipment. Invest in equipment that prevents waste, such as: high quality, durable, repairable equipment; copiers that automatically make double-sided copies; computer printers that do not discharge unused sheets of paper. Use rechargeable batteries for electronics; use solar-powered calculators. Purchase recharged copier, printer, and fax cartridges; re-ink dot matrix ribbons. Purchase durable, reusable products instead of disposables: use refillable pens and pencils; install reusable furnace and air conditioner filters.
|
|
Outdoor area waste
|
|
|
