Assessment of the EIA report for Hazardous Waste incinerator at Alang, Gujarat

1. Mrunmayi Jogdand
Masters of Environmental Planning
SPA Bhopal

2.  Gujarat Maritime Board has proposed to install a hazardous waste
incinerator and also expansion of the existing three landfill cells
for disposal of hazardous waste and municipal waste.
 The project is located at Alang, Gujarat which is the largest ship
breaking yard in Asia.
Ship being dismantled at Alang

3.  Ship breaking is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking
up of ships for either a source of parts, which can be sold for
reuse, or for the extraction of raw materials, chiefly scrap.
 While ship breaking is, in theory, sustainable, there are concerns
about the use of poorer countries without stringent
environmental legislation.
 As an alternative to ship breaking, ships may be sunk to create
artificial reefs after being removed of hazardous materials or sunk
in deep ocean waters.
Artificial reef created by downed ship Ship parts on sale at Alang Market

4.  Ecologically important mangrove forests, a valuable source of
protection from tropical storms and monsoons, have been cut
down to provide space for watercraft disassembly.(Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_breaking.)
 Lead, organotins such as tributyltin in antifouling paints,
polychlorinated organic compounds, byproducts of combustion
such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins
and furans are found in ships and pose a great danger to the
environment. (Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_breaking.)
 The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal of 1989 has
been ratified by 166 countries, including India and Bangladesh,
and in 2004, End of Life Ships were subjected to its regulations.

5.  Prepared for : Gujarat Maritime Board
 Prepared by : Senes Consultants India Pvt. Ltd.
 Report Contents:
Project Description
Baseline Environmental status of project area
Social Economic Assessment
Environmental Management plan
Risk Assessment
Disaster Management plan
 The scope of EIA report is only limited to the incinerator facility.

6.  The Alang Shipyard is largest in Asia with capacity to recycle 400
ships per year and generates about 40 Lac light displacement
tonnage per annum.
 Looking at the potential generation of ignitable wastes to a tune of
1000 MT per year in the form of oily sludge, oil mud and rubber
which require heat treatment, Gujarat Maritime Board (herein
referred as GMB in the report) has proposed to install a hazardous
waste incinerator having 5 MT per day capacity on operations 200
days a year along with that GMB is also planning to expand the
existing three landfill cells for disposal of hazardous waste and
municipal waste with a total capacity of 1,00,000 Cu.m. and an
effluent treatment plant of capacity 30KLD.

9.  A common hazardous waste Incinerator Facility is proposed to be
developed with a capacity of 5MT/per day, within the notified
land area of existing TSDF. In order to treat the Bilge water from
the ships and the Leachate water from the landfills in the TSDF
site at Alang Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has proposed to
install a 30 KLD Effluent Treatment Plant. In this connection,
GEPIL has proposed to design and install an effluent treatment
plant of 30 KLD. New landfill cells shall be developed for
Hazardous Waste and Municipal Waste with a total capacity of 1,
00,000 Cu. m.; within the already notified land area.

10.  Incinerator Unit - capable of incinerating solid / semi solid /
liquid hazardous wastes.
 Landfill Development - to accommodate waste streams which
would be directly sent to the landfill facility which would be low
on Calorific Value and LOI.
 Effluent Treatment Plant - treat the scrubber liquor generated
from the Incineration Plant along with the Leachate and Bilge
Water received on site.
 Storage Facility and Laboratory - The liquid hazardous waste shall
be stored in 20 KL tanks and the solid material shall be stored in
the storage shed of total dimension of 15*30 m.

11.  To assess the existing environmental quality, as well as study the
environmental impacts due to the proposed project and to identify
environmentally significant factors or geographical areas that could
preclude any future development.
 The guiding factors for the present baseline study are the requirements
laid down by the MoEF guidelines as per the Environmental Impact
Assessment notification and TOR assigned by MoEF.
Socio Economic Assessment
 Assess present socio-economic status of the people of the project-
impacted village/villages
 Assess the nature of existing resources and means of livelihoods. •
Examine possible socio-economic impact of the project on local
population, due to change in land use patterns
 Assess the impact of the project on the socio-economic growth profiles
and growth potentials of the area.

14. Source : EIA for Common Hazardous Waste Incineration at Alang, Bhavnagar Gujarat
Prepared by: SENES Consultants India Pvt. Ltd.

15.  EMP for Air Environment - GMB will ensure that design and operation
of incinerator and landfill cell will be such that these air emissions will
be controlled and the air pollution control devices for incinerator
should comply with the emission norms provided by the CPCB for
respective equipment.
 EMP for Noise Environment - Construction equipment producing the
maximum noise level should be fitted with noise shields. Noisy
construction equipment should not be permitted during night hours.
Workers employed in high noise areas will be rotated. Earplugs/muffs,
or other hearing protective wear will be provided to those working
very close to the noise generating machinery.
 EMP for Water Environment - control measures have been proposed to
check the surface run-off, as well as uncontrolled flow of water into
nearby stream; avoid excavation during monsoon season, no discharge
of wastewater to soil and ground water body.

16.  EMP for Ecological Environment - A green belt is provided to mitigate
various emissions. Green belts are wide strip of trees and shrubs
planted in rows to reduce air velocity there by facilitating settling of
the particles on the leaf surfaces and allowing absorption of the
pollutant gases.
Environmental Management System and Monitoring Plan
 An Environmental management cell
 Environmental Monitoring • Personnel Training
 Regular Environmental Audits and Corrective Action
 Documentation – Standard operating procedures and other records
Environmental Cost and benefit analysis
 Earlier it was transported to Ahmedabad over 300 km from the ship
breaking yard.
 Presence of incinerator at the existing facility will eliminate the risk of
transportation of hazardous waste It will also eliminate the cost of
transportation. As the duration of storage of hazardous waste will be
reduced the risk associated with storage of hazardous waste will also
reduce. This will not only provide benefit to the existing facility but
also to a broader environment.

17. Risk Assessment
The main risks arise during incineration process, transportation,
handling and storage of hazardous waste, waste disposal at landfill cell
etc. Incineration process involves high temperature and pressure and
there is a risk of explosion (blast) in combustion chambers. Thermal
radiation hazards and effects of pressure/blast waves can also happen
for the nearby settlement.
Disaster Management Plan
Among many other factors, the plan will focus on:
 To minimize the effects of the accident on people and property;
 Evacuate people to safe areas;
 Informing and collaborating with statutory authorities;
 Initially contain and ultimately bring the incident under control;
 Investigating and taking steps to prevent reoccurrence