This document outlines regulations and guidelines for the design, operation, and closure of common hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities in India. Key points include: - The operator or occupier is responsible for establishing these facilities and identifying appropriate sites. An environmental impact assessment must be conducted and approved by regulatory authorities. - Facilities must be designed according to technical criteria like ensuring proper distance from habitats, infrastructure, and water sources. Liners, leachate collection, gas control, and final cover systems are required. - Operation and closure of landfill sites must follow approved designs and ensure environmental protection. Regular monitoring of facilities is mandated after closure for a specified period.

1. Design of Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and
Disposal Facilities
By
N.K. Verma
Former Additional Director
CPCB
Hazardous Waste ( M & H ) Rules, 1989
Rule 8 : Disposal Sites
o The Occupier or Operator of a facility or any association of occupiers shall be
jointly and severally responsible for establishing the facility for treatment,
storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.
o The State Govt., operator of facility/association shall identify site for common
hazardous waste disposal facility.
o The operator of a facility, occupier or any association of occupiers shall under
take under take an EIA of the selected site abnd shall submit the report to
SPCB.
o SPCB or Committee on being satisfied with the EIA Report, cause a public
notice for conducting a public hearing as per the procedure contained in the
EIA notification.
o The SPCB shall forward to the State Govt. the project report including the
EIA Report and details of public hearing along with its recommendations
within a period of 30 days.
o The State Govt. shall complete the assessment within a period of 30 days from
the date of receipt of the document and convey the decision of its approval of
site or otherwise within 30 days thereafter to the concerned operator of the
facility, occupier or any association of occupiers.
o After approval of the site, the State Govt,. Shall acquire the site(s) or inform
the occupier or any operator of facility, or any association of occupiers to
acquire the site(s) for setting up the facility for treatment, storage and disposal
of hazardous wastes. The state Govt. shall also compile and publish
periodically an inventory of such HW disposal sites or facility.
o Setting up of on-site facility for treatment, storage and disposal of HW for
captive use shall be governed by the authorization procedure laid down in rule
.
Rule 8A: Design and Setting up of Disposal Facility:
1) The occupier/association or operator of facility shall design and set up disposal
facility as per guidelines issued by Govt.
2) Before setting-up disposal facility, the design and layout of the facility should be
Accorded approval by SPCB/PCC.
3) The SPCB/PCC shall monitor the setting-up and operation of the facility
regularly.

2. Rule 8B: Operation and Closure of Landfill Site:
1) Occupier/operator shall be responsible for safe and environmentally sound
operation of the facility.
2) The occupier or operator shall ensure closure of secured land fill is as per the
design approved under Rule 8A by the SPCB.
Criteria for Hazardous Waste Landfills
Land Full should not be Constructed:
1) Lake or Pond : within 200 m
2) River : within 100 m
3) Flood Plain : within a 100 year
4) Highway : within 500 m
5) Habitation : shall be at least 500 m from the notified
area
6) Public parks : within 500 m
7) Critical Habitat Area : Reserved forests etc.,
8) Wetlands : within wetlands
9) Airports : within a notified zone around airports
10) Water Supply Well : within 500 m
11) Coastal Regulation Zone : within CRZ
12) Ground Water Table : < 2 m below the GL
13) Other criteria : as suggested by SPCB/PCC as per local
conditions
Site Selection for Hazardous Waste Landfills
Site for Development of TSDF to be Located Preferably in Areas having:
o low population density

3. o low alternate land use value
o low GW contamination potential
o having clay content in the sub-soil
Site Investigation Criteria
a) Sub Soil Investigation: type of soil, depth of GWT and bedrock, permeability of
various strata, strength parameters, extent of availability of liner materials
b) Ground Water / Hydrogeological Investigation: Depth of GWT, GW flow
direction, Baseline GW quality parameters
b) Topographical Investigation: To compute the earth work quantities precisely
b) Hydrological Investigation: To estimate the quantities of runoff for appropriate
design of drainage facilities
e) Geological Investigation and Seismic Investigation: to delineate the bedrock
profile beneath the landfill base
Planning & Design Criteria
a) Essential Components:
o Liner system

4. o Leachate collection and treatment facility
o Gas collection and treatment facility
o Final cover system
o Surface water drainage system
o An environmental monitoring system
o A closure and psot closure plan
b) Design life:
Active Period : 10 to 25 years
Closure & Post Closure Period : 30 years
c) Waste Volume, Waste Compatibility and Landfill Capacity:
o Volume of Waste: Volume of waste to be placed in a landfill will be
computed
o Compatible waste only be disposed
o Actual volume of landfill to be computed taking into account the
volume occupied by liner system and the cover material as well as
compacted density of the waste.
o Total landfill area: based on
o Designed height of landfill : 5 to 20 m
o 15 to 20 % area more than the required area towards infrastructure facility
d) Landfill Layout: Showing
o Access Roads
o Equipment shelters
o Weighing scales
o office space
o location of waste inspection facility
o temporary waste storage/disposal facility
o location of surface water drainage facility
o location of landfill leachate management facilities
o Location of gas management facilities
o Location of monitoring wells/environmental monitoring facilities
o Fencing and green belt along the peripherical boundary
o Emergency exit

5. Landfill Section: Different Types of Sections Depending upon the Topography of the
Area:
o Above ground landfills
o Below ground landfills
o Slope landfills
o Valley landfills
o A combination of the above
f) Phased Operation: Operation of the Facility in a Phased Manner:
o Each phase is typically designed for a period of 12
months
o During the monsoon the wastes are to be stockpiled
o Facility be capped
g) Estimation of Leachate Quantity:
o Depends on the quantity of infiltration water
o Weather and operational practices
h) Liner System: Required for the Purpose of
o prevents migration of leachate
o drainage of leachate collected at the base of the landfill to the side of
the landfill
i) Leachate Drainage, Collection, Removal and Management System:
o Offsite treatment of leachate
o Onsite treatment of leachate
o Recircualtion
j) Final Cover System:
To enhance surface drainage, minimize infiltration, support
vegetation to prevent erosion and control the release of landfill
gases
k) Surface Water Drainage System: ( Design of Storm Water Drains, Diversion
Channel, Storm Water Basins, Culverts)
o To ensure that rainwater run-off does not drain into the wastes stored in
the facility
o To avoid water logging/pending on the covers of landfill

6. Environmental Monitoring System: Carried out in Four Zones
i) On and within the landfills
ii) In the unsaturated subsurface zone beneath and around the landfill
iii) In the ground water zone beneath and around the landfill
iv) In the atmosphere/local air above and around the landfill
Instruments to be Used for Monitoring:
GW samplers, leachate samplers, lysimeters, free drainage samplers, surface water
samplers, downhole water quality sensors, landfill gas monitors, active and passive
samplers for ambient air quality
l) Closure and Post-closure Monitoring Plan: A Closure and Post-closure plan
for HW landfills must be evolved and should indicate the following:
o Vegetative stabilization of the final landfill cover and side slopes
o Surface water run-off with an effective drainage system
o Periodical inspection and maintenance of landfill cover and facilities
o Post closure management of leachate and gas
o Post- closure environment monitoring
Landfill Liner and Cover Criteria:
a) Liner Criteria:
• Base of the liner system shall be at least 2 m above the highest anticipated
ground water table levels.
• Single or Double Liner based on depth of GWT:within 2 to 6 m beneath
the base of landfill
Specifications of Geomembrane:
• Tensile Strength at Yield > 18 KN/m 2
• Tensile Strength at Break > 30 KN/m 2
• Tear Resistance > 150 N and
• Puncture Resistance > 25O N

7. Land Disposal Criteria for Hazardous Wastes
Water Leachate Quality Concentration
pH 4 – 12
Total Phenols < 100 mg/l
Arsenic < 1 mg/l
Lead < 2 mg/l
Cadmium < 0.2 mg/l
Chromium – VI < 0.5 mg/l
Copper < 10 mg/l
Nickel < 3 mg/l
Mercury < 0.1 mg/l
Zinc < 10 mg/l
Fluoride < 50 mg/l
Ammonia < 1,000 mg/l
Cyanide < 2 mg/l
Nitrate < 30 mg/l
Adsorbable organics bound
Chlorine
< 3 mg/l
Water soluble content except
salts
< 10 %
Strength Quality Parameter Values
Strength
Transversal Strength (Vane Testing) > 25 KN/m
Unconfined Compression Test > 50 KN/m
Axial Deformation > 20%

8. Degree of Mineralisation or Content of Organic Materials (Original sample)
Annealing loss of the dry residue at
5500C
< 20 Wt. %
(for non-biodegradable waste)
< 5 Wt. %
(for biodegradable waste)
Extractable Lipophlic contents (Oil &
Grease)
< 4%
Note:
1. In addition to the above, General Standards for discharge of environment
pollutants Party-A: Effluents notified vide G.S.R 422 (E) dated 19.05.1993 and
published in the Gazette No. 174 dated 19.05. 1993 under the Environment (
Protection) Act, 1986, and rules made there under, shall also be applicable for
disposal of leachate into sewage treatment plant, common effluent treatment plant
and inland surface water bodies or coastal areas.
2. For each CETP and its constituent units, the State Pollution Control Board will
prescribe as per the local needs and conditions; these will be more stringent than
those prescribed above. However, in case of clusters of units, the State Pollution
Control Board may prescribe suitable limits.
3. Bioassay test may be substituted by Fish Toxicity Test and a dilution factor 2 may
be considered.