Land filling (controlled cells or specialized landfills)

Type of treatment: Final disposal

Description:

Storage in landfills or specialized industrial waste storage or specialized cells. Oil spill debris can also be incorporated into an active landfill along with municipal refuse or industrial wastes.

Co-disposal with domestic waste may also be considered. Oil can biodegrade slowly with the domestic waste and also remains absorbed by all type of domestic waste, with little tendency to leach out. “As a general guide, oily waste should be deposited on a top of at least 4m of domestic refuse either in surface strips 0.1m thick or in silt trenches 0.5m deep to allow free drainage of water. The oily material should be covered by a layer of soil followed by a minimum of 2m of domestic waste to facilitate degradation (...)”. Source: IMO.

Burial is another landfilling option. Oil spill debris is deposited into pits, trenches or other depressions prepared for debris disposal onsite. The excavated soil is used as intermediate and final cover of the debris.

Waste:

Liquid
Semi-solids and solid
Polluted sand and pebbles
Polluted sorbent
Polluted solid waste

Situation/Possibilities in the country:

Landfills are present in all countries.
However, only controlled landfills must be considered.

Interest:

In landfills:

· May be suitable for disposal of lightly oiled waste, which is usually mixed with domestic at a 1 to 5 % ratio, to allow biodegradation of the oil.

· Most cost effective solution.

In specialized OSW cells (industrial landfill)

· Depends on the type of storage that could be implemented.

Entry criteria:

In landfills:

· Landfills usually have strict and precise entry criteria. They can be adapted by the authorities: e.g. waste with less than 5% oil contamination.

· Restriction on acceptance of oil solid waste types.

In specialized OSW cells.

· Depends on the type of storage and national regulation.

Operational constraints:

Requires personnel, specific site, transport equipment, weatherproof containers and cover layer, etc.:

· subject to stringent long term monitoring;

· will not permanently eliminate the waste;

· medium-long period for implementation;

· potential higher cost for land filling of oil waste compared to normal domestic waste disposal cost.

Impacts:

Leachate and biogas must be managed adequately.
Limited if safe storage is implemented with a monitoring program (to avoid potential release of toxic compounds).
However, landfills do not lessen the toxicity, mobility or volume of waste: they only control migration.

Legal constraints:

Requires agreement of the National Authorities.

Efficiency:

Complete if safe storage is used.

Cost:

In controlled landfills: 75 to 270 euros / m3 (for French installation, Source: Koller), 100 to 300 euros/ ton (Source: Bocard).

Land filling (controlled cells or specialized landfills)

Land filling (controlled cells or specialized landfills)

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