Govt issues new rules on management of hazardous waste

Government has released new rules for management of hazardous wastes which for the first time include a separate category of items like tyre, metal scrap, paper and certain electronic goods that can be recycled and reused.
Import of metal scrap, paper waste and various categories of electrical and electronic equipments for re-use purpose has been exempted from the need of obtaining Environment Ministry's permission under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management &Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
They have also revised all forms for permission, transportation, and import and export amongst others, indicating "a stringent approach for management of such wastes along with simplification of procedure," a government statement said.

While releasing the new rules, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said they are "environment and industry friendly" and "in line with this Government's priority for ease of doing business and Make in India, but with responsible concerns for sustainable development."
The ambit of the rules has been expanded by including 'Other Waste'. For the first time, rules have been made to distinguish between Hazardous Waste and other wastes which include tyre, paper waste, metal scrap, used electronic items, etc. Which are recognized as a resource for recycling and reuse.
These resources supplement the industrial processes and reduce the load on the virgin resource of the country, it said.

Javadekar said that the rules will ensure "resource recovery" and disposal of hazardous waste in a environmentally sound manner.

Under the new rules, import of metal scrap, paper waste and various categories of electrical and electronic equipments for re-use purpose has been exempted from the need of obtaining Ministry's permission.
"Waste management hierarchy in the sequence of priority of prevention, minimization, reuse, recycling, recovery, co-processing; and safe disposal has been incorporated.
"All the forms under the rules for permission, import/export, filing of annual returns, transportation, etc. have been revised significantly, indicating the stringent approach for management of such hazardous and other wastes with simultaneous simplification of procedure," the statement said.

It said that the basic necessity of infrastructure to safeguard the health and environment from waste processing industry has been prescribed as Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs), specific to waste type, which has to be complied by the stakeholders and ensured by SPCB/PCC while granting such authorisation.
"Procedure has been simplified to merge all the approvals as a single window clearance for setting up of hazardous waste disposal facility and import of other wastes.
"Co-processing as preferential mechanism over disposal for use of waste as supplementary resource, or for recovery of energy has been provided.
"The approval process for co-processing of hazardous waste to recover energy has been streamlined and put on emission norms basis rather than on trial basis.

They also prohibited the import of certain items
including waste edible fats and oil of animals, or vegetable origin, household waste, critical care medical equipment, tyres for direct re-use purpose, solid plastic wastes including pet bottles, waste electrical and electronic assemblies scrap and other chemical wastes especially in solvent form.
Under the new rules, responsibilities has also been introduced for state government for environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes.
The state governments will now set up industrial space or sheds for recycling, pre-processing and other utilization of hazardous or other waste and it will have the responsibility to register the workers involved in such activities.

State governments will also form groups of workers to facilitate setting up such facilities while it will undertake industrial skill development activities and ensure safety and health of workers. They will register the workers involved in recycling, pre-processing and other utilization activities.
The new rules have also revised the list of waste constituents with concentration limits as per international standard and drinking water standard.
The rules said that the state governments have been authorized to prepare integrated plan for effective implementation of these provisions, and have to submit annual report to the Environment Ministry.
"State Pollution Control Board is mandated to prepare an annual inventory of the waste generated; waste recycled, recovered, utilised including co-processed; waste re-exported and waste disposed and submit to the Central Pollution Control Board by September 30 every year.

Hazardous waste means any waste which by reason of characteristics such as physical, chemical, biological, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive, causes danger to health, or environment.
According to CPCB in the year 2015, the total hazardous waste generation in the country is 7.46 million metric tonnes per annum from about 44,000 industries.
There are 40 Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) available in 17 States/UTs.
There are about 1080 registered recyclers; 47 cement plants permitted for co-processing; and about 108 industries permitted for utilisation of hazardous waste.
The draft Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules was published in July last year.

A working group comprising technical and subject experts examined all the suggestions, based on which the new rules have been published.