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Born: 03.02.1945 Education: Study of Chemical Engineering at TU Graz, 1971: Dipl.- Ing ., 1974: Dr.techn . 1975/76: Guest Scientist at NIST (NBS), Washington D.C., USA
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Born: 03.02.1945 Education: Study of Chemical Engineering at TU Graz, 1971: Dipl.-Ing., 1974: Dr.techn.1975/76: Guest Scientist at NIST (NBS), Washington D.C., USA Career: 1978-1993: Professor for Environmental Chemistry at Technical University (TU) BerlinSince 1993: Professor for „Waste Treatment & Landfill Technology“ at Montanuniversitaet LeobenHead of IAE-Institute Memberships & Assignments: Member of the Environmental AdvisoryBoard of the Austrian Government (WASA)Certified Expert Witness & ConsultantMember of the EU-Baia Mare Task Force Team O.Univ.Prof.Dipl.-Ing.Dr.techn. Karl E. Lorber Institute forSustainable Waste Management & Technology (IAE) Montanuniversitaet Leoben Phone: +43 (0)3842/402-5101 E-Mail: iae@unileoben.ac.at
ALMÁSFÜZITÖ RED MUD POND VIIO.Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Karl E. Lorber
ASSESMENT OF RISK POTENTIAL • Contamination of surrounding environment by leachate and air borne dust from pond. • Red mud spill by dam failure (breach). • Additional risk due to disposal of „composted“ hazardous wastes.
STATE OF ART FOR LANDFILL DESIGN Risk-MinimisationbyMULTI-BARRIER Concept • Hydrogeological Barrier:→ Proper site selection with safety criteria(i.e. low risk area with impermeable underground). • Technical Barrier:→ Technical measures and installations(i.e. base liner system, leachate collection and treatment, capping system, etc.). • Internal Barrier:→ Landfilling of non-reactive waste after pretreatment and inertization. • Monitoring
ALMÁSFÜZITÖ: High Risk Sitedue to non-existing Barrier Systems Photodocumentation: Observed exit of Red Mud at Embankment Dam Slope and percolating alkaline leachate at Dam Foot.
RED MUD POND VII ALMÁSFÜZITÖ Existing Site-specific Risks: • Location on Bank of River in flood area • Location within earthquake prone region • Location with permeable underground of River Sediments (sands & gravel) • No Base-Liner System • No Leachate Collection System • No Capping System (only partially covered) • Questionable Dam Stability
RED MUD POND VII ALMÁSFÜZITÖ • RedMudis not an inert Material • high alkalinity (˞ pH 11-12) • contains soluble compounds (e.g. Na, F, As, V, Cr, etc.) • hasthixotropicproperties CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation of Pond VII is a must!
Additional Waste-specificRisk Potential→ Covering (Capping) of ALMÁSFÜZITÖ RedMud Pond VII with „Composted Hazardous Waste“ Local Authority hasissuedlicence (392-6/2010) forcappingofRedMud Pond VII whithlayerofpretreated Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes. PretreatmentProcess: Aerobic biologicaltreatmentby „compostation“ toconvert Waste into „ArtificialSoil“ usedforcovering Pond VII surface.
Hazardous Waste: Long listofwastes (161 EWC Code Numbers), 132,000 t/a. Non-Hazardous Waste: Alltogehter 244 EWC Code Numbers, 280,000 t/a. Liste of Waste also containsmanyinorganicsubstances.
STATE OF ART FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES → CHEMICAL-PHYSICAL (CP)-TREATMENT Aerobic biologicaltreatment („compostation“) of Hazardous Waste isnot at all recognizedassustainable Methodeor not feasibleforinorganicwastes (e.g. Aluminium dross). „Composting“ of Hazardous Wastes in ALMÁSFÜZITÖ isbased on DILUTIONwith SOIL-likematerialsandhastobeconsideredashigh riskmethode.
PROOF: • IR-camerapicturestakenfromcompostprismsareshowingnobiologicalactivity. • Analyzedsamplesarehavingtotally different compositioncomparedtocompost(e.g. TOC: 2-7.5 % only, but high valuesfortheparameter AOX andevaporationresidue).
CONCLUSION • Red Mud Pond VII at ALMÁSFÜZITÖ already is a HIGH RISK SITE because of unfortunate local conditions and the lack of Technical Barrier Systems. • The aerobic biological treatment (or: compostation) of hazardous wastes is not at all a recognized methode and has to be considered as risky and non-sustainable.„DILUTION OF POLLUTION IS NO SOLUTION“ • Covering of the ALMÁSFÜZITÖRed Mud Pond VII with „composted Hazardous Wastes“ definitely will furtherincrease the high risk potential of the location and therefore endanger the surrounding environment.