Cement, Energy and Environment

INDIAN VEGGIES, FRUITS REMAIN HIGHLY TOXIC Rampant use of banned pesticides in fruits and vegetables continues to put at risk the life of the common man. Farmers apply pesticides such as chlordane, endrin, and heptachor that can cause serious neurological problems, kidney damage, and skin diseases. A study conducted by Delhi based NGO Consumer Voice reveals that the amount of pesticides used in eatables in India is as much as 750 times the European standards. The survey collected sample data from various wholesale and retail shops in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata . Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 16-31 October 2010, P16. I Waste to Wealth & Recycling I PLASTIC WASTE, TYRE CHIPS TO FUEL CEMENT KILNS The Centre proposes to make it mandatory for cement makers to use hazardous waste that can burn such as plastic waste and tyre chips as alternative fuel in cement kilns. Such a move would not only help reduce GHG emissions, but also avoid creation of landfills. Besides reducing the fuel costs for cement firms, it would also help avoid investments in expensive incinerators. Companies such as ACC, Grasim Industries Limited, Gujarat Ambuja Cement Limited, and Lafarge India Limited have conducted various trials for co– processing or using hazardous waste as alternative fuel in kilns. Wastes co-processed by these firms include plastic waste, sludge from petrochemical or oil refinery, waste oil, paint sludge, ETP sludge, and spent carbon . Courtesy: TERI (The Energy Resources Institute), 16-30 Sept. 2010, Pp20-21 . CEMENT PRODUCTION IN EMERGING ECONOMIES GUIDELINES FOR RESOURCE RECOVERY, WASTE TREATMENT AND REDUCTION OF GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS SINTEF (Foundation for scientific and industrial research), P.O. BOX 124, N-0314 OSLO, NORWAY Guidelines for co-processing of AFRs The fundamental and overarching principle of the guidelines is to prevent that inappropriate wastes are used and/or that emissions increases. The guidelines are based on and integrating elements of: 1) the Stockholm Convention BAT/BEP Guidelines for Cement Kilns Firing Hazardous Wastes (2007); 2) the Basel Convention Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs (2007); 3) the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Reference Document on the Best Available Techniques for Waste Incineration (2006); 4) the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recommendation on the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of Wastes (2004); 5) the GTZ-Holcim Guidelines on Co-processing Waste Materials in Cement Production (2006); 6) the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Fuels and Raw Materials in the Cement Manufacturing Process (2006); 7) and the Directive 2000/76/EC on the incineration of waste in the European Union, as well as other lessons learned (Karstensen, 1994; 2001 ; 2008: Karstensen et al. , 2006). It must however be emphasized that local permits and regulatory requirements can vary and will take precedence over the guidelines if stricter. Compliance with regulations Relevant and appropriate legislative and regulatory framework has to be in place and enforced to guarantee a high level of environmental protection. The pre-processing facility and cement plant operator must: a) Identify all relevant laws, regulations, permits standards, and company policies relating to safety, health, environment, and quality control, and its compliance must be continually reviewed; b) Share this information with the employees and make sure that they are aware of their responsibilities under them. Location, health and safety aspects a) Consider site location of the preprocessing and the co– processing plant and its suitability carefully as this may avoid risks associated with proximity to populations of concerns, impact of releases, logistics, transport, infrastructure, as well as having in place technical solutions for vapours , odours, infiltration into environmental media, etc. The preprocessing facility and cement plant operator must: b) Develop robust emergency procedures as well as procedures for operation 78