LCAs for Waste: a Strategic EIA for the Dutch National Hazardous Waste Ma­na­ge­ment Plan 1997-2007

Overall approach – with a case on hazardous waste incineration

 

Arnold Tukker

TNO Institute of Strategy, Technology and Policy

P.O. Box 6030, 2600 JA, Delft, the Netherlands.

tel. + 31 15 269 54 50, fax + 31 15 269 5460

E-mail: Tukker@stb.tno.nl

 

 

  

This paper describes the experience of performing com­parative assertions of hazardous waste management technologies for the second Dutch National Hazardous Waste Manage­ment Plan (NHWMP) 1997-2007. For this plan, Dutch legislation required that a strategic (thus: chain-oriented) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had to be made. The NHWMP, which was written in parallel, used the EIA's results directly to establish so-called 'minimum standards'. These can best be described as a 'Best available technolo­gy' for management of a certain hazardous waste. LCAs were performed to deal with 12 technology choices. They were based on primary data for the central processes, and literature data for background processes. A slightly adapted approach of the 1992 CML manual was used. System enlargement appeared to be slightly preferable as allocation method. The paper will treat a comparison of thermal treatment technologies. It further gives a general review of the usefulness of LCA for the NWHMP, its acceptance in the public consultation phase, and the experience with the review process by the Dutch EIA commission.

 

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