Solid Waste Management in Puerto Rico: Realities, Facts and Figures

February 18, 2010

Solid Waste Management in Puerto Rico:

Major issues:
Solid waste generation g 4,000,000 tons/year of solid waste are generated Recycling rates The Th recycling li rate t in i 2007 was approximately i t l 10% Landfills Se Serve e as Puerto ue to Ricos co s only o y means ea s of o disposal d sposa Economic constraints Municipalities control landfills Municipalities are not required to allocate a percentage of the tipping fee towards compliance, closure or post-closure costs

Landfills in Operation: 24

* As stated in the Dynamic Itinerary (Itinerario Dinmico de Instraestructura: Documento de Poltica Publica Mayo 2008)

Landfills in Operation: 22

* As stated in the Dynamic Itinerary (Itinerario Dinmico de Instraestructura: Documento de Poltica Publica Mayo 2008)

Landfills in Operation: 14

* As stated in the Dynamic Itinerary (Itinerario Dinmico de Instraestructura: Documento de Poltica Publica Mayo 2008)

Landfills in Operation: 4

* As stated in the Dynamic Itinerary (Itinerario Dinmico de Instraestructura: Documento de Poltica Publica Mayo 2008)

Compliance Issues
Runoff control Inadequate or insufficient landfill gas controls and leachate collections systems in many landfills l dfill Inadequate or insufficient groundwater and air monitoring systems in many landfills Landfill mining on active cells Active cells are not properly covered daily Inadequate slope gradient

Compliance Issues

Proper collection systems for leachate and runoff are not installed

Compliance Issues

Recyclable R l bl materials t i l are landfilled

Compliance Issues
Solid waste is not properly compacted on a daily basis.

Situation
Landfills are Puerto Ricos only means of disposal

Action
Reduce and reuse waste generated and diversify disposal means through Waste-to-Energy Reducing waste generation and increasing landfill tipping fees are necessary to ensure that our waste disposal capacity is used at a more sustainable rate

Tipping fees are artificially f ll low l

Lack of funding streams

for infrastructure improvements,

Regulate tipping fees so that a percentage must be allocated

towards closure and post-closure costs

closure and post-closure costs

Low recycling y g rates

Promote recycling through education and identification of secondary markets

Puerto Rico: Laws and Public Policy

Limits landfill expansions to those

strategically necessary to comply g plan p with the solid waste management

Puerto Rico: Laws and Public Policy

Prohibits new landfills

Geographic limitations: -North: Karstic zone -Center: C t M Mountainous t i t topography h

Population Density: US

Densely populated areas have diverse means of disposal

Source: USEPA Region 2: 2007 Waste-to-Energy Conference, Puerto Rico, March 14, 2007 Earth Engineering Center Survey of 2004 data (BioCycle, April 2006)

Population Density: PR

Source: USEPA Region 2: 2007 Waste-to-Energy Conference, Puerto Rico, March 14, 2007 Earth Engineering Center, Columbia University

Waste-to-Energy: Advantages for Puerto Rico

Diversify means of disposal while reducing waste generated Opportunity to increase recycling rates Opportunity to make environmental compliance a reality Plants emissions can be better controlled Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid soil and g groundwater contamination Included in EPA approved Dynamic Itinerary as part of the integrated solid waste management plan

Solid Waste Management Authority Initiatives

Scrap Tires:
- Act p part in revising g bylaws y for ADS pursuant to ACT 41 of 2009 - Asphalt rubber: first green road was paved in November. November

Solid Waste Management Authority Initiatives

Promote waste reduction through education

Consortium with the Department of Education: work plan complete pending discussion with DE Consortium with Hogar Crea: provide incentives for recollection of recyclable materials

an integrated Solid Waste Flow and enables new project developments p including g Waste to Energy gy

Develop a coherent management plan that will ensure Growing businesses around recycling

Closing Arguments

Puerto Rico's situation regarding waste management is critical Puerto Rico must implement short and long term plans to manage this crisis Mass education programs are a key component but a tangible shift in recycling rate will take time Few options are economically viable Immediate results are needed Waste-to-Energy plants are an intrinsic part of the solution to Puerto Rico's solid waste management problem

Source Source reduction reduction, recycling, recycling and waste-to-energy are complementary parts of an integrated waste management system.

U i dS United States E Environmental i lP Protection i A Agency, R Region i 2 2007 Waste-to-Energy Conference

Toa Baja

Toa Baja

Vega Baja

Vega Baja

Florida

Florida

Illegal Dumpsite p

Illegal Dumpsite p