Instruction on Handling Asbestos Waste

THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, PHYSICAL PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION 2845 Pursuant to Article 17 and Article 18 of the State Administration System Act (Official Gazette 75/93) and Article 3b of the Waste Act (Official Gazette 178/04, 111/06 and 60/08), the Minister of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction hereby issues the INSTRUCTION ON HANDLING ASBESTOS WASTE 1. Waste containing asbestos shall be deposited in a cell especially designated for that purpose on a waste landfill. 2. The landfill cell must be prepared in line with the Ordinance on the methods and conditions for the landfill of waste, categories and operational requirements for waste landfills (Official Gazette 117/07), which means that waste containing asbestos may be deposited on a landfill of non-hazardous waste without prior testing of eluate and organic pollution parameters provided that the following requirements are met: – waste must not contain any other hazardous substances except firmly bound asbestos, – only construction waste containing firmly bound asbestos and other waste containing firmly bound asbestos may be deposited, – waste may be deposited only in special landfill cells, separately from other waste at the landfill, – the zone of deposit must be covered daily in such a way as to prevent dispersion of asbestos fibres into the environment during covering, – if waste is not packed, it must, before depositing, be sprinkled with water that must be collected by means of a landfill leachate drainage system, pursuant to the Ordinance on the methods and conditions for the landfill of waste, categories and operational requirements for waste landfills, – a final top cover must be placed on the landfill cell body containing asbestos waste in order to prevent the release of asbestos fibres into the environment, by means of necessary surface sealing with a built in precipitation water drainage system, – no works shall be carried out on the landfill cell containing asbestos waste that could lead to release of asbestos fibres into the environment, – after closure of the landfill which has a landfill cell containing asbestos waste, all future use of the landfill surface must be prevented. 3. If the waste landfill which has concluded a contract on the takeover of asbestos waste with the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, does not have a prepared landfill cell, the waste containing asbestos must be temporarily stored in the working area of the landfill, in line with the Ordinance on waste management (Official Gazette 23/07) and the Ordinance on the method and procedures for asbestos waste management (Official Gazette 42/07). 4. During loading and handling of waste containing asbestos, prescribed occupational health and safety requirements must be met, and the workers must wear appropriate protective equipment and protective masks and they must have passed an appropriate course for handling waste containing asbestos. This Instruction shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette. Class: 351-01/08-01/366 Reg. No: 531-08-3-08-1 Zagreb, 25 July 2008 Minister Marina Matulović Dropulić, m.p.