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Landfill Management

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1.
  • Introduction to Landfills

    From 1985 to 2002, our country implemented the "First, Second, and Third Stage Waste Management Plans" to subsidize the construction, expansion, and improvement of sanitary landfills by local authorities in order to properly handle household waste. In the 1990s, the policy focused on waste incineration with landfilling as a supplementary method, and in 2003, the "Review and Outlook of Waste Management Plans" promoted comprehensive waste reduction and resource recycling policies under the concept of "zero waste". The goal was to promote the efficient recycling of resources and gradually achieve complete waste recycling and zero waste. Starting from 2007, except for remote areas, organic waste would no longer be disposed in landfills, significantly reducing the amount of waste going into landfills. Landfills would gradually transform into facilities for the final disposal of incineration ash and non-combustible waste, as well as serving as environmental facilities for temporary storage of general waste during the maintenance of incineration plants and in response to natural disasters.

    Environmental Management Administration (EMA) is responsible for counseling and improving the operational efficiency of landfill sites nationwide. Since 2013, the Bureau of Environmental Inspection (the previous equivalent of the EMA) has been conducting comprehensive audits of landfill operations. In 2014, it also added the task of conducting Level 3 inspections and random checks on local waste transfer stations, as well as monitoring and maintaining the management of storage facilities in coastal (river) public landfills. The three-level inspection system is implemented to ensure responsible management and enhance the operational efficiency of landfills and transfer stations, while maintaining the quality of environmental facilities. As for coastal (river) public landfills, they are monitored by local authorities, and periodic inspections are carried out by the department to jointly ensure effective monitoring.

2.
  • Landfill Management

    According to Article 5 of the Waste Cleanup Act: the recycling, removal, and treatment of general waste are handled by the Environmental Protection Bureau of the special municipality in a directly governed municipality, by the Environmental Protection Bureau of the provincial-controlled municipality in a provincial-controlled municipality, and by the township (town, city) office in a county for recycling and removal, and by the County Environmental Protection Bureau for treatment. When necessary, the county may commission the township (town, city) office to carry out the treatment work. Therefore, the final disposal facility for general waste, namely the landfill, is managed and operated by the Environmental Protection Bureau in directly governed municipalities/provincial-controlled municipalities, while in counties, the landfill sites are mostly managed by the township offices in the areas where the landfills are located, under the supervision of the County Environmental Protection Bureau.

    Environmental Management Administration (EMA) is responsible for counseling and improving the operational efficiency of landfill sites nationwide. Since 2013, comprehensive audits have been conducted on public landfill sites in operation, and the three-level inspection system has been implemented to ensure responsible management. Audits and supervision are conducted to enhance the operational efficiency of landfills and transfer stations, and to ensure the quality of environmental facilities.

    The three-level inspection system is divided into three hierarchical units: waste management facilities management units, county/city environmental protection bureaus, and the Environmental Management Administration (EMA).

    (1)
    • Level 1:

      Managed by public landfill and waste transfer station management units (entrusted and supervised by township/city governments), they carry out Level 1 self-inspections. They regularly conduct independent inspections of the facilities they manage, assessing their condition and operational status.

    (2)
    • Level 2:

      Managed by county/city environmental protection bureaus, they conduct Level 2 inspections for public landfills and waste transfer stations within their jurisdiction. They review the performance of the Level 1 inspections conducted by the facility management units and assess the operational status of the facilities.

    (3)
    • Level 3:

      The Environmental Management Administration, together with the environmental protection bureaus and facility management units, conducts Level 3 audits on-site. They audit the operational status of waste treatment facilities and assess the progress made in addressing any deficiencies.

3.
  • Landfill Transformation:

    Appropriate planning is carried out for the transformation of landfills into multifunctional temporary sorting sites. This facilitates recycling and enhances subsequent land use options. The transformed sites can be used for general waste disposal, bulky waste, waste sorting, compression, and packaging, as well as resource recycling. This efficient utilization of landfill space helps prevent pollution.

Picture 1   Schematic diagram of landfill transformation
Picture 1 Schematic diagram of landfill transformation
Source: 
Environmental Management Administration
Updated: 
2023-08-29
Hit: 
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