Publication for Vol-05 Iss-03, Mar-2016, S.No.92:
A THREE-LEVEL DISPOSAL SITE SELECTION CRITERIA SYSTEM FOR TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS WASTES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Reynaldo Perez-Ramos
Abstract: One of the
perennial problems in managing toxic and hazardous wastes (THWs) generated from
industrial activities is the final storage and disposal area for such kind of
wastes. Due to inadequate land surface
disposal facility (LSDF) in the country, waste generators are continually practicing
the WHIFFY (we-hide-it-freely-for years) approach; consequently becoming a
threat to human health and the environment.
Proper site
selection for land surface disposal facility requires a consultative process,
taking into consideration the various factors that affect the overall siting
process towards an effective identification of land to be developed into
acceptable and environmentally-safe land surface disposal structures.
This paper
attempts to establish a three-level site selection system through a
participatory approach; and this is validated using survey questionnaire and
secondary data. The establishment of a three-level site selection system
facilitates the initial disposal siting process which leads to the development
of technically, socially,
environmentally, and politically acceptable disposal facilities for THWs in the
Philippines. This paper also recommends basic guidelines to further support the
site selection process with the application of computer-based spatial decision
support systems such as Geographic Information System (GIS) as part of the land
suitability assessment analysis.
Key words: toxic and
hazardous wastes, disposal siting, land surface facility, site selection, geographic
information system
