German Legislation: Requierments for Longterm Storage of Waste

Waste should be reused or recycled. Just in case when no further utilization is possible it should be dumped. In some cases, waste cannot be recycled instantly, e.g. when processing facility or technique is temporarily not (yet) available or when the demand for treated waste materials for further use is temporarily low. In these cases it may be appropriate to store the waste on an interim basis. When waste is stored longer than three years the facility is defined as a long-term storage acc. to the German Landfill Ordinance. The Ordinance governs the requirements for the technical installations in order to minimize the risk of hazards to the environment. The requirements are identical to the ones for landfills. As storage is temporal, just the technical installations beneath the waste disposal are relevant. The requirements for the liner system depend on the contamination of the waste. For inert waste a geological / technical barrier is sufficient, for non-hazardous and hazardous waste a mineral liner and a geomembrane is necessary in addition. Other technical facilities such as drainage capture and treatment system are required as well. The disposal of waste is just permitted, when a confirmation of future treatment / recycling / recovery of the waste are stated. The contamination status of the waste has to be characterized in advance. The operator has to provide a financial security which covers the removal of the waste and remediation of the site in case of insolvency.