Incinerator Bottom Ash – testing times
SOURCE: CIWM, MAY 2009
Incinerator bottom ash (IBA), the secondary aggregate material, is back in the spotlight after the EA admitted doubts over its classification as non-hazardous waste. The concerns relate to the testing methodology and the difficulty in determining in what form zinc or lead may be present. (While zinc oxide and lead compounds are ecotoxic, lead metal and certain benign zinc compounds are not).
This is not the first time that disputes over testing methods have come to the fore, and it highlights the need for the EA to engage with the industry (and vice versa) in order to ensure a sensible and proportionate outcome. The testing issue will continue to come up both in relation to hazardous waste status, and also as part of any agreed methodologies for establishing end-of-waste, although different things are generally being tested for with those very different outputs in view.
In both cases, the economic implications will be hugely significant. The EA is clearly working on resolving this issue in relation to IBA, but it is not clear that there is any overall programme for considering and addressing similar issues in relation to other materials and waste streams. Part of the complexity stems from the fact that “absolute” impact is generally considered in relation to hazardous status, while it is “relative” impact (compared to the non-waste equivalent) that is relevant on end-of-waste.
AUTHOR: Vincent Brown
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