PS1: Social and Environmental Assessment and Management System
Environmental and Social Assessment: The Republic of Serbia has a well regulated, licensing process applicable to all industrial developments that entail preparation of various studies in order to obtain construction and ultimately operational licences. In the development of this project, PWW Deponija Jagodina had to consult with the existing Urban Planning documentation “Detailed Spatial Plan” from 1994 where the location for the proposed landfill site “Gigos” was proposed. The final selection of the landfill site was made after reviewing existing documentation on alternative locations for the landfill site. PWW Deponija Jagodina also commissioned an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the aspects and impacts, both negative and positive, in the project’s zone of influence in accordance with applicable state environmental laws. Similarly, after the location for the recycling centre was determined based on the Jagodina City Planning documentation the environmental impact assessment for the recycling centre was drafted. Based on Serbian Law on EIA, the content of any EIA is specified to cover different issues including (i) assessing alternative options for selecting of the landfill and recycling centre site, (ii) environmental assessment in and around selected sites, (iii) description of significant aspects and potential impact on the environment, (iv) emergency preparedness and response planning, (v) mitigation measures, (vi) monitoring.
In designing the landfill site and the recycling centre and composting plant PWW has taken into account requirements of EU Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC, the requirements of National Strategy for waste management, which has been drafted following relevant EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and based on US EPA Regulations on landfill site design and construction.
Management Program: At the corporate level, PORR has a strong environmental and OHS management team and considers that management of environmental and OHS risk is integral to management of broader business risk. These business risks are controlled in the context of PORR’s Integrated Management System which has received certification of its compliance with ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:1999.
For the Jagodina solid waste management project, PWW Deponija Jagodina is responsible for overall management of environmental and OHS impacts during the construction and operations through regular inspections. Part of the EIA a program to manage and mitigate potential negative EHS impacts associated with the operation of the landfill site and recycling centre is defined as well as is an environmental monitoring plan. PWW Deponija Jagodina will develop Environmental Social Management Plan (ESMP) and accordingly develop, as applicable, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, timing as per ESAP.
Organization: PWW’s present business activities in collection and final disposal of MSW to the existing landfill site of Jagodina, are done following good international practice. MSW includes household refuse, institutional wastes, street sweepings, commercial wastes, as well as construction and demolition debris. The existing disposal site located in the industrial zone of Jagodina is nearing its maximum capacity and would be closed after the new disposal site is opened. With the establishments of the new landfill and the recycling centre, which will include composting plant, and with the expansion of the collection area PWW will provide much needed essential environmental service to the wider region. The integrated approach to the waste management gives highest priority to prevention followed by recycling, recovery and final disposal and will present, with the similar PWW’s project in municipality of Leskovac, one of the first such waste management projects in Serbia. Responsibility for the management of EHS aspects is primarily at the PWW level and then assigned to operational managers, foremen and employees through inclusion in their job descriptions, during both development and operational phases. PWW relies on its own and external services provided by authorized local agencies in charge of landfill gas and leachate quality monitoring and community relationship. PWW Deponija Jagodina will employee professional staff dedicated to such aspects as waste water treatment i.e. laboratory specialist, occupational health and safety staff, security personnel, waste screening at the entrance of the facility, landfill gas collection and flaring system, leachate management, and activities that support the main operational activities.
MSW will be collected and transported by PWW Collection Company to the recycling centre where the company carries out inspections of all incoming waste to ensure compliance with contractual requirements from waste transporters and clients. At the entrance of the centre a weigh bridge will be constructed to measure quantity of incoming waste and workers will be equipped with portable devices for radioactivity detection in the incoming waste loads. Unloading, sorting and storage of waste will be organized in a storage hall. After sorting of the incoming waste on the mechanical sorting line a three waste streams will be isolated i.e. organic component that will be transported to the composting section of the recycling center, usable material (scrap metal, plastic, glass etc) will be temporarily stored on separate covered paved area located immediately after the entrance to the site waiting for further adequate treatment and disposal by authorized recycling company and remaining part of MSW ready to be transported to landfill site “Gigos” for final disposal.
Training: Training programs will be organized by PWW Deponija Jagodina based on yearly evaluations of staff training needs and on the job characteristics and associated risks of employees. Examples of training topics to be covered for the workforce at the landfill site and at the recycling centre include adequate use and care of personal protective equipment (PPE), fire prevention and response, accident prevention training, trainings for drivers of the compactors to enhance compaction effectiveness and safety, manual for workers at recycling center.
Monitoring: As part of EIA a monitoring program for key EHS aspects, such as landfill gas control, leachate collection, treatment and quality control, surface water quality control, soil, air, as well as fauna and flora, and monitoring of health and safety aspects of operations on both recycling center and the landfill site Gigos, has been developed.
Reporting: Serbian regulatory agencies have the authority to perform regular inspection visits to the landfill site and recycling center and to assess PWW compliance with local regulatory requirements regarding environmental protection and occupational health and safety. PWW will also report regularly to IFC on its EHS and OHS performance. The results of EHS and OHS monitoring activities will be compiled into internal report that will be submitted to PORR operational manager for Serbia and at the corporate level which has ultimate operational responsibilities.
PS2: Labor and Working Conditions
PORR has a human resources policy, which is based upon a collective agreement between PORR and its works council. Human resources policies and procedures meet PS2 requirements, and the requirements of the countries in which PORR operates.
Human Resource Policy and Management: PWW Jagodina will have total of 73 employees who will be working in the recycling center and on the landfill site. The company currently communicates employee rights and responsibilities through employment contracts. PWW Jagodina will develop a formal Human Resource Policy consistent with Serbian labor law and IFC’s Performance Standard 2, as per ESAP.
Worker’s Organizations: PWW Deponija Jagodina supports employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining in compliance with Serbian Labor law.
Grievance Mechanism: The company will create and implement a formal internal grievance process which will allow: (a) any employee grievance by individuals or groups (including anonymous complaints) to be presented verbally or on in writing, without the risk of reprisals; documented and reviewed by company management and subject to a timetable for formal response and resolution; (b) workers the opportunity to meet with management, accompanied by a representative or companion; and (c) an appeal mechanism. The company will make the grievance procedure available to all existing and new employees at the time of hire (as part of its Human Resource Policy or other document).
Protecting the Work Force: PWW and its subcontractors will comply with the requirements for the minimum employment age in Serbia.
Occupational Health and Safety: Corporate policy of PORR group emphasises that its main goal is to “guarantee the life, health and wellbeing of its employees” providing for “the safest condition of work for its own and third party employees”. Serbian National Law on Protection on Work specifies measures that PWW will need to provide to its employees to prevent workplace accidents and promote the health of its employees, including use of PPE. PWW will develop OHS program which will include a set of operating objectives based on the identification and quantification of workplace risks coupled with applicable legal and other requirements. As part of the OHS program a specialized team from PORR’s recycling centre in Vienna will provide training for the locally hired staff for the work in the Jagodina landfill site/recycling centre. PORR / PWW Deponija Jagodina will develop a Code of Conduct that outlines the labor and working conditions requirements that it requires third parties to meet, timing as per ESAP. This Code of Conduct will be included in all contracts provided to third parties. The Group will develop a supervision and monitoring plan to ensure that all contractors are in compliance with the defined Code of Conduct.
The most significant occupational health and safety impacts typically associated with workers at waste management facilities occur during the operational phase and include accidents and injuries, chemical exposure and exposure to pathogens and vectors.
PWW will institute and apply good management practice in managing the landfill operations and the recycling centre to avoid and minimize any occupational health and safety risk to its employees, as per ESAP.
As per main design the landfill site and the recycling center will be built with all legally required technical and service facilities to provide protection of the work force, including sanitary facilities, weather protection, heating during winter time, use of PPE, workplace health and safety at the reception facilities, and working with sorting and storing equipment.
The PORR-owned subsidiary “Gradjevinsko Preduzece” in Belgrade has direct responsibility for oversight of the construction works and will act as a prime contractor and will be responsible for construction of both recycling centre and the landfill. It has concluded a turnkey contract (fixed price, lump sum) with PWW and takes therefore the construction risk. Work for specific construction activities is subcontracted (e.g. installing the HDPE lining, civil engineering works). In selection of the subcontractors PORR’s “Gradjevinsko Preduzece” is aiming to find those sub contractors that are able to manage their EHS and OHS risks according to the local requirements and best international practices, including IFC PS2.
PS3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement
Solid Waste Landfill Operations
PWW Deponija Jagodina landfill operations include disposal site “Gigos”. The location has been selected based on the Serbian “Technical Criterion in Selection of Solid Waste Disposal Site” and Serbian Law on Environmental Protection and Law on EIA.
Landfill site is located 11 km Northwest from Jagodina city in the area that is under management of Public Utility Srbijasume (Forest Management Company) and away from local and regional main roads. Connection to the regional road network will be realized via existing local road that passes through mostly uninhabited area. Overall area of the proposed disposal site is a ravine type with steep slopes from average 20% to up to max 50% incline. The site is located away from urban and protected areas thus minimal visual impact. The nearest settlements are located between 2,5 (Novo Laniste) to 3 km ( Bagrdan) from the landfill site. River Morava is located approx 2 km, and highway Belgrade – Nis approx 1,5 km approx from the landfill site. As per EIA there is a church and Monastery Tomic at distance 1,5 km from the site. Although visual impact is minimal as the site is located in a remote area, “green belt” buffer area of locally specific plants will be planted around the perimeter of the site.
Leachate Control: The bottom liner design includes a minimum of 0.5 m layer of compacted clay covered by a 7.5 mm layer of 1.200 g/m2 geotextile, then 2 mm high density polyethylene (HDPE) geotextile membrane and protection layer of 7.5 mm of 1.200 g/m2 geotextile. An additional gravel layer 0,5 m thick is placed over to provide additional resistance to deformability and prevent damage to the membranes and leachate collection drains. On the sides of the disposal site a layer of bentofix, which provides for excellent geotechnical stability and water impermeability will be constructed.
The top cover is designed to ensure that there is no or limited infiltration of rainfall water into the waste body and that there is no uncontrolled escape of landfill gas. Several layers of gravel 0,3 m to drain landfill gas, geotextile 800 gr/m2 to provide soil stability, HDPE folia of 2mm to prevent landfill gas escape the waste body and prevent rain water entering the waste, top layer of geotextile 800 gr/m2, layer of 0,3 m of gravel to drain rainfall water, and final layer of 0,5 m humus, will be constructed. With the closure of the landfill site area of will be recultivated.
Leachate will gravitate towards and eventually collected by the underground leachate collection drains and ducted to the on-site waste water treatment plant (WWTP). Waste water treatment facility will treat leachate and other waste water to satisfy effluent guidelines as applicable for direct discharges of treated effluents to the sewage system of Jagodina, which has fully operational waste water treatment plant. Regular control of temperature, pH, BOD and total suspended solids will be performed on site. Sludge from the settling pond will be collected regularly and disposed off at the disposal site along with other incoming solid waste.
At the disposal site there is a seasonal small water stream formed mainly during the rainy season, which flows along the bottom of ravine. Also there are few small water wells that have been located during the explorations works at the site. PWW has developed a separate design (ref No: 1274.i.do.KV) for controlled collection and discharge of these waters downstream from the disposal site. This design envisages installing reinforced concrete pipes at the bottom of ravine, which will collect and discharge off these waters at the point downstream the disposal site. A multilayer membrane, as discussed above, will be installed above the concrete pipes to prevent leaching of leachate into the pipes. In order to provide additional security from discharging potentially polluted drainage water to the environment PWW has committed to provide additional control and monitoring of quality of drained water at end point of the drainage system and before it is discharged of to downstream ravine. Design of such drainage system must provide for possibility of redirecting the drained underground water, if found polluted after eventual uncontrolled leakage of leachate, to the on-site WWTP.
Rain water that will not be in contact with waste is collected by a series of surface collection channels constructed around the perimeter of the waste disposal area and discharged off to the ravine downstream from the disposal site. Run-off water from the active disposal areas will be collected and discharged to the on-site WWTP facility. All waste water from the paved areas, which will be built with mild gradient to allow any contaminated runoff, will be ducted to the WWTP and discharged off into the environment, as per ESAP. There will be an on-site laboratory with the professional staff to carry regular testing of leachate and treated water quality.
Landfill Gas Control:
Landfill gas is captured through a controlled collection system, comprised of a number of degasification wells and flared in controlled way through efficient flaring facility in temperature above 1000 oC. The project envisages using the gas to generate steam or electric power if and when it is proved to be economically feasible. Based on annual quantities of disposed waste of approx 80,000 tonnes the average annual generation of greenhouse gas after flaring is estimated at 15,800 t CO2 equivalent (or 106,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent without flaring). PWW Deponija Jagodina will perform regular testing of the quantity and content of landfill gas. If it finds that the quantity and quality of the gas generated is substantial it may prove financially feasible to use as a fuel, timing as per ESAP.
PWW Deponija Jagodina will have well controlled open working front in its landfill in order to minimize the attraction of wildlife (such as birds) and to prevent the spread of odours and windblown dust and litter. This will be mainly achieved through applying daily cover of inert material over the formed cell of disposed waste material. Access roads and internal areas will be continuously sprayed with water during the dry season to minimize dust generation. “Wind rose” of the area shows that dominant wind is blowing in the direction Northwest-Southeast and will not cause any negative impact due to the fact that there are no settlements immediately around the site. In addition to the planned buffer zone around the site the planting of locally specific flora will be done to mitigate negative visual impact.
At the time when the landfill site is operational a base line data on collection/monitoring of environmental impact will be performed to be followed by regular monitoring of air, soil and underground water quality throughout the operational and post-closure life of the landfill. The regular monitoring of landfill gas generated will be done by PWW personnel and an authorized local agency once in the three months, as per local legal requirements. Landfill design features a network of boreholes placed around the landfill site to provide possibility for long term monitoring of possible landfill gas migration outside the project boundaries or to provide evidence on performance and integrity of leachate collection and control devices.
Closure and Post-Closure:
Landfill design incorporates closure and post closure technical issues as per closure plan. Closure and post-closure planning activities include biological and technical measures. The final top cover, as described above, and planed biological measures will prevent further impacts to human health and the environment through long term environmental protection by preventing direct or indirect contact of living organisms with the waste materials and their constituents, minimizing infiltration of precipitation into the waste and the subsequent generation of leachate, control landfill gas migration and minimize long term maintenance needs.
Recycling Center operations
The recycling center is located in the industrial zone of Jagodina. It is designed as a modern facility with capability to process approx 220 tonnes / day of different waste streams i.e scrap metal, plastic, glass, organic matter, wood chips, textiles etc. The centre is located next to the existing municipal waste disposal site. All waste water (sanitary, technical and run off) and leachate generated in process of sorting of mixed waste and during of pressing/bailing of unrecyclable waste will be collected and treated on site to satisfy requirement of Jagodina Waste Water Public Utility before it is discharged of into the city sewer for final treatment. PWW will construct a plateau which will have multilayer barrier with technical characteristics to prevent leakage of the waste water to soil. The layer will include compacted gravel, concrete slab, hydroinsulation folia, and reinforced impermeable concrete at the top with general incline of 0.3%. Regular soil testing on content of heavy metals will be performed by PWW and authorized state agency. Within the centre there will be two distinct zones e.g. operational zone and buffer zone. The operational zone will include all buildings and outdoor facilities needed for recycling operations including a reservoir for “technical and fire fighting” water and waste water treatment plant.
At the landfill site potable technical water will be supplied by tank trucks to two reservoirs of 55 m3 each, and from Jagodina Water Supply System for the recycling centre. Regular chlorination, quality testing and cleaning of the onsite water reservoirs is planned. Reservoir for technical water is designed to sustain 2 hours fire fighting requirements enough time before the city fire brigade is engaged in case of fire at the site. Electric power will be supplied via National distribution grid.
PWW Deponija Jagodina will develop Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, which will include Recycling Center, as per ESAP.
PS4: Community Health, Safety and Security
Design of the landfill site and technology of creating daily disposal cells working into the slopes of the natural ravine has taken into account results of the soil testing. At the bottom of the disposal site an earth berm will be constructed to provide for stability of the waste body as it will act as a counterbalance. Seismicity risk for this project has been reviewed and is estimated as modest. i.e. seismicity is in range of 8 degrees of Mercalli scale (MCS), based on 100 years probability of occurrence. PWW has taken into account the seismicity risk in design for both landfill site and recycling centre facility.
Access to PWW Deponija Jagodina landfill and the recycling centre is restricted only to authorized persons or accompanied visitors under strict supervision and safety procedures. The sites are fenced with concrete and metal prefabricated elements to prevent unauthorized access or trespassing, prevent animals to enter the site and prevent litter dispersal. Engineering controls incorporated into the recycling cente design will limit impacts of this project on surrounding production facilities. Buffer zone around the recycling centre is designed as green area 12 m in width.
Fire prevention and protection system for both landfill site and the recycling centre are subject of separate “Fire Elaborate” that needs to be approved by specialized agency prior to the operational permit issuance.
Transport of waste materials is conducted by PWW collection part of company (the “Collection Company Jagodina”). PWW will pay special attention to environmental and safety issues associated with waste transport activities such as vehicles air emission and use of fuel, noise, odours, litter, and excess quantity and speed of traffic and its affect to the communities through which waste collection and transport vehicles transit in their way to and from the landfill site. PWW Collection Company should be made aware of benefits of good driving practices which reduce both the risk of accidents and fuel consumption, including measured acceleration and driving within safe speed limits (working with garbage truck drivers can save as much as 25% on fuel use and reduce maintenance by 15%).
Security Personnel
PWW Deponija Jagodina will have its own licensed professional staff at both the recycling centre and the disposal site and will ensure that all security personnel follow local relevant regulation in terms of implementation of code of conduct, training, equipment and monitoring of security personnel.
