1. Landfilling in Ukraine – current state of problems by Michael Hoffmann 1) and Valeriy Mikhaylenko 2) 1) Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation, Kyiv, Ukraine 2) Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine A) Introduction Since independence of Ukraine in 1991 municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has increased considerably due to general economical upraise, increase of incomes, population growth and western imports (s. fig.1, 3). Since then, the waste problem has reached enormous dimensions and accordingly waste management lacks behind. Politicians are more and more aware of the problem and try to improve legislation but the enforcement of new laws needs new initiatives (like in other environmental sectors too); the institutional capacities must be increased and financial means provided. This is however problematic since Ukraine’s GDP is rather low (e.g. 3% of the GDP of France that is comparable in terms of size and population). This poster tries to give an overview on the whole complex of problems that have to be solved in the coming years. Key problems are printed in blue. Fig. 1. Waste generation per capita in Ukraine was increasing nearly threefold until 2004 and is still increasing today [6] Fig. 3. Accumulation of small landfills and dump sites around Kiev (Google maps) B) Waste related issues and deficits to care about in the coming years (details below and at the right) Politics and legislation related to problem complexes - Waste generators: Private households and commerce - Waste services - Landfill locations - Landfill management - Pollution - Pollution controls - Incineration - Closing of landfills and illegal dumps Politics and legislation [1-4] Scope of laws, developed and approved by the order of Ministry of Housing (Minregionbud) of Ukraine; examples: Municipal Solid Wastes Treatment Sphere Legislation Recommendations for the preparation of local municipal solid wastes treatment programs; Municipal solid wastes polygons operation rules; Municipal solid wastes: Existing landfills and dumps operation improve recommendations; Settlements sanitary cleaning schemes development recommendations; Municipal solid wastes generation standards for settlements; Sanitary engineering passport for municipal solid wastes polygon; Monitoring system of municipal solid wastes treatment sphere; Municipal Solid Wastes Treatment Report” and Instruction for requirements; Methods of using two-stage municipal solid wastes transporting; Municipal solid wastes collecting, transporting, processing and utilization organization rules. The legislative framework is comprehensive (more than 2000 waste management related laws!) but enforcement is minimal. Photos: Waste collection places and below waste dumping in a river in Kyiv and near the village Sokolivka, Northern Ukraine C) Resume Environmental awareness, especially related to waste issues, is still lacking much behind European standards. This has to be changed beginning at the kindergartens. Besides the population, this concerns the politicians too. The enhancement of the legislation basis is not sufficient. What is needed is to set up a funding system following the polluter pays principle and, as far as required, additional initial state finances. It is, however clear that improvements must be planned with due consideration of financial means and capabilities in Ukraine. An appropriate incremental approach would therefore start with closing the worst dumpsites and improving the operational procedures at the better ones. For the coming future, better waste management plans including GIS based registers are urgently needed. Ukraine has the potential to solve the here described problems. The problem of industrial wastes is not covered in this poster but should also be solved as soon as possible. D) References 1.Law of Ukraine “On Waste” no 187/98-ВР of March 5, 1998. (in Ukrainian) 2.Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (2010). Resolution on Approving Guidelines to Determine the Morphological Composition of Municipal Solid Waste no 39 from 16.02.2010; (in Ukrainian); available at: http://document.ua/pro-zatverdzhennja-metodichnih- rekomendacii-z-viznachennja-m-doc17422.html (11.07.2012)http://document.ua/pro-zatverdzhennja-metodichnih- rekomendacii-z-viznachennja-m-doc17422.html 3.Ministry of Housing of Ukraine (2012a). Reference on modern methods and technologies implementation in the treatment sphere (in Ukrainian); available at: http://www.minregion.gov.ua (03.05.2012) http://www.minregion.gov.ua 4.Ministry of Housing of Ukraine (2012b). Analysis of the waste treatment sphere in Ukraine in 2011 (in Ukrainian).; available at: http://www.minregion.gov.ua (30.03.2012)http://www.minregion.gov.ua 5.ENPI East (2011): Waste Governance – ENPI East WP 4 (Register of Waste Disposal Sites) 31 May 2011; available at: http://www.wastegovernance.org/Documents/WP_4_%28310511%29.pdf http://www.wastegovernance.org/Documents/WP_4_%28310511%29.pdf 6.UN survey 2006; UNSD 2004;SOE Russia 2004; ETC/RWM extrapolation and calculation Fig. 2. Location of illegal dump sites in Zacarpathian Oblast. Source: [5] Legal and illegal landfills and dump sites are registered in a GIS database by the State Ecological Oblast Inspectorate. In 2005, the register comprised 295 “dumpsites” which mainly contain municipal solid waste (MSW). Of these dumping sites, 85.5% were working. The potential risk to human health posed by the majority of these disposal sites was assessed as to be low. 70% of the dumpsites are thought to pose an average environmental risk. This poster was composed in the frame of an international project financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation under contract no. IZ73Z0_128178_1. This support is gratefully acknowledged. Photo: Waste sorting and collection of PET bottles at the landfill of Borispol city