ISLAMABAD, 9 August 2004 — The government will soon launch a program for the treatment of hazardous industrial waste.
Designed by the Environment Ministry, the Hazardous Substances and Waste Management Program will focus on promoting the culture of green industry in the country and enable industrialists to meet WTO challenges
“The development objective of this program is to introduce a regulatory regime by developing and implementing an integrated approach for the management of hazardous substances and waste in the country,” sources said.
This program is part of a 131-million-rupee activity based capacity development project.
“The project would also help industries comply with obligations of relevant international conventions and protocols, meet the challenges of a globalized economy and capture the global markets,” the sources said.
Under the program, a hazardous substances regulatory unit will be set up to generate consensus of all stakeholders and finalize draft hazardous substances rules for notification.
The program also focuses on finalizing ways to enforce and regulate hazardous substances under the provisions of rules and generate an inventory of hazardous substances imported and or produced in the country.
Generation of a data base on amounts of hazardous substances imported or used in production of industrial processes and preparation of target list of industrial units generating hazardous substances are also part of the program.
Categorization of hazardous substances will be made along with preparation of a contingency plan for units using hazardous substances.
Such units will conduct hazardous waste surveys to establish baseline data for quality and quantity of hazardous waste including e-waste ( CRT) generated by industry.
Sources said an inventory of hazardous waste, a target list of industrial units generating waste and a national report containing information on generation and movement of such waste will also be prepared.
The program also provides for a systematic regulatory mechanism for collection, transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.
“A waste management plan will be prepared to evolve a comprehensive strategy for industrial hazardous waste management in the country,” the sources said.
Moreover, technically sound equipment and facilities needed for processing, disposal and treatment of hazardous wastes will be provided. Side by side, legal and administrative framework including norms and standard for industrial hazardous pollutants, a mechanism of “waste exchange banks” will be developed between industries to utilize the waste of one industry as raw material for another.
Details of a collaborative program with the customs department will be finalized for prevention and monitoring of illegal traffic of hazardous substances and initiate integrated national enforcement program including tracking of hazardous waste shipments, transport control, checks, inspection, sampling, testing and information exchange.
