Border
Environment Cooperation Commission
Comprehensive
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Tecate, Baja California
I.
General Criteria
1.
Project Type
The project consists in the construction of a sanitary
landfill, closure of the existing dumpsite, rehabilitation of the existing
transfer station and construction of a new transfer station, and various
improvements, including equipment for comprehensive solid waste management in
Tecate, Baja California.
2.
Project Location
The project is located within the municipality of
Tecate, in the State of Baja California. The study area includes the city of
Tecate, seat of the municipality, and the rural communities of Las Palmas,
Chulavista, Luis Echeverría, Baja California, Jácume, Cerro Azul, and Rumorosa. All the communities are located within the
62-mile area to either side of the borderline. It has been estimated that the
number of local residents in the year 2000 was approximately 77,444, and it
will increase to 154,112 by the year 2020. The sanitary landfill is located in
the southeastern end of the city.
3.
Description of Project and Tasks
In 1999 the Municipality of Tecate began a technical assistance and
certification process with BECC who hired Planeación y Proyectos, S.A. de C.V.
to develop a Solid Waste Master Plan. The master plan diagnosed the solid waste
system of Tecate, defined the works needed for an efficient and on time solid
waste service to the residentials, commercials and industries users and
evaluated different alternatives of sanitary landfill, because the current
sanitary landfill is nearly to its end. The Secretaría de Desarrollo Social
(SEDESOL) developed the final design of the sanitary landfill.
These works will improve the solid waste collection through the
rehabilitation and updated of the equipment, improve the collection routes and
concentrate in a single facility of the non hazard solid waste through the
rehabilitation of the currently existing transfer station and the construction
of a new transfer station that will allow to the east towns of the municipality
access the new sanitary landfill.
4.
Project Components
A. Select of the site for the new sanitary landfill who final design was
developed by SEDESOL.
B. Updated of the collection system.
C. Updated of the current transfer station in Tecate and construction of a
new transfer station in El Hongo Town.
D. Redefine of the sweeping routes in Tecate.
E. The closure of the dumpsite.
5.
Conformance to International Treaties and
Agreements
The project
will benefit health and environmental conditions on both sides of the border.
Construction of the proposed facilities will take place solely in Mexico and
will not impact the U.S.
1.
Human Health and Environmental Need
The purpose of the proposed project is to improve
environmental and human health conditions in the City of Tecate and seven
additional rural communities, through the implementation of actions to improve
and expand municipal solid waste management and disposal systems. This project
will provide services to areas that currently lack waste collection coverage,
and will improve the condition of existing system components. Additionally, the
project proposes building a sanitary landfill that will comply with applicable
regulations and will have leachate, runoff, and biogas control systems.
There are currently areas that completely lack waste
collection services, where residents are forced to dispose of waste
inadequately by dumping in vacant lots; this in turn negatively impacts the
environment and creates potential pockets of disease.
The current disposal method does not meet applicable
regulations and evidently creates a source of contamination and potential risks
to public health. The disposal site does not have the necessary controls to
minimize impacts to the environment, such as leachate, surface runoff, and
biogas controls. In addition, the operation of the dumpsite does not include
compacting and covering waste on a daily basis, and this results in the
spreading of trash, foul odors, and the proliferation of harmful fauna.
The State’s Directorate of Ecology has required the
city to close the open dumpsite where municipal solid waste is currently
disposed, within a period of 6 months.
2. Environmental Assessment
The Mexican
Directorate of Ecology required the development of an General Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for all engineering work developed within the country.
In this case, the state’s General Directorate of Ecology required an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) –General Modality and added Article 16 of
the Code of Environmental Balance and Protection of the State of Baja
California on Environmental Impacts, which also includes Article 15, sections
II, III, and VIII.
An EIS was prepared using technical
assistance provided by BECC and it was submitted to the Directorate of Ecology
who answered with a Environmental Impact Resolution on October 11th,
2001. The EIS is completed now.
3. Compliance with
Applicable Environmental and Natural Resource Laws and Regulations
As
stated above, the State’s Directorate of Ecology is currently reviewing the
Environmental Impact Statement filed to comply with Mexican environmental requirements.
The EIS did not identify potential impacts to archeological or cultural
resources, since the project will be carried out in an area donated to the
municipality with a reservation of right for the exclusive use of the sanitary
landfill. A finding by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH),
was issued on October 11th, 2001.
1.
Appropriate Technology
The proposed technology is acceptable for Tecate’s
physical and socioeconomic conditions, as described below for each of the
components of the system.
The design of the sanitary landfill was
based on a study developed in Department of Sanitation facilities located
within the collection truck parking site, which was outfitted for such purpose.
The study was developed from June 23 through June 30, 2000.
The characterization study was developed
only in the seat of the municipality, considering that within this region exist
areas with similar characteristics to those of the communities of Chulavista,
Rumorosa, Baja California, Luis Echeverría, Jácume, Cerro Azul or Nueva Colonia
Hindú, and Valle de Las Palmas; therefore, results obtained may be applicable
to such communities.
A random survey was applied to 632 households.
Home visits were made to apply a questionnaire regarding solid waste
management.
93 high-income households were selected.
Generation of solid waste was found to be between 0.14 and 1.76 Kg/Res/day,
with an average 0.677 Kg/Res/day. 75 medium-income households were sampled, and
waste generation was found to be between 0.14 and 2.507 Kg/res/day with an
average of 0.55 Kg/res/day. 83 low-income households were selected, where solid
waste generation identified was between 0.103 and 2.581, with an average of
0.454 Kg/Res/day.
Business and industrial facilities generate an average
of 13,184 and 19,232 Kg./day, respectively. Street
cleanup was found to produce an average of 3,030 Kg/day.
Thus, the average amount of solid waste
generated by the community of Tecate is 0.99 Kg/Res/day, when combining the
three socioeconomic levels and non-residential sources.
Projections for
MSW generation for the following 10 years, are presented below:
|
Year |
Waste
(ton/year) |
|
2000 |
28420 |
|
2002 |
32536 |
|
2004 |
35295 |
|
2008 |
41599 |
|
2010 |
45194 |
|
2012 |
49122 |
|
2014 |
53416 |
|
2016 |
58109 |
|
2018 |
63240 |
|
2020 |
68855 |
Given the characteristics of the site
where the sanitary landfill is intended to be built, the project recommends the
installation of a high-density synthetic polyethylene geomembrane to protect
lower layers of the ground from potential contamination created by the
infiltration of leachates. The sanitary landfill’s final design includes a
leachate control system.
2. Compliance with
applicable Design Standards and Regulations
The project’s final design has been
prepared by SEDESOL. The proposed sanitary landfill satisfactorily meets
requirements established by Mexican regulations.
The different project components include final disposal, collection,
transference, sweeping, and closure of the existing dumpsite. In addition, the
funding scheme for the proposed project has been divided into three phases. The
first phase will have a duration of one year, the second phase will be six
years, and the third phase will be 13 years.
Final Disposal
For final disposal of solid waste, the
project proposes the construction of a sanitary landfill in a 4.6 Ha. tract of
land called “Cerro Azul”, located 16 Km. from Tecate, close to the Ejido Nueva
Colonia Hindu community. This will provide a place to confine waste in the
smallest possible area and cover it with layers of dirt that will be compacted
daily to reduce its volume. In addition, the project foresees the problems that
may be caused by liquids and gases resulting from the effect of organic matter
decomposition at the landfill.
Closure of the existing final disposal
site (open-air dump)
As part of the closure, the project will
try to minimize contamination caused by wind, leachates or surface runoff. The
project considers the use biogas release vents.
The following activities will be carried
out for closure of the dumpsite:
First, preliminary planning will be
carried out to define actions needed to prepare required closure plans, and the
specification of engineering procedures for the project tasks.
Later on, actions needed to schedule
closure activities will be carried out, and regulatory agencies and users will
be notified about the closure.
During the closure phase, access to the
site will be limited and signs will be put up to notify of the closure.
Subsequently, light materials that are spread out throughout the site will be
collected and taken to the dumpsite’s main area to be covered with compacted
material.
The site must be leveled and furnished
with an adequate slope for rainfall drainage (such as a 3% slope). Once the
site has been leveled, wells for biogas venting will be installed. Finally, treatment
must be provided to areas that have been affected by substances that have
infiltrated the ground, such is the case with leachates.
Within a period of three months after the
site’s closure, actions will be developed to finish drainage tasks such as
those for the gas and leachate control and monitoring systems, and to install
the cover and reforest the site.
Once the site has been closed, long-term
maintenance will have to be implemented, especially in biogas and leachate
monitoring and control systems, since these require continuous attention to
ensure proper functioning. Some of the most important maintenance actions
include cleaning leachate conveyance lines, cleaning storage lagoons, and
inspecting existing pumps.
Collection System
The size of the vehicle fleet for Tecate and the study
areas was determined on the basis of the physiographic characteristics of the
study area, the amount of waste to be handled in these communities, existing
equipment, and above all the municipality’s financial capacity. The project
considered the rehabilitation of some existing equipment and the purchase of
new units.
Waste collection will be performed daily in central
and business areas. In addition, waste collection in residential areas will be
performed three times per week. A combination of curbside and fixed stop
collection from containers will be used. The latter will be used in
hard-to-access and business areas, as well as in apartment complexes.
Curbside collection will be performed using back
loading trucks, while fixed stop collection will require front loading trucks
and the rehabilitation and purchase of more than 221 containers (2.3 cubic
yards each). Each truck will make one trip per shift in average for residential
collection, and two trips per shift for commercial waste collections. Two
shifts will operate each day.
The project includes 35 macro-routes and 42 micro-routes for waste
collection.
The municipality will perform industrial collection on
a daily basis with a 23-cubic yard roll-off truck.
Waste collection trucks will leave their parking site
daily to cover their assigned routes and shifts. They will go to the transfer
station to dump off waste collected in roll-off containers. , which will later
be transported by another vehicle to the landfill.
Recommended waste collection equipment uses standard
technology, and as mentioned above, the project proposes to rehabilitate
existing equipment inasmuch as possible.
During the first phase, waste collection for rural
communities will use a side loading truck for the municipality’s southern area
(Las Palmas and Cerro Azul communities), and three dump trucks for the eastern
area (Chulavista, Luis Echeverría, Baja California, Jácume, and Rumorosa). For
the second phase, these vehicles will be replaced by rehabilitated back loading
trucks, some of which will be discontinued by the seat of the municipality to
be rehabilitated.
Transference System
As mentioned above, the project proposes the
rehabilitation of Tecate’s existing transfer station, as well as the
construction of a new station in El Hongo-Echeverría.
Both
transfer stations will have a guard booth, administrative building, maintenance
building, operations area, restrooms and locker rooms, parking, peripheral
fence, hoppers, and access paths.
Both transfer
stations will use roll-off units that meet all capacity requirements set forth
by this project and allow for the use of existing roll-off boxes at industries
and at the Tecate transfer station.
Of
the three roll-offs needed for the first phase, two are already available and
only need to be rehabilitated, while the other will be a new purchase.
Collection
trucks will be able to unload 6 roll-off containers into three hoppers in the
case of the Tecate station. Meanwhile, the El Hongo station will have only one
hopper.
Sweeping
System
For the city of
Tecate, the project proposes a combination of manual and mechanical sweeping.
Mechanical sweeping will require one sweeper for the first phase, and two for
subsequent phases. The sweeper that will be used for the first phase will be
the existing sweeper, once it is rehabilitated, while the two sweepers proposed
for subsequent phases will be new purchases.
During the first phase, the project intends to mechanically sweep 23
km/day. This number is intended to increase to 48 km. when the second sweeper
is purchased.
The recommended sweeper is an specialized sweeper, specialized
on municipal service, with the appropriated technical specifications.
In addition, manual
sweeping will be assigned to a 10-worker squad that will use mobile containers.
Manual sweeping squads will be assisted by a dump truck and a pick-up truck..
Manual sweeping capacity is expected to reach 20 km/day, i.e. a 2 km/worker/day
yield.
Mechanical equipment
is not justifiable in any of the seven communities included in this study in
view of their size and the condition of their streets. The project proposes to
establish seven manual sweeping squads –one for each community—that will be
assisted by mobile containers.
Method
of Operation
The selection of the method of operation was
based on the site’s topography and proximity, and in the amount of cover
material available in the area. For Tecate’s sanitary landfill, the project
recommends using a modified trench method, which allows for full use of the
existing ravine, due to the site’s topography.
Construction of the sanitary landfill will
require the installation of ten layers of waste that will be 4-meters-thick,
including the cover material. The landfill will be located between level curves
433.00 and 473.00.
Each of the phases will consist of a 3.85
m.-thick layer of waste, with a 15-cm. layer of soil for coverage.
The proposed method of operation consists of
mechanically compacting waste on site in 60 cm. layers, to achieve the minimum
amount of volume feasible, and then cover waste with 15 cm. of soil at the end
of each day’s operations.
The project proposes moving waste to the front
end of the site on a daily basis, narrowing it down as much as possible to
compact waste horizontally with mechanical equipment against the floor and
slope of the cell, which will serve as a natural backing to better conform the
waste-containing cell.
The sanitary landfill may be composed of
up to 10 operating phases developed vertically from the lowest end of the
ravine and up to level curve 473.00.
The characteristics of the construction of the 10
phases will address the demands of the sanitary landfill during its 13-years
life cycle.
Once the
landfill’s phases are finished, all completed landfill surfaces, whether
horizontal or sloped, will be provided with a 0.45 meter-thick layer of black
soil or organic material to promote the growth of vegetation.
As for the mechanical equipment that will
be used in the sanitary landfill, decisions were based on the physical
characteristics of the site, the size of volumes to be handled by the facility,
and the type of maneuvers required to handle the materials. For the first
phase, the project recommends as a minimum investment the purchase of a
caterpillar tractor and a front loader that will be used to make cuts to clear
the site, obtain material for the intermediate and final covers, and move such
material from the storage site to the worksite on a daily basis.
The project for the construction of the
new sanitary landfill includes all steps needed to allow for appropriate
closure as each cell reaches the end of its life cycle. First, the project
proposes the installation of a geomembrane that must cover the totality of the
area covered with waste, and may be installed in parts, as the construction of
each operating phase is progressing. A leachates lagoon is also needed to
prevent contaminating the aquifer. In addition, the project includes channels
needed to control and treat surface runoff. Each cell will have vents needed
for biogas release. Finally, the design includes a final layer of vegetable
soil to promote the regeneration of native vegetation.
The closure of the proposed landfill will
be undertaken gradually as the operating cells begin to fill up. Each cell will
have its own leachate control system, a biogas control system, and a final
cover composed of 45 cm. of vegetal soil.
These types of facilities, in addition to
construction work, require adequate management during their life cycle, since the
quality of the service they provide depends on such management. Thus, it is
critical to have a safety and hygiene manual, as well as procedures to address
emergency situations, fire and seismic situations.
Isolation Conditions
High fire-risk areas will be controlled by physically
separating them or providing fire-resistant floors, walls or roofs and/or fire
prevention and fighting equipment. The selection will be made considering the
size of the offices, maintenance shop and shed, as well as the storage area for
fuels, lubricants and solvents used to maintain the machinery and equipment
needed to operate the site.
In the case of fuel, lubricant and solvent storage
areas, these must have adequate ventilation to prevent explosions hazards, as
well as grounding. Unauthorized access must be restricted and electrical
equipment that generates static must be grounded. Appropriate restrictive,
command, warning and information signs must be posted throughout the area as
needed for specific hazards. Signs must be compliant with the applicable
Official Mexican Norm.
Safety devices needed for each specific risk must be
available; the amount of materials will be restricted to what is strictly
required each week for the different processes; storage containers for chemicals
or fuels must be closed tightly so as not to allow the release of any fluid.
In areas or facilities where highly combustible solids
are stored and may generate dust or suspended fibers, source-control equipment
or devices will be installed (such is the case of biogas and leachate
generation) as appropriate for the degree of risk.
Slants and drainage for prevention of accidental
spills of liquids must be installed, taking into account the area that may be
affected by the type and amount of chemicals or liquids spilled, to prevent
propagation to other areas.
Regular and Emergency Exits
Work areas and buildings must have regular and
emergency exits to evacuate employees within a three-minute period, and must be
free of obstacles. If evacuation is not feasible in three minutes, access to
no-fire-risk areas (emergency areas) must be provided. The direction and
location of emergency exists must be permanently identified by signs and
warnings that should be visible even in case of a power outage.
Emergency ramps must
be free of obstacles that may hinder employee access.
Fire extinguishing equipment
The sanitary landfill must have available as a minimum
fire extinguishing equipment appropriate for the degree of risk and the class
of fire that may be generated by products, chemicals or by-products stored,
managed or transported within the area. (A y B type fire, low risk). This fire
extinguishing equipment will be portable and mobile, and must be marked as
established by the applicable Official Mexican Norm. The equipment must be
protected against the elements and must be placed in a visible location that
has ease of access and is free of obstacles. Equipment must be located in a
place where the temperature does not exceed 50 ºC or is below 0 ºC.
1.
Financial Feasibility
The project will be divided in three phases.
The first phase considers the construction of the sanitary landfill, including
the rehabilitation and purchase of equipment for proper operation and
complementary works; closure of the existing dumpsite; rehabilitation and
purchase of sweeping and solid waste collection equipment; rehabilitation of
the existing transfer station and construction of a second transfer station.
The second phase consists of purchasing additional sweeping and collection
equipment, and construction of a second cell in the landfill. The last phase
proposes the purchase of additional equipment and construction of the remaining
landfill cells.
Projects steps
and time for each are as below:
Step I 2002
Step II 2003 – 2007
Step III 2008 – 2014
The Step I cost
is presented below:
|
Activity |
Amount USD* |
% of the total |
|
Swept |
62,230 |
2.4 |
|
Collection |
422,220 |
16.3 |
|
Final
Disposal |
1’612,760 |
62.6 |
|
Services |
269,600 |
10.4 |
|
Strengthening of the utility |
212,220 |
8.3 |
|
TOTAL |
2’579,030 |
100 |
* Parity: 1 USD
= 9.00 pesos
Investments
needed for the second and third phases are presented below.
Operating Funds Required (PHASE I)
|
STEP II (2003-2006) |
CONCEPT |
AMOUNT USD* |
|
SWEPT |
|
|
|
Sweeper |
353,700 |
|
|
Manual equipment |
1,950 |
|
|
Subtotal |
138,880 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
COLLECTION |
|
|
|
Pick up (2) |
27,050 |
|
|
Subtotal |
27,050 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TRANSFERENCE |
|
|
|
Roll Off vehicle (3) |
216,700 |
|
|
Facilities construction |
209,450 |
|
|
Design and construction supervision |
37,000 |
|
|
Equipment rehabilitation |
25,250 |
|
|
Subtotal |
488,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
STUDIES AND TRAINING |
|
|
|
Routing Studies |
11,000 |
|
|
Training courses |
4,500 |
|
|
Subtotal |
15,500 |
|
|
TOTAL |
886,600 |
|
STEP III (2008-2014) |
SWEPT |
|
|
Sweeper Elgin model “F”(2) |
353,684 |
|
|
Manual Equipment |
670 |
|
|
Subtotal |
354,354 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
COLLECTION |
|
|
|
Back-loading compactor (3) Front-loading compactor(4) |
522,705 |
|
|
Pick up vehicles (4) |
54,100 |
|
|
Trucks |
145,000 |
|
|
Equipment rehabilitation |
50,700 |
|
|
Subtotal |
772,505 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FINAL DISPOSAL |
|
|
|
Sanitary landfill equipment rehabilitation |
135,645 |
|
|
Subtotal |
135,645 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TRANSFERENCE |
|
|
|
Roll Off vehicle (1) |
72,200 |
|
|
Facilities construction |
177,600 |
|
|
Design and construction supervision |
32,700 |
|
|
Subtotal |
282,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SOCIAL STRATEGY |
|
|
|
Routing studies |
22,200 |
|
|
Training courses |
8,890 |
|
|
Subtotal |
31,090 |
|
|
TOTAL |
1’576,094 |
*Parity: I USD
= 9.0 pesos
The project’s financial structure is
presented in the following table. It must be noted that funds have been
identified for the first phase of the project. Funds needed for the second and
third phases will be obtained from reserves, internal revenues from city funds,
or loans.
|
Source |
Amount USD |
% |
|
NADB-SWEP |
500,000 |
19.4 |
|
NADB-IDP |
120,000 |
4.7 |
|
Loan |
650,373 |
25.2 |
|
Fed/State/City |
1’308,655 |
50.7 |
|
TOTAL |
2’579,028 |
100.0 |
2.
Fear Structure
The proposed of collection and final disposal
fares for Tecate and other cities are presented:
|
Socioeconomic Level |
SLRC |
Tecate |
Puerto Peñasco |
Ensenada |
|
Low |
15 |
30 |
14 |
9 |
|
Medium |
32 |
50 |
27 |
18 |
|
High |
56 |
100 |
45 |
36 |
3.
Project Administration
As part of project, the municipal board for the
administration of swept, collection and final disposal of municipal solid waste
management, will be created.