Storage of toxic waste in salt rock formations - The definitive solution

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1 K + S Entsorgung GmbH - a Company Storage of toxic waste in salt rock formations - The definitive solution Dr. Roland Liesenberg, K+S Entsorgung GmbH Dr. Andreas Krüger, GEKA Munster Dipl.Ing. Ing.chem. Alfred Krippendorf, Hazard Control GmbH 0

2 The Facts and Figures Storage of waste from CW demilitarization operations requires special analytical and technical knowledge. In order to cover this a cooperation between the following companies has been established: Hazard Control GmbH - Analytical examination of waste for CWA and highly toxic compounds - Outgassing tests to identify gas phase concentrations of toxic compounds - Development and testing of methods for waste inerting, immobilization and stabilization GEKA mbh - Treatment and preparation of toxic waste to fulfill the storage criteria K+S Entsorgung GmbH - Final waste underground storage 1

3 The Facts and Figures A world-wide leader in the sectors of: Special and standard fertilisers Salt products Approx. 14,300 employees Revenue 2015: 4.17 billion Sites in more than 20 countries 2

4 The Corporate Structure Potash and Magnesium Products Business Segment Salt Business Segment Complementary Activities Waste Management & Recycling - K+S Transport - CFK (Trading) - Animal Hygiene Products 3

5 The Company Profile A business segment since 1991 Disposal activities are centrally managed from Kassel Internationally active, with representatives in eight countries Pioneer of underground waste disposal; first facility worldwide: Herfa-Neurode (1972) Second facility: Zielitz (1995) Revenue 2015: 87.9 m. European leader in underground disposal 4

6 The company Areas of Activity Underground disposal Underground recovery Building material recycling Secondary aluminium Solution for highly contaminated materials Long-term removal from the biosphere Solution for less contaminated materials Utilisation of the material properties by: Stacking backfill High-consistency slurry backfill Tipping backfill Recycling of construction materials Utilisation as cover material for greening a potash tailings pile System solutions Distribution of salt fluxes Recycling of salt slag Raw materials recovery Disposal of filter dusts 5

The company Areas of Activity 1 Underground waste disposal plant Zielitz 2 Underground waste disposal plant Herfa- Neurode 3 Underground recovery facility Zielitz 4 Underground recovery facility

7 The company Areas of Activity 1 Underground waste disposal plant Zielitz 2 Underground waste disposal plant Herfa- Neurode 3 Underground recovery facility Zielitz 4 Underground recovery facility Bernburg 5 Underground recovery facility Wintershall 6 Underground recovery facility Hattorf 7 Underground recovery facility Unterbreizbach 8 Aluminium salt slag recycling Sigmundshall 9 Building material recycling Sehnde 6

Ideal conditions for long-term safe disposal of wastes Wide range of toxic

8 Solutions Underground Waste Disposal Advantages of our solution Disposal at own facilities Largest number of facilities on the market Largest range of procedures Ideal conditions for long-term safe disposal of wastes Wide range of toxic compounds accepted No limitations in concentration of toxic compounds Basic principle: Safety 7

9 Zielitz Disposal Methods Zielitz Underground disposal (UTD) Underground recovery (UTV) Beginning of operation 1995 Solution for highly contaminated materials Objective: Long-term removal from the biosphere Capacity: 30,000 t/a Beginning of operation 2008 Solution for less contaminated materials Objective: Utilisation of the material properties Capacity: 60,000 t/a 8

10 Zielitz Disposal Methods Calvörde Gardelegen Natural barriers Clay (watertight) Bunt stone Salt (gastight) N 300 m 500 m Stendal 300m S Wolmirstedt Magdeburg Zielitz Upper Permian Storage 9

11 UTD Multi-Barrier-System Natural barriers Salt (gastight) Clay (watertight) Bunter stone 300 m 100 m 500 m Artificial barriers Waste packaging Brick walls Field dams Watertight sealing of the shafts Maintenance-free longterm-safety 10

UTD Prerequisites Disused, excavated area of the mine Remote from extraction area with possibility to be sealed off Galleries remain open and have no backfill obligation Galleries have to be stable

12 UTD Prerequisites Disused, excavated area of the mine Remote from extraction area with possibility to be sealed off Galleries remain open and have no backfill obligation Galleries have to be stable and must remain accessible even after a longer time Mine has to be dry and free of water Storage area has to be sealed off from biosphere by geological barriers Maintenance-free Safest solution for the disposal of hazardous waste 11

13 UTD Examples of Waste Types arsenic-containing wastes mercury-containing wastes contaminated construction and demolition waste (e.g. heavy metal, dioxin, mercury, PCB) hardening salt residues cyanide-containing wastes filter dusts Long-term-safety for highly contaminated waste 12

14 UTD Acceptance Criteria Not acceptable for underground disposal are wastes that are e.g.: radioactive liquid infectious causing odour nuisance biodegradable increasing the volume / overpressure inside barrels releasing gases (toxic, self-ignitable, explosive) explosive, highly or easily flammable insufficient stability to geomechanical conditions CWA (schedule 1 chemicals > 0.1%) Wastes need to have certain properties 13

15 UTD Process Acceptance Control Kontrolle Schacht Strecke Einlagerung 14

16 UTD Process Loading Containers Kontrolle Schacht Strecke Einlagerung 15

17 UTD Process Underground Transport 16

18 UTD Process Storage Chambers 17

Disposal in Zielitz Advantages Sophisticated safety systems Traceability of all deposits due to comprehensive documentation Reference samples of all wastes Retrievability

19 Disposal in Zielitz Advantages Sophisticated safety systems Traceability of all deposits due to comprehensive documentation Reference samples of all wastes Retrievability of the disposable wastes for raw materials extraction Extensive capacities for short-term acceptance of large volumes Reference samples of all wastes are stored underground 18

20 Finalized CWM-related projects: Project: Former WWII CWA production ERGETHAN, Staßfurt-Löderberg Objective: Disposal of approximately 380 tons of conditioned sludges and soils containing organic arsenic compounds (Clark I, Triphenylarsine, Phenylarsene oxide, etc.) Period: November 2002, September 2003, January 2004 Project: Storage site Holzweißig Objective: Disposal of 3,173 tons of a conditioned mixture of red phosphorus and arsenic Period: March 2004 May 2004 Project: Former WWII air force CW army ammunitions depot Dessau-Kapen near Oranienbaum Objective: Disposal of 792 t of conditioned sludge/construction and demolitions wastes containing organic arsenic compounds (Clark I, Clark II, Bis-(diphenylarsenic)oxide, etc.) Period: December 2004 January

21 Disposal in Zielitz Projects 20

22 Project: Former CW munitions destruction site Gerwisch near Magdeburg Objective: Disposal of 236 t of conditioned construction and demolitions waste/soil containing organic arsenicals compounds (Clark I, Clark II, S-Mustard, etc.) Period: March 2005 November 2005 Project: Storage of residues from the destruction operations of ACWs from the German state company GEKA Objective: Storage of approximately 1,000 tons per year residues like arsenic-containing wastes, residues from waste-water treatment, dust, linings and refractories (fireclay brickworks) from high temperature incineration, dust, slag, scrap from the treatment of ammunition Period: Beginning in

23 Summary 22

24 Summary Underground storage of toxic waste from CW demilitarization operations offers a safe and environmentally friendly end-of-pipe solution. Storage in underground salt mines guarantees a long-time and safe keeping of toxic materials. Mainly, the content and percentage of toxic compounds in waste is not a limiting factor for acceptance, as long as the waste meets the general acceptance criteria. 23

25 T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r a t t e n t i o n! 24

Deposit of high toxic waste in underground storages

Deposit of high toxic waste in underground storages Dr. Roland Liesenberg II Miteco Forum Belgrade November 2008 K+S Entsorgung GmbH Bertha-von-Suttner-Str. 7 34131 Kassel, Germany Tel 0049 561 9301-1824