Environmental Management and Waste Handling
What the exam tests
Aspects and impacts, the waste hierarchy, segregation, spill response and the Nigerian regulatory framework (NESREA, NOSDRA, EIA Act, ISO 14001).
Core concepts
An environmental aspect is the element of an activity that interacts with the environment, for example discharge of produced water; the impact is the resulting change, such as aquatic toxicity. Identify aspects, evaluate significance, control and monitor them.
Waste hierarchy, best to worst: prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, disposal. Segregate at source into hazardous, non-hazardous, recyclable, electronic, medical and used-oil streams. Store in labelled, bunded, closed containers and keep a cradle-to-grave manifest through to the licensed carrier. Never mix streams. Spill response: stop the source, contain with a boom or absorbent, protect drains, clean up, dispose of contaminated material correctly, report and investigate.
Worked example
A mechanic drains 20 litres of used engine oil. Reasoning: it is hazardous waste, and pouring it into a drain or onto the ground is an offence; dilution is not treatment. Correct route: drain into a labelled container, store in a bunded area, hand to a licensed recycler with a manifest, and if any spills, contain it with absorbent, keep it out of drains and report through the site spill procedure.
Traps
- Diluting a discharge with water to appear to meet limits.
- Putting used oil, batteries and solvent rags into general waste.
- Assuming NESREA runs oil-spill response; NOSDRA does.
- Treating the hierarchy as optional; disposal is the last option, not the first.