WASTE/RECYCLING COAL TAR TESTING C
oal tar is a hazardous material, which before 1980 was used in road construction and
maintenance processes. Now
classified as carcinogenic, due to its high concentration and type of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), it has been identified as potentially hazardous when combined in other materials such as Asphalt Waste Containing Coal Tar (AWCCT). This can have significant implications whenever road or surface materials are excavated, so it’s essential that testing is carried out to: a) Identify the composition of the material with respect to PAHs;
b) Determine whether or not it is hazardous in line with the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 [Hazardous Waste Directive 91/689/EC & revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC (rWFD)] [List of Wastes Code 17 03 01* Bituminous Mixtures Containing Coal Tar];
c) Assess the material for safe disposal or re-use.
The presence of coal tar can have major implications to a construction project due to the health and safety issues posed by handling the material as well as
Russell Corbyn, Kiwa CMT Testing
the additional cost that comes with the removal and disposal of a potentially hazardous waste. Early identification, via site investigation, is vital in reducing costs and delays and implementing suitable solutions. Clearly with some projects, Materials Management Plans (MMP) or Site Waste Management Plans (SWaMP) are required. Early identification, enables: • Pre-contract discussions to be undertaken with the Environment Agency (EA) and Local Planning Authority (LPA) to clarify the regulatory position of the treatment and re-use of
hazardous (or otherwise) waste tar bound road planings;
• All permits or exemptions to be obtained prior to starting work;
• Delineation between coal tar and non-coal tar containing materials during the removal process;
• Suitability of the material to be used as an end product, with respect to the relevant Highways Works Series;
• Solutions to be developed that avoid disposal to landfill, which can be costly and potentially unsustainable.
Core showing thick base course and two distinct wearing course layers
If there is to be excavation then there is a duty under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 to determine whether or not any of the materials encountered could be hazardous waste. If the construction records show that no coal tar is present in the layers, or that the layers were laid after the mid 1980’s, further investigation may be unnecessary. If there are doubts, several choices exist: • It can be accepted that the excavated material may contain tar and the necessary disposal requirements followed. This may be appropriate for small scale work e.g. patching.
• For larger scale work it will be more cost effective to determine whether all or some of the layers to be excavated contain tar. Cores should be taken, or fragments of bituminous material, from each layer encountered in a trial pit. If it’s known that removal will mix the layers, a composite sample should be analysed.
It may be decided not to take cores prior to the works commencing, but rather
Core showing thicker base course and a visually different and thicker wearing course. Cores are taken from the same site showing large varia
References Hazardous Waste Directive 91/689/EC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0689:EN:HTML Revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:312:0003:0030:en:PDF Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 (HWR)
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/894/contents/made International Agency for Research into Cancer, 2011, Occupational exposure to bitumens and their emissions, IARC Monographs Programme, Lyon, France. Working Group Conference (Monograph 103: bitumen and bitumen fumes, and some heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 18 October 2011.
http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/IARC_Bitumen_Eng.pdf Waste Management Paper 2, WM2, Environment Agency, 2006
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/GEHO0603BIRB-e-e.pdf
16 PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3
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