As a result of a critical mass of investments in the TEPZ, Ghana is expected to become a major manufacturing, value-added processing, transshipment, financial and business destination. In light of this about 1,000 industrial plants are anticipated to be established in the TEPZ. The offsite infrastructure to be provided for the zone will include the development of a solid waste disposal facility to receive wastes from the plants and other businesses.
TAHAL was commissioned to perform services relating to both the existing and new landfill sites.
The scope of TAHAL's assignment under the existing landfill was as follows:
• Preparation of an environmental audit for the existing TMA dumpsite at Kpone.
• Determination of sources and quantities of cover materials and financial implications with respect to decommissioning/closure of the dumpsite. Preparation of a decommissioning, after-care and after-use plan. Proposal of options, solutions and strategies for upgrading and managing the current dumpsite to extend its lifespan by at least two extra years, followed by decommissioning and closure.
The scope of TAHAL's assignment for the new engineered solid waste disposal facility was as follows:
• Site assessment on the approximately 44 acre land, defining buffer zones and environs in accordance with the national guidelines. Site investigations: meteorological, hydrogeological, geotechnical, water (surface, coastal and ground) analyses, soil profiling and characteristics and modeling for contaminated leachate migration, type of lining required, and proposal and evaluation of types of leachate treatment system required.
• Definition of site development criteria, including technical descriptions and specifications of equipment, lining, stormwater diversions, utilities, landfill gas management, odour management, site screening, embankments, etc.
• Examination of social impacts: preparation of a costed compensation plan for all displaced economic activity and land acquisition. Preparation of an EMP for the new solid waste disposal facility.
• Examination of available information on waste types, quantities and character generated from both the TEPZ and Tema Municipality to effectively determine disposal methods, cell sizes and lining types and construction, and the lifespan of the disposal facility.
• Definition, comparison and analysis of technology, management, tariffs, leachate collection and treatment, landfill gas collection, cover material haulage and compaction types and equipment, source and types of cover materials, lining and capping alternatives.
• Definition of policy, planning, and organizational and regulatory requirements for construction, operation, monitoring, decommissioning, and after-care general management of the proposed solid waste disposal facility.