Technical Working Group to prepar e draft technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes subject to the Basel Convention

Eleventh session
Manchester, 9-13 September 1996
Report of the Technical Working Group

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The eleventh session of the Te chnical Working Group (TWG) to ok place in Manchester from 9-13 September 1996.
2. The meeting was convened in accordance with decision III/1 ( Amendment to the Basel Convention), decision III/12 (Hazard characterization ) and decision III/26 (Cooperation with UN bodi es, specialized agencies and re gional systems and organizations) adopted by the C onference of the Parties at its third meeting.

II. PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING
A. Opening of the meeting

3. The Chairman of the Technical Working Group, Mr. Peter Hinch cliffe, welcomed participants. He refe rred to the mandate of the Group and noted that the agenda in front of t he meeting was heavy. He thanked the Go vernment of the United Kingdom for hosting t he meeting in Manchester.
4. In her introductory words the Executive Secretary extended t he Secretariat's gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom for the perfe ct organization in hosting this meeting and for havi ng made possible the participa tion of a large number of experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. She emphasized tha t the United Kingdom was among th e most activegovernments behind the effective implementation of the Basel Co nvention. The Executive Secretary emphasized that there was a need to work fu rther on hazard characterization and lists of haz ardous wastes as a matter of p riority and said she was confident that work will proceed in a constructive mann er allowing the Technical Working Group to provi de the fourth meeting of the Co nference of the Parties in 1997 with the input and guidance requested by the me eting of the Conference of the Parties in 1995.
5. In his opening address, Mr. P aul Britton, Director of the En vironment Protection Strategy and Waste Directorate of the Department of the Environment of the United Kingdom expressed his pleasure to address and off icially open the meeting noting that the United Kingdom is fully committed to th e Basel Convention which is a relativel y young Convention. He emphasize d that the Basel Convention has now over 100 contracting Parties and that progress is being made in areas such as trai ning and capacity building in t he environmentally sound management of hazardous was tes. Further work is needed fo r the development of a workable and sc ientifically s ound hazard chara cterization system not only for the implem entation of the amendment to the Convention but for the future operation of the Convention. He referred to a nu mber of important developments in the U.K. in re lation to the subject of the envi ronmentally sound management of hazardous wastes. The strategy document sets out the plan for monitoring progress towards achi eving sustainable waste managem ent policies eg. by reducing the proportion o f waste going to landfill from 70 to 60% by the year 2005. The tax on landfill is to be introduced effective 1 October. He emphasized that as an importantdevelopment, the establishment in 1 April 1996 of the new Environmental Protecti on Agency for England and Wale s and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. T he Agencies are regulating the control over waste in their respective territo ries which includes the functi on of competent authority for the purpose of transboundary shipments of wastes under the Basel Convention.6. The Management Plan for Exports and Imports of Waste, effect ive 1 June 1996 is legally binding and minimi zes the transboundary movemen ts of wastes and their disposal and bans all ex ports and most imports for di sposal. Exports of wastes for recovery are allowed to OECD countries but, with certain limited exceptions are banned to non-OECD countries. Imports of wastes for genuine recovery can continue. Movement o f wastes in contravention to t his plan is a criminal offense. The G7 summit i n Lyon (France) earlier this y ear agreed on condemning international criminal a ctivities in such areas as i llegal trade of hazardous wastes, ozone-depleti ng substances and endangered spe cies. He referred to the convening of a s eminar in October 1996 by the D epartment of Environment on this issue. Mr . Paul Britton wished the experts good progress in their work and fruitful out come of the meeting.

B. Attendance
7. The meeting was attended by ex perts designated by the follow ing Parties to the Convention: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain , Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Cos ta Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czec h Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, E uropean Community, Finland, Fra nce, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Le banon, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Maur itius, Mexico, Netherlands, NewZealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, P oland, Republic of Korea, Romani a, Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, S lovakia, South Africa, Sri Lan ka, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Zambia.
8. The following observer States were represented: Ethiopia, Ga mbia and the United States of America.
9. The following intergovernment al organizations were represent ed: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Deve lopment (OECD) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and De velopment (UNCTAD).10. Greenpeace and the following i ndustry non-governmental orga nizations were represented at the meeting: Bri tish Secondary Metals Associatio n (BSMA), Bureau of Internationa l Recycling (BIR), Eurometaux, Eurometrec , European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC ), European Federation of Waste Management (FEAD), Integrated Skills Limit ed, International Chamber of Com merce (ICC), International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI), Japan Mining In dustry Association (JMIA)and the Mining Association of Canada.

C. Officers
11. The following officers continued their mandate:
Mr. Peter Hinchcliffe, U.K., Chairperson Ms. Lakshmi Ragupathy, India, Vice-Chairperson Mr. Ibrahima Sow, Senegal, Rapporteur
D. Agenda
12. The meeting adopted t he following agenda:
1. Opening of the meeting.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organizational matters.

4. Hazard characterization and classification of wastes:
a) Consideration and review of the preliminary lists of wastes prepared by the Technical Working Group;
b) Consideration and review of t he revised draft position paper on hazard characterization and classificati on of wastes within the framew ork of the Basel Convention;c) Consideration of possible el ements for a review process;
d) Future work programme.

5. Consideration and review of t he draft text of the physico-ch emical (D9) and biological (D8) treatmen t technical guidelines.
6. Consideration of possible fu rther proposals to be submitted to the World Customs Organization for the separ ate identification of hazardo us wastes in the Harmonized System.

7. Other matters.
8. Adoption of the Report.
9. Closure of the meeting.
E. Organization of the meeting

13. Mr. Pierre Portas introduced the documentation available to the meeting:

UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/2 C onsolidated preliminary list of wastes plac ed on list A and on list B UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/3 List C - Was tes awaiting classification by t he Technical Working Group UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/3/Add.1 List C - Wastes awaiting classificatio n by the Technical Working Group UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/4 El ements which could be considered by the Te chnical Working Group concerning the est ablishment of the review proces s UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/5 Re vised draft position paper on hazard chara cterization and classification of wastes withi n the framework of the Basel Convention UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/6 Chairman's paper on clean unc ontaminated met al scrap in bulk finished formUNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/7 Dr aft text of the Physi co-chemical and Biolo gical Treatment Technical Guidelines UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/Inf.2 Case studyon the recovery of hazardous wastes in Estonia at an oil shale distillation unit in Narva UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/Inf.3 Informati on received from Parties on was tes placed on list A and on list B UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/Inf.4 Separate identificat ion of hazardous was tes in the Harmonized System of the Wo rld Customs Organization

III. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

14. The Chairman indicated that i t was important to carry forwa rd the work in several stages: (a) consideratio n of the work programme identif ied at the tenth session of the Technical Worki ng Group which was held in Kuala Lumpur on 22- 26 April 1996; (b) assessment of the information received for t he placement of Clisted wastes; and (c) procedural matters related to the prepar ation of the lists of wastes.
15. The Chairman also emphasized that the lists of wastes are d ynamic and that it would be useful, while present ing the lists to the next meet ing of the Conference of the Parties to indi cate that there is a need to k eep such lists under review.
16. A general discussion then tookplace on the agreed consolid ated lists A and B submitted to the meeting. In h is opening statement, the Chair man reminded the meeting of the issues whi ch the TWG in Kuala Lumpur agreed needed further input. They concern:

A24 Waste substances and articl es containing, consisting of or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB ), polychlorinated terphenyl (PCT), or polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), i ncluding any other polybrominat ed analogues of these compounds, at a concentration level of 50 mg/kg or moreA27 Wastes that contain, consist o f or are contaminated with an y of the following:
- any congenor of polychlorinated dibenzo-furan - any congenor of polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxin
B2 Metal bearing wastes arising from melting, smelting and refi ning of metals:
- Hard zinc spelter - Zinc-containing drosses: - Galvanizing slab zinc top dross (>90% Zn) - Galvanizing slab zinc bottom dross (>92% Zn) - Zinc die casting dross (>85% Zn) - Hot dip galvanizers slab zi nc dross (batch)(>92% Zn) - Zinc skimmings - Aluminium skimmings - Slags from precious metals [a nd copper] processing for furthe r refining - Tantalum bearing tin slags with less than 0.5% tin.
B7 Text in brackets which reads "Sag from copper production, ch emically stabilized, having a high iron content (above 20%) and processe d according to industrial specifications (eg . DIN 4301 and DIN 8201) mainly fo r construction and abrasive applications"
B15 Clean, uncontaminated metal scrap, including alloys, in bul k finished form which was dealt with in the Chairman's note.
17. The Chair proposed a sub-work ing group to deal with the iss ues of de minimis and copper slags and to make proposals to plenary. The sub-group was to be chaired by the Vice-Chair person of the TWG, Ms. Lakshmi R agupathy (India).
18. The experts from the following Parties and observer State r aised additional issues that needed to be address ed in regard to list A and listB:Austria: De minimis approach co uld be applied to A2 and B1 to e nsure clarity.

Bahrain: Need to elaborate on th e explanatory note for A26 (Asb estos (dusts and fibres)).
Canada: Important to use the te rm "waste" when qualifying mater ials on list A and list B.
Expressed concern over the use of "prepared to specifications" for entries B8 and B9, for example waste paper no t prepared to specifications should not automatically be c onsidered hazardous.
France: Expressed the need to ens ure clarification between the entry A33 (Coal fired power plant fly ash containing Annex I substances in conc entrations sufficient to exhibi t Annex III characteristics) and entry B17 (Coal fired power plant fly ash, not included on list A) and volunteered to provi de information.
Indonesia: Confirmed the importanc e to have two separate entrie s for fly ashes and provided the meeting with supporting evidence.
Sri Lanka: Brought the attention of the meeting to the distinct ion to be made between textile dyes and food dyes.
U.S.A.: Expressed concern over A 22 (Single use cameras with bat teries) and offered to provide info rmation on such cameras.

19. The outcome of the discussion and decisions adopted on the assessment of wastes placed on list C and in t he additional information are r eferred to in Appendix 1 to the Report.

IV. PLENARY MEETINGS
Agenda item 4 a) (Consideration and review of the preliminary l ists of wastes prepared by the Technical Working Group )20. The Chairperson of the sub- working group on copper slag and de minimis limits reported to the Plenary meeting at the morning session o n 10 September 1996. The mandate of the sub-group was to consider the need for and numerical value of de minimis limits for certain entries on the lists A and B, and to decide whether the copper slag entries on B2 and B7, currently bracket ed, should be retained (see report of the group under Section VII).
21. To advance with the work, the meeting decided to have the s ub-working group on Metals meet to review t he metallic wastes or wastes co ntaining metals entries on list C as well as in the new proposals received and to report on progress to the plenary. The sub- working group was chaired join tly by Germany and India (see Section VII).
22. An expert drew the attenti on of the group on a paper prepared by UNEP/FAO on the relationship of the Base l Convention and the developmentof a legally binding instrument for the applic ation of the prior informed co nsent (PIC). The group felt that it was not necessa ry for the PIC instrument to cover hazardous wastes which were already the s ubject of the Basel Convention.
23. It was agreed that the TWG will submit a note to bring thes e matters to the attention of the next meeting o f the Intergovernmental Negotiat ing Committee for an International Legally Binding Instrument for the Application of the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Ce rtain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (Nairobi, 16-20 September 1996) (ref. docum ent UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/8).
24. Concerning off specification and outdated toxic chemicals ( C14), the group recognized the need to draft this entry in a way that would notpre-judge the waste non-waste issue.
25. In connection with entry B15 t he TWG had requested a note f rom the Chairman and Chair persons of the sub-working group 1 (Kuala Lu mpur, April1996) providing explanations as to the reasons why the material s in questioon were not considered to be hazardous. The Chairman presented pap er UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/6 (Chairman's paper on clean unc ontaminated me tal scrap in bulk finished form).
Agenda item 4 b) (Consideration and review of the revised draftposition paper on hazard characterization and cl assification of wastes within the framework of the Basel Convention )
26. The meeting reviewed the dr aft position paper and indicated that once revised, it should be presented to the next meeting of the TWG for further consideration. The meeting also indicated that such document wo uld usefully accompany the lists of wastes being prepared. The TWG requested SBC to revise the document.
Agenda item 4 c) (Consideration of possible elements for a revi ew process )
27. The meeting considered this paper, in particular the form a ttached and made some changes on it. It also consi dered the list of questions an d decided that SBC should send out these questions to Parties and observers, as re vised, to seek their views. The group agreed tha t such comments should reach t he Secretariat by the end of November 1996.
Agenda item 4 d) (Future work programme )
28. The meeting drew up a list o f issues that it considered sho uld form part of the work programme of the TWG. It consisted of:
(a) Consideration of the outst anding proposals submitted to the TWG for placement of wastes that could not be assessed during this meet ing;
(b) Continuation of the work on hazard characterization;(c) Preparation of technical guid elines for or guidance materia ls on clinical wastes, waste batteries and used pneumatic tyres;
(d) Further work on dioxin s and dibenzofurans A27;
(e) Consideration of the followi ng wastes for placement on list s

• Coal fly ash

• Scrap of polymers and co-polymers

• Scrap halogenated polymers 1
(f) 2 Problems arising from the classi fication of pesticides destined for reformulation (g) Consideration of the matter referred to by the COP in its d ecision III/1 (Amendment to the Basel Conventi on) concerning guidelines in re lation to Article 11 Agreements (h) Consideration of the paper p repared by the World Industry G roup on "Some remaining challenges for the Basel Convention" 3 29. A number of editorial comment s on lists A and B were discus sed by the group together with the suggestion s that the lists A and B be r e-arranged in a more logical sequence and that they be checked for consistency of wording. 30. The reports of the sub-workin g group considering the issue of copper slags and de minimis limits and of the s ub-working group on metals are to be found under Section VII of the Report. The TWG reviewed the conclusio ns of the reports and consequent decisions on listing are to be found in Appendix I to the Report. The report of the sub-work ing group considering the dra ft technical guidelines on physico-chemical a nd biological treatment is also found under Section VII. Agenda item 5 (Consi deration and review of the draft text of th e physicochemical (D9) and biological (D8 ) treatment technical guideline s )

1. At the invitation of the Chairman a small expert group was set up to undertake a preliminary review of the draft text of the physico-chemical and biological treatment technical guidelines (s ee report under Section VII).1 In the case of Y45 polymers, the Chairman suggested that delega tes gathered information about the status of th ese materials in their country and any problems caused by them.
2 The Chair invited the concer ned expert to provide the group wit h a paper outlining the particular reco very operations of concern.
3 Greenpeace undertook to provide t heir thoughts on the remaining challenges for the TWG's work progra mme to the next meeting. Agenda item 6 (Consi deration of possible further proposals to b e submitted to the World Customs Organization for the separate identification of h azardous wastes in the Harmonized System ) 32. The TWG considered the draft r eport on the work of SBC conc erning the separate identificati on of hazardous wastes in the Harmonized S ystem (HS) of the World Customs Organization ( WCO) and strongly supported the process the Secretariat is engaged in. 33. The meeting requested SBC to r eport back to the TWG in part icular in regard to the lists of wastes current ly being prepared by the TWG and the proposals made to the WCO. Experts were invi ted to provide comments to SB C on this matter. The meeting requested SBC to submit any new proposals for entries into the HS to the TWG for review. V. OTHER MATTERS 34. Due to the fact that the Chai rman of the TWG, Mr. Peter Hin chcliffe (U.K.), was not able to continue to perform his function beyond 13 Sept ember 1996, the meeting agreed on electing a chairperson from the regional grou p of West Europe and others to which the United Kingdom is a part. Mr. An dreas Jaron (Germany) was thereby elected as Chairman of the TWG until the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Partie s. The TWG thanked Mr. Hinchclif fe for his dedicated work as a Chairman of the TWG. 35. The delegate from Chile info rmed the meeting of the possibi lity for the next TWG to be hosted in Chile.36. Delegates considered the possi bility that, at the next meet ing, they might wish to prepare a form of propos al for inclusion of the lists i nto the process of implementation of the Convention. This woul d have implications for the timing of the next meeting of the TWG whi ch should allow enough time for the preparatory work and accordingly, the SBC was requested to consider this wh ile selecting dates for the next session of the TWG. 37. The expert from India drew t he attention of the group to th e need for clear guidance to deal with the problem of certain recyclable zinc wa stes. In particular, there was a need to consider zinc waste from galvanising, in vi ew of the extensive trade in these materials. The expert offered to prepa re a paper for the next meeting of the TWG, setting out the problems and possible solutions. 38. Referring to the report on the case study on the recovery o f hazardous wastes in Estonia at an oil s hale distillation unit in Narva, t he experts congratulated Estonia and Canada on the effective cooperation. A number of delegates expressed their intere st in undertaking similar activ ities. 39. The meeting noted and express appreciati on of the proposal made by industry to convene a small works hop, in which Parties, observe r States and Greenpeace would be invited to d iscuss issues concerning copper compounds, zinc compounds, copper slags and zinc ash. VI. CLOSURE OF THE MEETING 40. The Chairman of the TWG rem inded delegates that the Secreta riat had supported the meeting particularl y efficiently despite having b een presented with a number of difficult challenges . On behalf of the TWG he also thanked the support team from the Department o f the Environment for their h ard work behind the scenes. 41. The Chairman referred to his regret at leaving the work of the TWG, because of its importance, because o f the expert professionalism of del egates, and because of the friendliness of a ll concerned. He expressed sati sfaction, though, that the vote would pass into t he capable hands of his successo r. He thankeddelegates for their work and ki nd support, and bid them best wi shes for their future work. 42. The meeting closed at 2. 00 p.m. on 13 S eptember 1996. VII. REPORTS OF THE S UB-WORKING GROUPS 43. Report of sub-working group c onsidering the issue of copper slags and de minimis limits (chaired by India). The Chair opened the meeting by outlining the objectives of the sub-group - namely to consider the need fo r and numerical value of de minimis limits for certain entries on t he lists A and B, and to decide whether the copper slag entry on B7, currently bracketed, should be retained. After extensive discussion, the following conclusions were reac hed: de minimis Limit for A24 4(PCBs, PCTs, PBBs etc.): Noting that Parties may always a dopt more strict limits within their own countries, the sub group saw no need to alterthe level of 50 mg/kg which currently appears in the consolidated list. The USA offered to submit a proposal for a footnote to elaborate the position. de minimis limit for A27 (dioxins and dibenzofurans). Concerned at the implications for expensive and resource consum ing testing, and noting that some countries with limited experience of opera ting limits felt that caution was necessary, the sub group concluded that there was, as yet, no satisfactory basis for setting de minimis levels for dioxins and debenzofurans.

4 The 50 mg/kg level is considered to be an internationally pract ical level for all wastes: however many individual c ountries have established lowe r regulatory levels (e.g., 20 mg/kg) for specific wastes. Entry for copper slag in B7 : In discussion which incorporated the issues of the B2 de minimis question, it was agreed that the existing bracket ed entry described a legitimate class of wastes, and should be retained with t he square bracket removed. de minimis limit for B2 (metal bearing wastes arising from melting, smelting and refining of metals):Following extensive discussion, and the presentat ion and consid eration of analytical and statistical data , the sub group concluded that t he setting of de minimis levels was likely to be extremely difficu lt. It was decided to propose a new entry for copper slags vis: " Copper slag for further proces sing/refining", and delete the bracketed reference to copper in the entry for preci ous metals. Numerical values for both recove rable copper and contaminants w ere debated, but it was concluded these coul d not be reliably established. T he numerical values based on the analysis resu lts were considered to fix the de minimis level of contaminants or the acceptable level of recoverables. This w as found to be impracticable in the case of copper slag, while such values pro vided for the zinc wastes were accepted. 44. Report of sub-working group on metals (chaired by Germany a nd India). The sub-working group on metals was convened to consider certai n specific metal entries on list C (Annex I o f UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/3), and th e specific metal applications submitted via the Addendum UNEP/CHW/WG.4/11/ 3/Add.1). C2 Copper Compounds The group considered the wast es containing copper compounds. Th e sub-group had an extensive disc ussion about the general hazardousness of copper compounds, the routes via which such hazardousness might be dis played and the types of entries which mi ght be appropriate for lists A and B. Several delegations indicated that they w ere actively preparing detaile d submissions on copper compounds, but that these we re not yet available. It was accepted that the decision on this should be deferred to the next TWG, by whi ch time Australia and Chile undertook to hav e submitted full data. C3 Zinc Compounds Discussion followed the same path as with copper. Although some data on zinc compounds were available it was not considered to be sufficient ly complete to allow a decision to be taken . This needs to be considered on th e basis of further information. C15 Scrap assemblies from e lectrical power generationAgreed to be placed on list B subject to the addition of the ph rase: "not contaminated with lubr icating oil or PCB" Addendum: Page 9 and Page 12 Submissions were presented by A ustralia as a "tidying up" exerc ise, which made no difference to the substances c overed, and the limitations pl aced on them. It related to sections A1, A2 and A3 of list A. The effect of the proposal would be to recast these sections as follows: A1 Waste having as constituent s or contaminants, excluding meta l waste in massive form: Beryllium; beryllium compounds Selenium; selenium compounds Cadmium; cadmium compounds Antimony; antimony compounds Tellurium; tellurium compounds Lead; lead compounds A2 Waste having as constituents or contaminants: Arsenic; arsenic compounds Mercury; mercury compounds Thallium; thallium compounds A3 Metal waste and waste consisting of alloys of: Beryllium Arsenic Selenium Cadmium Antimony Tellurium Mercury Thallium Lead but excluding such wastes specifically listed on list B.The sub-working group agreed to accept these proposed rearrange ments. Addendum: Page 46; PVC covered scrap cables Two proposals were involved, o ne for list A, the other for listB, depending on processing carried out. Concern was expressed at differentiating wastes by process rout e rather than intrinsic properties. However , it was recognized that the probl ems related to the PVC rather than the metal in the cable, and that it was not the refore within the remit of the sub working group. It was agreed to refer this item to the TWG. Addendum: Page 48 (spent catalysts) This deals with spent catalysts of various types, and the propo sal was that the entry should replace existing B25 in line with modified text ag reed by the OECD. It was not felt that the revised text fully reflected the purpo se of the original B25, and that a second entry was justified. It was agreed to retain existi ng B25 unchanged, and to add a fu rther entry in list B as follows: - Spent catalysts excluding liquid s used as catalysts, containi ng any of: Transition Metals: Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Lanthanides (rare earth Lanthanum Ceriummetals) Praesodinium Neody Samarium Europium Gadolinium TerbiumDysprosium Holmium Erbium Thulium Ytterbium Lutetium Addendum: P63; refractory me tals containing residues It was agreed that, as submitted, this waste be assigned to lis t B. Addendum: P207; Beryllia Ceramic Components Acknowledging that beryllia in inhalable dust form is very toxi c, but that the application appeared to refer to solid waste, the sub-working g roup agreed to defer a decision pending furtherclarification of the physical form of the waste. Addendum: P227; Selenium and Tellu rium in metallic (elemental) form including powder Conflicting views emerged as to t he intrinsic toxicity of eleme ntal selenium and tellurium. It was agreed to defera decision pending availabili ty of more complete data. 45. Report of the sub-working group considering the draft text of the physicochemical and biological treatmen t technical guidelines (chaired by Slovakia). The background to the document, and to the preparation of techn ical guidelines generally was discussed. Within t hat context, it was felt that the draft text was a useful and helpful document, whi ch was close to being ready for final approval. A number of general observations were made, together with a fewdetailed comments. Few delegations had the opportunity for a close and d etailed study of the text, and it was agreed tha t written submissions be made in the near future. General matters suggested for in corporation included better cro ss-referencing, and more detailed references. It w as also suggested that whilstthe guideline was specifically aimed at providing guidance for D8 and D9, many of the processes mentioned had relevance to otherD and R categories of Annex IVto the Convention, and that this should be mentioned in the introducti on. Additional information on microbial species and their actions, together with overall guidance on t he particular processe s what were generall y practically available, was felt to be useful . However, it was felt that the decision treesrequired some attention to elimin ate options and conclusions wh ich might no longer be considered acceptable or appropriate. An additional s ection on on-line monitoring, particularly using electronic methods which did notthemselves generate wastes, was considered most desirable. References to "environmental impac t" were felt to be somewhat m isleading, although the need to address t he issue was not in doubt. Several delegations offered to send information for an updated edition of the text. Chairman's conclusion 1. There was a general approval o f the work done and the author(the Indian delegate) was congratulated for her efforts. 2. Most delegates had been unable to read the text in detail, b ut their general observations were positive and useful. 3. The draft text had been sent to all Parties and observer gro ups. They should be invited to send their writt en comments, together with any ad ditional information, direct to the Indian delegate (with copies to the Secretariat in Geneva) by the end of October. Afurther draft would then be produced for final consideration at the next TWG. APPENDIX I OUTCOME OF THE ASSESSMENTOF WASTES PLACED ON LIST C I. Wastes to be added to list A A49 Clinical and related wastes ; that is wastes arising from me dical, nursing, dental, veterinary, or similar pr actices, and wastes generated in hospitals or other facilities during the investigat ion or treatment of patients, o r research projects. A50 Unsorted waste batteries e xcluding mixtures of only list B batteries. Waste batteries not specified on lis t B containing Annex I constituen ts to an extent to render them hazardous. A51 Ethers not including t hose specified on list B. A52 Waste acidic or basic solut ions, other than those specified in the corresponding entry on list B.A53 Waste packages and containers containing Annex I substances in concentrations sufficient to exh ibit Annex III hazard character istics. A54 Waste consisting of or cont aining off specific ation or outd ated chemicals corresponding to Annex I categorie s and exhibiting Annex III ha zard characteristics. A55 Waste chemical substances a rising from research and develop ment or teaching activities which are not identified and/or are new and whose effects on man and/or the environment are not known. II. Wastes to be added to list B B33 Wastes consisting mainly o f water-based/latex paints and ha rdened varnishes not containing organic solvents, heavy metals or bioc ides to an extent to render them hazardous. B34 Wastes consisting of food dyes. B35 Waste anode butts from steel o r aluminium production made o f petroleum coke or bitumen and cleaned to no rmal industry specifications ( excluding anode butts from chlor alkali electro lyses and from metallurgical ind ustry). B36 Scrap assemblies from elect rical power generation not conta minated with lubricating oil, PCB or PCT to an extent to render them hazardo us. B37 Wastes from production, formul ation and use of resins, late x, plasticizers, glues/adhesives, not listed on list A, free of solvents and oth er contaminants to an extent that they do not exh ibit annex III characteristics, e g latex and free glues based on casein, starch, dextrin, cellulose ethers, polyvinyl a lcohols. B38 Waste batteries conforming to a specification, excluding th ose made with lead, cadmium or mercury. B39 Waste hydrates of aluminium and waste alumi na and residues from alumina production excluding such mater ials used for gas cleaning, floc culation or filtration processes. B40 Slag arising from the manufacture of iron and steel includi ng slags as a source of TiO 2and Vanadium.B41 Polymer ethers and non-hazardous monomer ethers incapable o f forming peroxides. B42 Bauxite residue ("red mud") (pH moderated to less than 11.5 ). B43 Waste acidic or basic solut ions with a pH g reater than 2 an d less than 11.5, which are not corrosive or otherwise hazardous. B44 Waste pneumatic tyres, excluding those destined for Annex I V.A operations. B45 Single use cameras with batteries not included on list A. III. List C C1 Copper compounds C2 Zinc compounds C3 Residues arising from industr ial waste disposal operations C4 Fellmongery wastes C5 Waste brake fluids C6 PVC coated cables C7 Scraps of polymers and copolymers C8 Scraps of halogenated polymers C9 Beryllia ceramic components C10 Selenium and tellurium i n metallic (elemental) form IV. Changes to current adopted li st a and list B (Document UNEP/CHW/WG.4/ 11/2 - Consolidated preliminar y list of wastes placed on list A and on list B) List A A13 Waste organic ph osphorous compounds A18 Waste from the production, p reparation and use of pharmaceu tical products but excluding such wastes specified on list B or list C A19 Delete A22 Delete A24 Add "Polychlori nated naphthalenes" A35 Delete "excluding leather sludges" A47 Delete A48 Insert "waste" in front of pesticidesList B B2 Delete square brackets B7 Delete square brackets B9 See indent-Tow, noils and wast e (including yarn waste and ga rnetted stock) of abaca (Manila hemp or Musa textilis Nee) B14 Add "Cured waste" to Res ins or condensation products V. Explanatory notes provid ed with proposal for entries C5 Surface active agents (surfactants) Proposal: No entry for either list A or list B. The reasons are : - few of this broad group of compounds are hazardous - those which are hazardous do not conform to Annex 1 (except for surface treatment (Y17) wastes) - no example of trade in used reco verable surfactants could be contemplated by the group But it was agreed to draw this group of wastes to the attention of the Conference of the Parties for future consideration. C10 Chlorofluoroc arbons and halons (a) Reference was made to the decision III/15 adopted by COP 3 which sets out the reclaimed materials excluded from the Basel Convention. Reference was also made to the decision VII/31 of the Montreal Protocol on th e status of recycled CFCs and halons. (b) A number of experts were o f the opinion that these material s were adequately controlled by the provisions of the Montreal Protocol. (c) It was not clear to all experts that these materials would exhibit Annex III hazard characteristics. (d) One expert insisted that t his issue be brought to the atten tion of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. C11 Anode Butts(a) The meeting was of the opi nion that anode butts in general should be placed on list B. However, concerns were expressed about cases where a node butts could be contaminat ed (i.e.: cyanide). (b) Anode butts from chlor-alkal i electrolysis and metallurgica l industry need further elaboration. C16 Used pneumatic tyres In considering a proposal to pla ce used pneumatic tyres on listB, delegates recognized that the final dispos al of waste tyres gave rise to environment and health problems: - in the case of uncontrolled fires, and - when water accumulation creat ed mosquito breeding conditions. One delegation, speaking on be half of several countries, argued that certain types of tyre, in particular thos e unsuitable for re-use, shoul d be placed on list A. Other experts pointed out that tyres did not sensibly include A nnex I wastes or exhibit Annex III hazard characte ristics, and that they could n ot, therefore, be placed on list A. There were divergent views on whether or not t here should be an entry on list B. Delegates felt that such an entrywould encourage Parties to ad dress national problems caused by waste tyres by means of national legislation

. Experts were of the view that the Contracting Parties should be informed of these deliberations and reques ted to take action, o r to extend TWG's mandate to take action. Recommendation : Although waste pneumatic tyres ar e considered wastes that are n ot covered by Article 1.1, paragraph 1 (a) of t he Basel Convention, it is fel t that there is an urgent need to draft a technical gu ideline for the disposal of waste pneumatic tyres. The TWG is requested to facilitate the development of th at guideline through the concerned regional c entres for training and technol ogy transfer with the assistance of the relevant i ndustry and envi ronmental group s.C18 Wastes from production, formul ation and use of resins, late x, plasticizers, glues/adhesives One delegation agreed to provi de information on wastes of conce rn for placement onto list A, in particu lar concerning plasticizers. I ndustry was invited to provide the TWG with informati on on plasticizers that would be considered nonhazardous. C19 Waste chemical substances a rising from research and develop ment of teaching activities which are not identified and/or are new and whose effects on man and/or the environment are not known (a) Concerns were expressed bysome experts concerning effects of wastes which are not known and it was s uggested to bring this issue to the attention of the fourth meeting of the C onference of the Parties. (b) It is understood that waste i nfectious substances are being specified in another entry on list A under "clinical wastes". C21 Used batteries A number of experts considered t hat any batch of unsorted batte ries had a high probability of including hazardous materials. C22 Waste hydrates of alumi nium and waste alumina (a) Aluminium compounds are not found on Annex I, but this form ulation excludes those wastes most likel y to be contaminated by Annex I materials. (b) One expert expressed the opi nion that there was a need for a corresponding entry onto list A, but others felt that the lack of an Annex I entry precluded this.