Air quality impact assessment of a prospected waste gasification plant in Marinilla, Colombia

Altiplano subregion uses today landfill as only waste management technology, due to its improper use environmental issues are rising avoiding to reach a sustainable development. The purpose of the study was to assess the air quality impact due to a Gasification plant proposal for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management from ECOSEA S.A.S. in Marinilla, Colombia. Assessing also the performance of two different models in respect to their scope and limitations. AERSCREEN was run and used as a screening model with its proper scope of simulating worst-case scenario and it is limited on the use of meteorological data. ISC3 model was run as a refine model with the aim of completing the assessment. However due to the unavailable night data its scope reduces to diurnal simulation. Finally the two different results were analysed and merged to conclude the impact resulted in the area due to the new gasification plant that uses integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology. It was discovered during the assessment that a screening model may not be consistent with the meteorological conditions of the impacted area when assessing concentrations emitted, even though the limit values are not exceeded. The results concluded that Gasification plant proposal by ECOSEA S.A.S. presents no risk on the air quality of the area where the concentrations are emitted, complying Colombian regulatory framework. In conclusion Marinilla MSW Gasification plant represents an alternative for waste management in the Altiplano Subregion, being relatively new technology with respect to the actual applied landfill technology, considering the importance of recycling and composting into the training and awareness of the communities.