Reconversion of the Rio’s Bay dumping site

Tipo de pratica Landfill

Nombre la actividad profesional Reconversion of the Rio’s Bay dumping site

Nombre del agente principal Brazil Government and Petrobras

Tipo de agente(s) Autoridades públicas

Ubicación Brazil

Etapa de la puesta en práctica Final de la vida útil

Año de puesta en práctica 2012

Actividades realizadas o en vías de realización Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest open-air garbage dump, located in Rio de Janeiro, was closed in June 2012 after 34 years of operation. Described by Britain’s Independent newspaper as a “seaside mountain of trash,” Gramacho had long been an eyesore for environmentalists and experts, bearing evidence to bad urban planning and negligence. The dump was situated near the second-largest bay in Brazil, Guanabara Bay. Once clean and sparkling, over the years the bay had been severely polluted by massive leaks from the dump as it sagged underneath waste. Opened in 1978, the dump was established on unstable ground, an eco-sensitive marshland. For almost 20 years, there were practically no check-ups or supervision from the government. In addition, no floor lining had been included in the construction to prevent toxic waste leakage. As the organic waste rotted, it oozed juices that trickled into the waters of the bay which over the three decades, added up to tonnes. Today, Gramacho holds about 60 million tonnes of garbage. Of course, the site cannot just be erased or relocated, but an alternate plan has been developed to use energy created by decomposing waste. This consists of catching the carbon dioxide and methane emanating from the rubbish in more than 200 wells, then piping the gases to Seropedica, a facility of Petrobras which is a state-controlled energy company. This time, a three-layer seal has been installed to prevent the severe waste leaks which plagued the site in the past. Sensors are also used to determine whether any abnormality is taking place in the soil of the new site. The facility operators don’t exclude the possibility of leaks, but say these will be caught, reprocessed and used as recycled water.

Resultados y repercusiones About 20 percent of the area’s carbon dioxide emissions are caused by rotting waste. Forecasts predict the new plan for Gramacho will reduce these by some 1 400 tonnes each year. Carbon credit and biogas sales are projected to net around $232 million in 15 years. A percentage of that will contribute to payments to Gramacho’s former workers and their job placement training.