Environmental impact assessment before and after implementing mitigation and prevention measures on two final waste disposal sites. Case study: Zacatecas, Mexico

In Mexico, municipal governments have material, economic, and human resource limitations, as well as a lack of cooperation with state authorities, causing the solid waste management system to neglect environmental protection. This circumstance has adverse environmental impacts that must be addressed. This project shows two impact assessments, before and after the implementation of an environmental management plan (EMP) in two final waste disposal sites in Cuauhtémoc, Zacatecas, Mexico, following the specifications of the Mexican Official Standard NOM-083-SEMARNAT-2003. The results from the first environmental impact assessment (before the EMP) showed that non-compliance with the control, together with the lack of compaction and coverage of waste in the two final disposal sites and the inappropriate closure, were the issues with the highest impact in the study area. The second assessment (after the EMP) showed an increase in positive impacts and a decrease in the magnitude and importance of the negatives, considering the implementation of prevention and mitigation measures. The new conformation and final use of the closed site, entry control, and compaction of waste, along with proceedings for waterproofing the soil during the construction of a new cell in the active site, were the activities with beneficial impacts. The results proved that with the EMP, the final disposal sites could be improved and restored, bringing positive impacts within the municipality through the actions performed.