Characterization of groundwater flow in the Bailin hazardous waste-disposal site (Huesca, Spain)

Abstract

 A serious problem in Spain is presented, where the water and soil were contaminated by lindane produced by the chemical industry, at a time when environmental legislation was limited, and the hydrogeological characterization of the low permeability materials was insufficient. The waste-disposal sites where the lindane accumulated lacked suitable sealing and also had notable filtration. The non-existence of a safe waste-disposal site, and the economic and social problems of transporting lindane residues forced the alternative proposal of confining these residues in situ (Government of Aragón, 1995, 1996). Once the surface sealing was carried out, the problem centred on the site's underground confinement. The purpose of this publication is to present the particular hydrogeological behaviour of materials, which were initially considered impermeable because of the presence of very consolidated sandstone beddings and the vertical disposition of the strata, and so allowed the lindane to escape through the groundwater. In addition, this publication describes the procedures carried out in order to achieve effective underground confinement at the waste-disposal site.