B3 Waste Landfill Disposal in Indonesia: Facility Classes, Location Requirements, and Engineering Standards Under PP 22/2021
Executive Summary
Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 (PP 22/2021) establishes the regulatory framework for B3 (hazardous and toxic) waste disposal through BAB VII Paragraf 9 (Articles 366-379). Disposal represents the final stage in Indonesia's hazardous waste management chain, where treated waste enters permanent containment facilities designed to isolate hazardous constituents from the environment indefinitely.
The regulation recognizes five disposal facility types. Final landfills (penimbusan akhir) represent the most common pathway, classified into three classes based on waste hazard levels and facility engineering. Injection wells enable deep geological disposal of liquid waste. Mine backfill uses abandoned mining voids for waste placement. Tailings dams accommodate mining waste with radioactive contamination. Technology-based facilities accommodate emerging disposal methods.
Landfill classification operates through soil permeability requirements. Class I and Class II facilities require permeability no greater than 10⁻⁷ cm/second, creating extremely low-permeability barriers against contaminant migration. Class III facilities accept lower-hazard waste with permeability requirements of 10⁻⁵ cm/second. Radioactive waste from specific sources requires minimum Class II disposal regardless of other characteristics.
Pre-disposal treatment is mandatory. Waste must undergo thermal treatment or stabilization and solidification before landfill placement. Total pollutant concentration testing determines appropriate landfill class assignment.
Background & Context
B3 waste disposal concludes the hazardous waste management lifecycle for materials that cannot be safely utilized or that generate residues from treatment processes. While utilization and treatment reduce waste volumes and destroy organic contaminants, inorganic hazardous constituents including heavy metals ultimately require permanent containment.
Indonesia's disposal framework addresses geological and hydrological conditions across the archipelago. Location requirements prohibiting disposal in flood zones, groundwater recharge areas, and geologically unstable zones reflect the permanent nature of disposal facilities and the extended timeframes over which containment must function.
The three-class landfill system enables proportionate facility engineering matching containment intensity to waste hazard levels. Higher-hazard waste requires more sophisticated liner systems and monitoring infrastructure than lower-hazard materials. This graduated approach optimizes resource allocation while ensuring adequate protection for each waste category.
Pre-disposal treatment requirements prevent raw hazardous waste from entering landfills. Treatment either destroys organic contaminants through thermal methods or immobilizes hazardous constituents through stabilization and solidification. Treated waste presents reduced leaching potential compared to untreated material.
Key Provisions
Disposal Obligation
Generators must arrange final disposal for their waste.
Pasal 366:
"(1) Setiap Orang yang menghasilkan Limbah B3 wajib melaksanakan Penimbunan Limbah B3. (2) Dalam hal setiap orang sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) tidak mampu melakukan sendiri, Penimbunan Limbah B3 diserahkan kepada Penimbun Limbah B3."
Every B3 waste generator must carry out disposal of their waste. Generators unable to operate disposal facilities themselves must transfer waste to licensed B3 waste disposal operators. This obligation ensures all hazardous waste enters controlled disposal pathways rather than remaining unmanaged.
Disposal Facility Types
Five facility categories accommodate different disposal requirements.
Pasal 367 Ayat 2:
"(2) Penimbunan Limbah B3 sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) dapat dilakukan pada fasilitas Penimbunan Limbah B3 berupa: a. penimbusan akhir; b. sumur injeksi; c. penempatan kembali di area bekas tambang; d. bendungan penampung Limbah tambang; dan/atau e. fasilitas Penimbunan Limbah B3 lain sesuai dengan perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi."
Final landfills (penimbusan akhir) provide engineered containment cells with liner systems and leachate management. Injection wells enable deep geological disposal of liquid waste in suitable geological formations. Mine backfill uses abandoned mining excavations for waste placement. Tailings dams accommodate mining waste including radioactively contaminated materials. Other facilities accommodate technological advances in disposal methods.
Landfill Classification
Three landfill classes address different hazard levels.
Pasal 367 Ayat 3:
"(3) Fasilitas Penimbunan Limbah B3 berupa penimbusan akhir sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (2) huruf a terdiri atas fasilitas penimbusan akhir Limbah B3: a. kelas I; b. kelas II; dan c. kelas III."
Class I facilities accept the highest-hazard waste with the most stringent containment requirements. Class II facilities serve medium-hazard waste including radioactively contaminated materials from specific sources. Class III facilities accept lower-hazard treated waste with less intensive engineering requirements.
Radioactive Waste Requirements
Special provisions govern radioactively contaminated waste.
Pasal 367 Ayat 4:
"(4) Terhadap Limbah B3 kategori 2 dari sumber spesifik khusus yang memiliki tingkat kontaminasi radioaktif lebih besar dari atau sama dengan 1 Bq/cm² (satu Becquerel per sentimeter persegi) dan/atau konsentrasi aktivitas sebesar: a. 1 Bq/gr (satu Becquerel per gram) untuk tiap radionuklida anggota deret uranium dan thorium; atau b. 10 Bq/gr (sepuluh Becquerel per gram) untuk kalium, dilakukan penimbunan paling rendah pada fasilitas penimbusan akhir Limbah B3 kelas II sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (3) huruf b."
Category 2 B3 waste from specific sources with radioactive surface contamination at or above 1 Becquerel per square centimeter requires minimum Class II disposal. Activity concentration thresholds of 1 Bq/g for uranium and thorium series radionuclides and 10 Bq/g for potassium trigger the same requirement. This ensures radioactively contaminated waste receives adequate containment regardless of other hazard characteristics.
Pre-Disposal Testing
Total pollutant concentration testing precedes disposal authorization.
Pasal 368:
"(1) Setiap Orang yang menghasilkan Limbah B3 yang akan melakukan Penimbunan Limbah B3 pada fasilitas penimbusan akhir sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 367 ayat (2) huruf a wajib melakukan uji total konsentrasi zat pencemar sebelum mengajukan permohonan Persetujuan Teknis Pengelolaan Limbah B3 untuk kegiatan Penimbunan Limbah B3. (3) Setiap Orang yang menghasilkan Limbah B3 sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1): a. wajib mengajukan permohonan Persetujuan Teknis Pengelolaan Limbah B3 untuk Penimbunan Limbah B3 paling lama 30 (tiga puluh) hari sejak uji total konsentrasi zat pencemar Limbah B3 selesai dilakukan."
Generators using final landfills must conduct total pollutant concentration testing at accredited laboratories before applying for Technical Approval. Applications must be submitted within 30 days of test completion. Test results determine appropriate landfill class assignment based on pollutant concentrations.
Location Requirements
Disposal sites must meet geological and hydrological criteria.
Pasal 369:
"(1) Lokasi Penimbunan Limbah B3 harus memenuhi persyaratan yang meliputi: a. bebas banjir; b. permeabilitas tanah; c. merupakan daerah yang secara geologis aman, stabil, tidak rawan bencana, dan di luar kawasan lindung; dan d. tidak merupakan daerah resapan air tanah, terutama yang digunakan untuk air minum."
Disposal locations must be flood-free, ensuring surface water cannot inundate containment cells. Soil permeability requirements create natural barriers against contaminant migration. Sites must be geologically safe, stable, and disaster-resistant while located outside protected conservation areas. Groundwater recharge zones, particularly those supplying drinking water, are prohibited.
Permeability Standards
Soil permeability requirements vary by landfill class.
Pasal 369 Ayat 3:
"(3) Permeabilitas tanah sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) huruf b terdiri atas: a. permeabilitas tanah yang memiliki nilai paling banyak 10⁻⁷ cm/detik (sepuluh pangkat minus tujuh sentimeter per detik), untuk fasilitas penimbusan akhir Limbah B3 kelas I dan kelas II; dan b. permeabilitas tanah yang memiliki nilai paling banyak 10⁻⁵ cm/detik (sepuluh pangkat minus lima sentimeter per detik), untuk fasilitas penimbusan akhir Limbah B3 kelas III."
Class I and Class II landfills require soil permeability no greater than 10⁻⁷ cm/second - extremely low values approaching the permeability of engineered clay liners. Class III facilities require permeability no greater than 10⁻⁵ cm/second, representing moderately low permeability. These natural barriers complement engineered liner systems.
Facility Engineering Requirements
Disposal facilities must incorporate comprehensive containment systems.
Pasal 370:
"(1) Fasilitas Penimbunan Limbah B3 harus memenuhi persyaratan yang meliputi: a. desain fasilitas; b. memiliki sistem pelapis yang dilengkapi dengan: 1. saluran untuk pengaturan aliran air permukaan; 2. pengumpulan air lindi dan pengolahannya; 3. sumur pantau; dan 4. lapisan penutup akhir; c. memiliki peralatan pendukung penimbunan Limbah B3 yang paling sedikit terdiri atas: 1. peralatan dan perlengkapan untuk mengatasi keadaan darurat; 2. alat angkut untuk Penimbunan Limbah B3; dan 3. alat pelindung dan keselamatan diri; dan d. memiliki rencana penimbunan Limbah B3, penutupan, dan pasca penutupan fasilitas Penimbunan Limbah B3."
Facility design must include liner systems with surface water drainage preventing infiltration, leachate collection and treatment systems managing liquids that contact waste, monitoring wells enabling groundwater surveillance, and final cover systems isolating waste after closure. Support equipment must include emergency response capability, waste transport vehicles, and personal protective equipment. Operational plans must address active disposal operations, closure procedures, and post-closure monitoring extending decades after waste placement ends.
Pre-Disposal Treatment
Treatment is mandatory before landfill disposal.
Pasal 371:
"(1) Setiap Orang yang menghasilkan Limbah B3 wajib melakukan Pengolahan Limbah B3 sesuai dengan standar pelaksanaan Pengolahan Limbah B3 sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 345 dan/atau Pasal 346 untuk Limbah B3 yang akan dilakukan penimbunan di fasilitas penimbusan akhir Limbah B3. (2) Limbah B3 sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) wajib ditimbun di fasilitas penimbusan akhir sesuai hasil uji total konsentrasi zat pencemar sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 368."
All waste destined for final landfills must first undergo treatment meeting thermal treatment standards or stabilization and solidification standards. Raw untreated hazardous waste cannot enter landfill disposal. Treated waste must be placed in landfill classes matching total pollutant concentration test results.
Technical Approval Timeline
Defined timelines govern disposal authorization.
Pasal 373:
"(1) Menteri setelah menerima permohonan Persetujuan Teknis Pengelolaan Limbah B3 untuk kegiatan Penimbunan Limbah B3 sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 372 memberikan pernyataan tertulis mengenai kelengkapan administrasi permohonan Persetujuan Teknis paling lama 2 (dua) hari kerja sejak permohonan diterima. (2) Setelah permohonan dinyatakan lengkap, Menteri melakukan verifikasi paling lama 7 (tujuh) hari kerja."
Administrative completeness determination occurs within 2 working days. Technical verification follows within 7 working days. Approval or rejection with reasons takes up to 7 working days after verification. Complete applications meeting requirements can expect technical approval within approximately 16 working days.
Implementation & Compliance
Prospective disposal facility operators should carefully assess site geology and hydrology before facility development. Soil permeability testing determines feasible landfill classes at candidate sites. Sites failing to meet Class III permeability standards (10⁻⁵ cm/second) cannot host any B3 waste landfill. Natural geological barriers complement but do not replace engineered liner systems.
Liner system design requires specialized geotechnical engineering expertise. Multi-layer composite liners combining synthetic geomembranes with compacted clay provide redundant containment. Leachate collection systems must handle anticipated liquid volumes throughout facility operational life and post-closure periods.
Monitoring well networks enable detection of any contaminant migration before off-site impacts occur. Wells positioned upgradient and downgradient of disposal cells establish baseline conditions and detect changes attributable to facility operations. Long-term monitoring commitments extend decades beyond facility closure.
Closure and post-closure plans address the extended timeframe over which containment must function. Final cover systems must resist erosion, prevent infiltration, and accommodate settlement as waste compacts. Post-closure monitoring and maintenance obligations may extend 30 years or more.
Pre-disposal treatment requires coordination with treatment facilities or development of on-site treatment capability. Treatment standards must be achieved and documented before waste can enter landfill disposal pathways.
Conclusion
PP 22/2021's B3 waste disposal framework establishes comprehensive requirements for permanent hazardous waste containment. The three-class landfill system matches containment intensity to waste hazard levels while mandatory pre-disposal treatment reduces long-term leaching potential.
Location requirements protecting against flood, geological instability, and groundwater contamination reflect the permanent nature of disposal facilities and the extended timeframes over which containment must function. Facility engineering requirements including liner systems, leachate management, and monitoring wells provide multiple barriers against environmental release.
The framework positions disposal as the final option after utilization and treatment have been considered, ensuring hazardous waste enters permanent containment only when no recovery or destruction alternatives exist.
Official Source
This article analyzes Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection and Management Implementation (PP 22/2021), specifically BAB VII Paragraf 9 (Pasal 366-379) on B3 Waste Disposal.
The official regulation text can be accessed at:
Primary Source:
PP No. 22 Tahun 2021 - BPK Regulation Portal
Alternative Sources:
- JDIH Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan
Official Gazette: Lembaran Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 2021 Nomor 32
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