Locating hazardous waste treatment facilities and disposal sites in the State of Yucatan, Mexico

In this work, geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) were used in order to identify the appropriate location for hazardous waste (HW) treatment facilities and final disposal sites in the State of Yucatan, Mexico. For HW-treatment facilities, in addition to the distance to generators and treatment facilities, geographic conditions of the site, such as vegetation, soil type, accessibility, distance to urban or rural communities, and all the boundary elements as agricultural or livestock areas, were considered in GIS and MCDA. Final disposal was taken into account only for those HW that could not be avoided or treated. In order to find the most suitable areas, the Mexican Official Norm NOM-055-SEMARNAT-2003 criteria were observed too. It was found that the most suitable zones for HW-treatment facilities were at the centre of the State, whereas the most recommended areas for HW final disposal sites were at the south.