The site at Siruseri was notified for establishing the hazardous waste disposal facility and EIA for the remaining seven sites would be conducted in a phased manner.

The Minister said the State Government and the TNPCB had planned to develop the sites into a fullfledged hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility. Post closure plans would also be evolved forreclaiming the site into effective use after closure.

Tamil Nadu was taking a precautionary approach towards management of hazardous wastes, the Minister stated adding that the Government had selected candidate sites for establishing such waste disposal facilities initially for industrial areas like Manali, Mettur, Tuticorin, Ranipet and Cuddalore where there was a concentration of chemical processing industries.Assistance would be available to enable private entrepreneurs to establish waste treatment and disposal facilities.

The TNPCB's capability to enforce environmental legislation required to be strengthened to ensure effective functioning of the Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (HW & TF), he added.

United States Consulate General Michele J. Sison said a team of technical experts from EPA had come to Chennai on two occasions to consult the TNPCB on various options for containment, treatment and ultimate disposal of stockpiles of chrome slude at the Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicalsfacility at Ranipet. The team had also gathered additional data on a 600-acre site there that had been contaminated by untreated liquid effluent from a cluster of tanneries with the goal of outlining a plan of action.

An EPA team had assisted the TNPCB in the evaluation of studies conducted for proposed HW&TF at Siruseri and Mennelure villages.

The Consulate General said the department's commercial section would launch a month-long catalogue show on U.S. Environmental Technology on May 1 at the Consulate General office in Chennai. The products of 50 U.S. firms would be on display including informational catalogues and videos.

TNPCB Chairman M. Devaraj said 1,000 hazardous waste generating industrial units had been identified in Tamil Nadu and there was a generation of 1.4 billion tonnes of pollutants each year.

US-AEP regional director S. Subramanian said in Tamil Nadu there were 17,000 polluting industries half of which were under the Red Category and most of them were disposed off in a hazardousmanner.

The team of scientists from the EPA who would be addressing the workshop include Carolyn Barley, EPA International Action Team Co-ordinator, Mike Smagh Geologist, Subijhoy Dotta mechanical engineer, Betty Ann Quinn toxicologist and Paul Arnell geologist.