| Summary: | Responsibility for waste materials since the 1980 Belgian State reforms has been a regional matter and is vested for the Flemish Region in the OVAM (Openbare Afvalstoffenmaatschappij voor het Vlaamse gewest-Public Waste Company for the Flemish Region). The collection and processing of animal waste is governed by the order of the Flemish government of 24 May 1995. The carcasses of the sperm whales, stranded on the coast of Belgium in 1994, were processed into animal feed in a processing facility, approved for animal waste. They were initially regarded as low-risk material. However, it was subsequently found that hazardous material were present in the tissues of the sperm whales, so that high-risk material was involved. Processing the sperm whale into animal feed was viewed afterwards, owing to the presence of residues and because of the problems that arose at the knacker's yard, as not being the appropriate method of disposal. Alternative options for disposal were incineration or burial. Incineration was not possible in the Flemish region because there was no incinerator capable for incinerating such amount of animal waste. Burial is the best alternative and disposal in a class II landfill is another option; landfilling can be viewed as a controlled form of burial. Difficulties always arise with class II landfills (for household waste), however, because their license does not provide for animal waste. Co-ordination between the various official organisations is necessary in an urgent situation such as arose in the stranding of the sperm whales in 1994, so that a good solution can be found as quickly as possible for the disposal of the animal waste.
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