Policy News - October 13, 2004

Gaps in Canada's hazardous waste management

More than a third of Canadian hazardous waste transfer stations lack formally recognized programs for managing the metal wastes, contaminated solvents, and waste oil they bulk and ship to landfills and recyclers, according to a report from Environment Canada. The absence of environmental management systems (EMSs) calls attention to the need to bring Canada's weak hazardous waste standards up to par with more stringent U.S. regulations, critics say.

A Study of Hazardous Waste Transfer Facilities in Canada was completed in December 2003 and obtained by ES&T through an Access to Information request. For the report, researchers surveyed 105 of the 147 transfer stations located across Canada and rated each based on the requirements for an EMS, as defined by ISO 14001, a voluntary international standard for environmental performance. The report showed that 10% of the stations possessed ISO certification and 55% had other EMSs in place, but 35% had no EMS program.

Federal rules are expected to come into effect next year that very likely will require an EMS. At the same time, the Basel Convention requires Canada to manage hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner, which is defined, in part, as maintaining an EMS in place, the report adds.

All of the companies were found to be in compliance with existing regulations. However, emergency response plans are infrequently tested, documentation of training and emergency drills is seldom available, and critical procedures for operating equipment are not well defined. These lapses could lead to a greater risk of spills and fires, says Mark Winfield of the Pembina Institute, a nonprofit research organization.

“Canada's definition of environmentally sound management—having an EMS—is very minimal, and the poor compliance with that implies that Canadian facilities wouldn't be able to come close to more elaborate U.S. standards, which is very disturbing,” Winfield adds.

Unlike the United States, Canada does not require stabilizing waste before it‚s disposed of and no cradle-to-grave liability exists for importers, making Canada an attractive destination for hazardous waste that is generated in the United States, Winfield says. Most of the out-of-country waste ends up at a single landfill in Sarnia, Ont., which is notorious for mismanagement, says Caroline Di Cocco, a member of Ontario's parliament.

Meanwhile, the Canadian federal government continues to work with the provinces to upgrade the technical guidelines for the landfilling of hazardous waste. Lyne Monastesse of Environment Canada defends the country’s handling of hazardous waste, saying, “the report demonstrates that the facilities are fairly well-managed. Nearly all of the large facilities are in conformance with voluntary standards.” —JANET PELLEY