What are Hazardous Wastes?
Hazardous wastes are those wastes which, due to their nature and
quantity, are potentially hazardous to human health and the
environment. As a rule, hazardous wastes require special handling,
labelling, storage, transportation and disposal techniques to
eliminate or reduce the hazard.
Generated primarily as the by-product of industrial and
manufacturing processes, hazardous wastes are also produced via
commercial, medical and government activities.
Used motor oil, acids, waste pesticides, biomedical &
radiological wastes, PCBs, solvents, metals and asbestos are common
examples of hazardous wastes. Even chemicals and cleaning products
with an expired "best before" date, can be classified as
hazardous.
Do you have a question regarding possible Hazardous Wastes? Click here
HazWaste Headlines
PCB Regulations New Compliance Promotion Guide and Revised Fact Sheets Now Available Online
Environment Canada has recently
posted several documents pertaining to thePCB
Regulations;
these include updated PCB Fact Sheets, the new PCB Compliance
Promotion Guide and PCB Online Reporting System User Guides. The
links are provided below, for your reference.
Fact Sheets
For a summary of
thePCB
Regulationsrequirements, please consult the
following fact sheets posted on Environment Canada's PCB
website.
Compliance Promotion Guide
onPCB
RegulationsRequirements:
The purpose of this guide is to
clarify the requirements set out in thePCB
Regulations(Regulations) and help the
regulated community better understand them. This document also answers
frequently asked questions from stakeholders regarding technical,
compliance or enforcement aspects of the Regulations'
requirements.Keep in mind that this guide
cannot be used as a replacement to the
Regulations.
PCB Online Reporting System
User Guides:
Section 42 of
thePCB
Regulationsrequires that reports referred to
in Sections 33 to 38 be submitted electronically in the format
provided by the Department of the Environment. Environment Canada's
online reporting system for thePCB
Regulationswas launched on March 30,
2009. More
information on PCBs can be found at Environment Canada's webpage
at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/bpc-pcb/
If you have any
questions regarding the PCB
Regulationsplease email PCB.PYR@ec.gc.ca.
Where can you recycle old batteries?
Millions of batteries get thrown out every year. In addition to
being a waste, it's also a hazard because those old batteries can
leach dangerous chemicals into the soil. But there are more than
1,200 collection sites in B.C.'s Call2Recycle program, which
collect all household batteries and cell phones for recycling.
There are also lots of retail stores where you can drop them off in
person, including most London drugs stores, Home Depot and Ikea.So
far this year Call2Recycle has saved more than
700,000 batteries from the landfill. You can just type in your
postal code on its website to find the recycling depots closest to
where you live or work.
New CSA standard for first responders
CSA Standards and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB)
have developed the first national standard for protection of first
responders from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
(CBRN) events. The CAN/CGSB/CSA-Z1610, Protection of First
Responders from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
Events standard (the "standard") was launched by CSA on January 25,
2011. Read More
HazWaste News
Government of Canada Adds 41 Hazardous Substances to Emergency Regulations 33 Substances Used in Commerce Included in List
OTTAWA, Ont. -- December 21, 2011 --
Canada's Environment Minister, the Honourable Peter Kent, today
announced the addition of 41 unique substances to
the Environmental Emergency
Regulations. The substances include
styrene, an explosive chemical used to make polystyrene plastic
containers, and ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer.
"The Government of Canada continues to
meet its commitment to protect Canadians and safeguard our
environment," said Minister Kent. "These amendments to
the Environmental Emergency
Regulations will further protect
Canadians where it matters most: at work, in their homes and in
their communities." Read More...
22,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides recycled in BC Unwanted agricultural pesticides collected as part of CleanFARMS' B.C. pesticides collection program for fall 2011
British Columbia (B.C.) farmers from
Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley region turned in more than
22,000 kilograms of unwanted or obsolete agricultural pesticides as
part of CleanFARMS' B.C. pesticides collection program for fall
2011.
Too much of a good thing? Odd though it may sound, experts say Canada may be doing too good a job of handling hazardous medical waste produced in the nation’s hospitals.
While the world may be increasingly awash in hazardous medical
waste that is not being properly handled and treated, according to
a United Nations report (www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.109-4032),
Canadian administrators may be overly fastidious in their efforts,
driving up costs to the health care system, hospital and
waste-management administrators claim. Read More...
Medical waste-management practices vary across Canada How does Canada stack up?
Condoms and syringes mixed with household waste and then
exported from the United Kingdom to Brazil for recycling. Scalpels
and other sharps left in heaps outside of hospitals. Effluents from
health facilities "discharged directly in rivers and other water
streams." Hazardous materials incinerated at inadequate
temperatures. Deaths in Brazil, Algeria, Morocco and Mexico caused
by improper disposal of radiotherapy materials. Read More...
Railroad authority investigates threat of unattended trains Often with hazardous cargo and left unattended
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
is currently investigating the dangers of unattended freight
trains, especially those that carry hazardous materials, following
a report by a Seattle television station; in a segment called
"Problem Solvers," KOMO News investigators boarded several freight
trains throughout the state without encountering security personnel
or crew members
Improperly Discarded 'Sharps' Can Be Dangerous Disposal of needles and syringes can be damgerous
Many people use needles, syringes and lancets-called "sharps"-to
manage their medical conditions at home. These conditions
include diabetes, allergies, infertility, arthritis, hepatitis,
HIV, blood clotting disorders, migraines and cancer. Sharps are
also used to give medication to pets and farm animals. Read More...
How Safe are EV's? GM’s Chevy Volt Catching Fire Said to Prompt U.S. Lithium-Battery Probe
U.S. auto-safety regulators are examining the safety of
lithium-ion batteries that power all plug-in electric vehicles
after a General Motors Co. (GM)
Chevrolet Volt caught fire, people familiar with the probe said.
The regulators have asked automakers, including GM, Nissan Motor
Co. and Ford Motor Co. (F), that sell
or have plans to sell vehicles with lithium-ion batteries about the
batteries' fire risk, four people familiar with the inquiry said.
LG Chem Ltd. (051910), South
Korea's biggest chemical maker, supplies Volt batteries.
Article continues Read More...