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

Jail time possible for repeat asbestos violations

WorkSafeBC will ask B.C. Supreme Court for contempt of court charge against companies
VANCOUVER SUN, May 8, 2013 - WorkSafeBC will ask the court for stronger action against a Lower Mainland asbestos removal contractor that could result in rare jail time for exposing workers to health risks. Full Article

Toxco Waste Management Ltd. Fined $17,500 for Importing Hazardous Recyclable Material

ROSSLAND, BC, April 18, 2013 /CNW/ - Toxco Waste Management Ltd., of Trail, B.C., was ordered to pay $17,500 to the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) in the Provincial Court of British Columbia after pleading guilty to importing waste lithium batteries exceeding the quantity set out in the import permit. This action contravened the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations (EIHWHRMR) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999). Full Article

Surrey recycling firm charged with exporting hazardous waste

CBC NEWS, March 25, 2013 - A recycling company in Surrey, B.C., has been charged with exporting hazardous waste overseas for allegedly sending recycled batteries and cathode ray tubes to Macau without a permit. Full Article

Asbestos safety often ignored in B.C.

WorkSafeBC writes up hundreds of violations of asbestos safety rules every year; one company has been given $280,000 in fines
VANCOUVER SUN, February 25, 2013 - WorkSafeBC writes hundreds of violations a year against contractors who fail to protect workers from exposure to cancer-causing asbestos building materials. Full Article

Potential Hazards at Both Ends of the Lithium-Ion Life Cycle

Battery recycling is a delicate business
IEEE INSIDE TECHNOLOGY SPECTRUM, March 01, 2013 - Despite the fires aboard two 787 Dreamliners, more and more large-format lithium-ion applications are being rolled out: Jet fighters like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and cars such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are a few such examples. And while investigators today look into the safety of using lithium-ion batteries in the field, important concerns also remain about simply transporting, storing, and recycling them. Full Article

Washington plutonium leak poses 'long-term threat'

CBC.ca, February 17, 2013 - A tank leaking plutonium at a contaminated nuclear waste site in Washington has prompted the state's governor to sound the alarm over the threat it poses. Full Article

Richmond disposal firm fined $70K for illegal asbestos storage

THE VANCOUVER SUN, January 2, 2013 - A Richmond-based disposal company has been fined $70,000 by a Provincial Court judge for illegally accepting and storing asbestos in 2011 on Mitchell Island.

Mr. Bin Disposal plead guilty on Dec. 21 to three violations of their Vancouver regional district solid-waste licence, including handling materials outside of a building and exceeding the amount of municipal solid waste that was allowed at its facility.

The company was licensed by the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District to accept municipal solid waste and recyclable material, but not asbestos. Full Article

B.C.'s road to trash diversion: Key dates to a cleaner future

Key dates in B.C."s  trash diversion regulation 

2014: May 19 is the date the Multi-Material BC, an industry group, must start a comprehensive residential recycling program for packaging and printed paper, likely as part of the bluebox system.

2015: Metro Vancouver deadline for increasing the proportion of waste diverted from disposal to 70 per cent from the current 55 per cent.

2020: Metro Vancouver deadline for increasing the proportion of waste diverted from disposal to 80 per cent.

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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 the
PCB 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.

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HazWaste News

DOT Launches Free App Featuring Emergency Response Guidebook Delivers Hazmat Safety Info into the Hands of Emergency Responders

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced a free, mobile web app of its Emergency Response Guidebook 2012 (ERG). The new safety tool will provide the nation's emergency responders with fast, easily accessible information to help them manage hazardous material incidents. Read More...

New Lithium Battery Regulations Will Present Shippers with Challenges in 2013 Additional Training may be required

One of the most noteworthy changes, of the 2013 International Air Regulations,  is the new various packing instructions for lithium ion and metal batteries and cells. Read More...

Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Inspections A Must if You Are Renovating

WorkSafeBC requires a hazardous materials inspection for any worksite to determine the presence of asbestos containing materials (ACM), and many municipalities now require a complete inventory of hazardous materials present in a building before issuing a permit to renovate or demolish the premises. Some of these hazardous materials are asbestos, lead (in paint, plumbing, stained glass), mercury (in thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs), PCBs (in fluorescent light ballasts) and ODSs (ozone depleting substances such as freon, a refrigerant used in air conditioners). Read More...

What to do if you find tsunami debris Guidelines from the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment

Every year, marine debris from a number of sources washes up on coastlines around the world. Along with impacting tens of thousands of lives, the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011 also washed debris into the Pacific Ocean.

Legislation gives first responders peace of mind Emergency workers will be able to access information about potential disease exposure

Emergency workers will be able to access information about potential disease exposure with legislation introduced today by the Honourable Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government. Read More...

AMS/WASTE and COORS Databases Information Now Available Free of Charge

The BC Minisitry of the Environment has recently made some changes to provide the information free of charge in the AMS/WASTE and CCORs databases. Previously, searches for information in these databases could only be requested by submitting a  Site Information Request Application.

WorkSafeBC exec says asbestos disease still top concern for B.C. workers Effects of asbestos exposure still a problem for workers

The effects of long years of exposure to asbestos is still one of the biggest challenges faced by British Columbia's workers today, and it is expected to continue to be a problem in this decade.

This was according to Donna Wilson, vice-president for industrial service and sustainability for WorkSafeBC, the province's workers' compensation board. Read More...