Hazardous Waste Management in BC

Compliance Assistance

The Hazardous Waste Regulation has recently been amended and Form 1A and Form 1B in Schedule 5 have been replaced with Form 1, Registration Form.

Section 43 of the Regulation requires that any person, partnership or company in British Columbia that produces, stores, treats, recycles or discharges more than a prescribed quantity of hazardous waste must register with the ministry director within 30 days by completing a registration form and applying for a Provincial Identification number. The prescribed quantities for different types of hazardous waste are listed in Schedule 6 of the Regulation

The Schedule 6 quantities of hazardous waste are the quantities:

generated within a 30-day period at a facility;

stored at any time at a facility or;

treated, recycled or disposed of within a one-day period at a facility.

BCG numbers are issued to hazardous waste generators; RS numbers are issued to hazardous waste management facilities.

Registration information for hazardous waste generators and management facilities must be kept up-to-date by submitting the registration form with updated information within 30-days of any changes.

Provincial Identification numbers, either prefixed by BCG or RS, must be entered on manifest forms as “Provincial ID No.” when transporting hazardous waste in a quantity where a manifest is required. If a facility is shipping hazardous waste in quantities that require a manifest for transport, but the facility does not require registration (a Provincial Identification number is not issued), Section A, Provincial ID No. on the manifest is to be completed by entering N/A in lieu of the number. Do not leave this section blank.

Facilities that are required to register may also be required to submit operational plans and various other plans to the director for approval.
Please refer to the Hazardous Waste Regulation Information Note for further information.

The following instructions are supplementary to the instructions printed on the Registration Form to help clarify some aspects of the form:

Registration No./ Provincial ID No. refers to the existing BCG number for the facility, whereas the RS number is the RS number associated with a facility's operational plan. In the initial registration, these spaces should be left blank and the ministry will assign a number based on the information provided. In the table in section B, the “quantity in storage” is the maximum quantity of hazardous waste to be stored at any time.

In the table in Section C, the “quantity capacity” is the maximum quantity of hazardous waste to be stored at any time.

Issues and Protocols

Asbestos Management by Homeowners
Information for home owners to assist in the transportation and disposal of asbestos waste if the waste is classified as hazardous waste according to the Hazardous Waste Regulation.

Emission Criteria for Biomedical Waste Incinerators

Protocol for Management of PCB Contaminated Hazardous Waste
This protocol applies to PCB hazardous waste solid residues which result from the treatment of special waste by physical, chemical, biological, incineration or thermal processes.

Protocol for Management of PCB Transformers
This procedure provides a protocol for use by a manager to authorize removal of decontaminated transformer components or residue from a special waste treatment facility.

Protocol for Treated Spent Iron Sponge
This protocol is approved for evaluation of treated spent iron sponge. Iron sponge consists of wood shavings or wood chips impregnated with hydrated iron oxide. It is used for removal of H2S in oil and gas processing operations. Exposure to H2S and mercaptans produces iron sulphides and iron mercaptides. Infused with these contaminants, the iron sponge is referred to as spent iron sponge.

Protocol for Delisting Residues from Treatment or Incineration of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Hazardous Waste Soil
This procedure provides a delisting protocol for treated hydrocarbon contaminated soil for use by a Waste Manager.

BCEIA Compliance Improvement Project

Attention Waste Generators, Transporters, Receiver/Processors, Industry or Trade Associations. The British Columbia Environment Industry Association (BCEIA) is willing to work with you to co-sponsor a half day workshop to help your employees, customers, members to better understand the BC requirements for hazardous waste characterization, proper storage, record-keeping, selecting appropriate transportation and receiver/processor service and ensuring proper closure by manifest tracking. Contact the BCEIA for further details.

Hazardous Wastes Across Canada

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)’s goal for hazardous waste management is a consistent Canada-wide approach to the regulation of hazardous wastes and recyclables. CCME has identified significant national issues in hazardous waste management requiring a coordinated national approach and provided guidance on these issues through developing national guidelines or codes of practice. CCME has published several documents related to hazardous waste and recyclables.

PN 1205 PCB Transformer Decontamination Standards and Protocols (1995)

PN 1365 National Guidelines for Hazardous Waste Landfills (2006)