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Neville Judd, Environmental News Service

The 1999 Canadian statistics on transboundary movements of hazardous waste prompted Environment Minister David Anderson to alert his provincial and territorial counterparts. Anderson wants strengthened provincial standards for all facilities that accept hazardous waste, including landfills.

"Canada does not want to become a pollution haven," said Anderson. "The continuing rise in imports of hazardous waste is raising questions of safety and responsibility."

Hazardous waste is made up of residues from industrial production - used solvents, acids and bases, leftovers from oil refining and the manufacture of chemicals, and metal processing residues. Common household products like car batteries and oil based paints are also hazardous once discarded. Certain chemicals in many waste products make them potentially hazardous to human health and to the environment. Some can burn skin on contact, or cause long term health or environmental risks due to accumulation and persistence of toxics in the environment.

Unlike the U.S., which has banned the dumping of untreated hazardous waste in landfills, Canada permits such practice. This, combined with a weak Canadian dollar and the fact that U.S. companies face stricter legal liability for the wastes they generate, makes Canada a logical choice for American companies that want to get rid of hazardous waste.

Between 1998 and 1999 there was an 18 percent increase in imported hazardous waste into Canada - 663,000 tonnes as compared to 545,000 tonnes. In 1998 nearly 60 percent of these imports were recycled. In 1999 only 40 percent of imports went to recycling operations.

The trend of increasing imports for disposal, especially landfilling, is especially prevalent in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Imports for disposal in Quebec went from 57,000 tonnes in 1998 to 151,000 tonnes in 1999. In Ontario, imports for disposal went from 174,000 tonnes to 240,000 tonnes. All other provinces combined accounted for less than one per cent of the total imports - 5,200 tonnes. About 80 per cent of that was recycled.

Environment Ministry spokeswoman Johanne Beaulieu said the drop in recycling is partly attributable to the type of hazardous waste being imported.

"In Quebec, for instance, we saw a lot more contaminated soil imported last year. You can't recycle that easily," she said.

Beaulieu added that it is not simply tougher standards in the U.S. that account for increased imports of hazardous waste to Canada.

"The weaker Canadian dollar definitely helps imports, plus there is a lot more space available in Canada for landfilling."

Domestically, Canadians generate about six million tonnes of hazardous waste. Fifty-five percent of hazardous waste generated in Canada is destined for recycling. Canada exports about five percent of this amount. Anderson wants domestically generated and imported hazardous waste to be pre-treated to render it safe, prior to final disposal. He plans to use strengthened provisions under the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act to enforce this. But landfilling falls under provincial jurisdiction so Anderson must convince his provincial counterparts.

"We must work with all provinces and territories so there is a concensus on how to deal with hazardous waste," said Beaulieu.

The new Canadian Environmental Protection Act requires that reduction plans be prepared for exports of waste sent for final disposal. It introduces an enhanced liability regime so that hazardous waste generators remain responsible for their waste even after it leaves their site. While the new law does not mention banning untreated hazardous waste from landfills, Beaulieu pointed out that it provides the legal authority to impose such a ban.

Environment Canada's work with provincial and territorial governments on a strengthened regime will take place in the coming months and will be discussed at the next meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in the fall.