Hazardous Waste in Ontario

[CIELAP <cielap@web.net> (by way of Debby Ortman <lakes@cp.duluth.mn.us>)]

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                       NEW PUBLICATION NOTICE
                                   
               HAZARDOUS WAST MANAGEMENT IN ONTARIO:
                   A  REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
                                         
     Released  in February 1998 by the Canadian Institute for Environmental
Law and
     Policy (CIELAP),  the report is the most comprehensive review of the
present
     state of hazardous waste management in Ontario today.
     
     The report examines the generation, sources, composition and fate of the
     hazardous  waste from industrial, commercial and institutional sources
and a
     number of specific waste streams, such as: PCB's, Waste Pesticides,
Biomedical
     Wastes, Waste Oil and Household Hazardous Wastes.  Significant gaps in
the
     available information, and in the underlying regulatory framework for the
     protection of public safety, public health and the environment regarding
     hazardous waste generation, handling and fate in Ontario are identified. 
     
     The report concludes  that the provincial government has no reliable
estimate of
     the total amounts of toxic and other hazardous wastes generated in
Ontario each
     year, and that the province's regulatory framework for managing these
wastes
     contains major gaps.  These include, for example,  the absence of any
provincial
     regulations on industrial discharges to sewers, which has been
estimated to be the
     single largest way in which waste generators deal with their hazardous
wastes.
     
     The report highlights the degree to which the province of Ontario is
falling behind
     other jurisdictions in this area.  It also concludes that the
regulatory changes
     proposed by the provincial government last November would have the
effect of
     reducing public knowledge of the province's hazardous waste problems
and in
     some cases they have the potential to pose significant threats to public
     safety as well as environmental quality.
     
     Consequently, the report makes extensive recommendations for the
overhaul and
     modernization of the province s regulatory framework for the
management of
     hazardous wastes.
     
     The report is available from CIELAP for $25.00 + 15% S&H 
     
     To order your copy of the report please contact:
     
     Jan Rabantek, Project Officer. 
     Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy
     Tel: 1-416-923-3529
     Fax: 1-416-923-5949
     e-mail: cielap@web.net.