Security Requirement: There is no security requirement associated with the requirement.
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENT OF HAZARDOUS WASTE AND HAZARDOUS RECYCLABLE MATERIAL PROGRAMS
BACKGROUND
The proposed work will assist Environment Canada (EC) in understanding how the Canadian transboundary movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material program compares with current practices in other countries, including legislative framework, business process, operational requirements and service standards for obtaining authorization and movement tracking. This work will focus primarily on other countries that are most comparable to Canada’s program.
In addition, the Red Tape Reduction Commission recommended in January 2012 that EC develop a system to allow importers and exporters to use electronic information exchanges as a first step towards a complete online tracking system for hazardous waste and recyclable material. This recommendation was made in order to reduce the administrative burden and improve service standards. EC is implementing this recommendation through upgrades to the Canadian Notice and Movement Tracking System (CNMTS). This initiative will provide EC with an opportunity to benefit from the information from other jurisdictions in seeking improvements and finding efficiencies for its processes and operations relating to notice submission, permit approvals and movement document tracking.
The Federal Government implements the terms of international agreements related to the transboundary movement of waste to which Canada is a party through domestic regulations under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). Canada is a party to three international agreements on the movement of hazardous wastes:
- The United Nations Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989 (ratified by Canada in 1992);
- The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Decision of Council on the Control of Transfrontier Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations, C(92)39/Final, March 1992, Revised C(2001)107 Version harmonized with the Basel Convention; and
- The Canada-USA Agreement on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, 1986 (as amended in 1992).
In signing these agreements, Canada made a commitment to develop national legislation to implement their terms, and promote the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials. Under CEPA 1999, Environment Canada’s Waste Reduction and Management Division (WRMD) implements the following three regulations:
a. The Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations (EIHWHRMR), is the primary vehicle for implementing these international commitments. The EIHWHRMR controls and tracks the movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material between Canada and other countries, as well as implement the prior informed consent mechanisms for exports, imports and transit of such materials.
b. The Interprovincial Movement of Hazardous Waste Regulations control the transboundary movements of hazardous waste between provinces and territories by prescribing the use of a tracking system.
c. The Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) Waste Export Regulations allow Canadian owners of PCB waste to export such wastes to the United States for treatment and destruction (excluding landfilling) when these wastes are in concentrations equal to or greater than 50 parts per million. The Regulations require that advance notice of proposed export shipments be given to EC. If the PCB waste shipment complies with the Regulations for the protection of human health and the environment, and authorities in any countries or provinces through which the waste will transit do not object to the shipment, a permit is sent from EC to the applicant authorizing the shipment to proceed.
The Canadian transboundary movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material program process is complex. EC processes all of the information submitted by persons wishing to export from, import to or transit through Canada hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material as required under the EIHWHRMR. Following review of the notice and required documents, and following receipt of consent from jurisdictions affected by the proposed movement(s), a permit to allow the proposed movement(s) is granted by EC. Every transborder shipment is then tracked through a transboundary movement document, which must be sent to Environment Canada and other required jurisdictions. Once final treatment of the waste or material takes place, a confirmation of disposal or recycling certificate must be sent to Environment Canada. It should be noted that typical volumes of notifications and permits are in the area of 2000 – 2500 per calendar year, and there are approximately 40 000 movements of waste in a calendar year.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this project is to provide a comparative analysis of the Canadian transboundary movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material program requirements including the legislative framework, operational requirements, and service standards, against other countries’ practices. This document will provide a means to measure the performance of the Canadian transboundary movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material program against similar international programs.
The term of the contract is of 32 weeks from the contract award date.
