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WASTE:
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous
wastes are those
substances that
require special
technologically
advanced methods
of disposal to
render them harmless
or less dangerous
because of the
threat they pose
to  human
health and the
environment.
If disposed of
without proper
treatment, hazardous
wastes can cause
serious, long-lasting
damage to both
terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems.
Human health
impacts can also
be severe. For
example, long-term
exposure to mercury,
lead or cadmium
can damage the
brain, the kidneys,
the nervous system
and fetal development.
Hazardous
wastes are produced
by manufacturing
processes, the
chemical industry,
the petroleum
industry and
other industrial
sectors. Examples
include acids,
alkilis, solvents,
medical waste,
resins, sludge
and heavy metals.
Canada’s
OECD Ranking
Canada’s
ranking among
OECD nations
for generating
hazardous waste
is very poor.
Among the 27
OECD nations
for whom reliable
data are available,
Canada ranks
24th in hazardous
waste per capita.
Canadians produce
an average of
190 kilograms
of hazardous
waste annually.
Only the United
States, Hungary
and Luxembourg
generate more
hazardous waste
per capita than
Canadians.
In
1991, the most
recent year of
Canadian data
available to
the OECD, Canada
generated 5,896,000
tonnes of hazardous
waste, placing
23rd out of 27
in total hazardous
waste. The only
OECD countries
producing more
hazardous waste
than Canada are
the United States,
Mexico, France
and Germany.
Trend
Unfortunately,
the OECD does
not provide historical
data on hazardous
waste, so that
no trend can
be detected.
However, the
OECD has observed
that Canadian
authorities have
trouble keeping
track of hazardous
wastes, citing
a study from
Quebec which
“revealed
that around one-third
of the waste
sent to off-site
disposal could
not be traced.”
The OECD recommended
that Canadian
laws governing
hazardous waste
“should
be strengthened
to prevent pollution
problems that
would require
very expensive
clean-up later.”16
In
1999 the Canadian
Institute for
Environmental
Law and Policy
revealed that
the level of
American hazardous
waste imported
by Ontario quintupled
(i.e. grew by
500%) between
1993 and 1998
(from 56,000
tonnes to 288,000
tonnes). The
dramatic increase
coincided with
a new American
law requiring
incineration
of hazardous
waste (to protect
human health
and the environment)
while Ontario
continued to
allow hazardous
waste to be buried
cheaply in landfills.17
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