HazMat Management Summer 2009 by Annex Business Media

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Chemical Waste Management Edmonton Environment Centre First Carbon Capture Law

Drilling Waste Bioremediation of drill rig byproducts — page 8

Published by HazMat Management and Solid Waste & Recycling magazines. PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

Fueling the Future: Enerkem’s ‘Syngas’ Plants

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contents

vol 21 no 3 summer 2009

ON THE COVER DRILLING WASTE

4HE OIL GAS INDUSTRY S EXPANSION IN !TLANTIC #ANADA HAS FUELED THE ECONOMY BUT ALSO GENERATED UNWELCOME DRILLING WASTE BYPRODUCTS .EWALTA S "EECH (ILL &ACILITY USES BIOREMEDIATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM by Greg Jones

FEATURES 14

CHEMICAL SAFETY

-ANAGING THE LAB CHEMICAL LIFECYCLE by Fred Vangroningen 5NDERSTANDING ,ABPACKING by John Hosty

DEPARTMENTS Editorial Up Front and Masthead Environment Business Chemical Corner HazMat Products Ad Index Legal Perspective

SUSTAINABILITY

%DMONTON S HIGH TECH ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE by David Israelson

CLEAN TECH CANADA

BROWNFIELDS

EDITORIAL Clean technology opportunities for Canadian companies. by Vicky Sharpe

EDITORIAL SDTC as a partner. by Vicky Sharpe

SITE RESTORATION Transforming the Collingwood shipyards. by Fred Serrafero & Paul Bowen

SUSTAINABLE REMEDIATION Green risk management tools and technologies. by Wayne McPhee & Peter Beukema

INTERNATIONAL BROWNFIELDS The United Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national strategy. by Richard Boyle

(PAGES 17-26)

CLEAN TECH Profiles of clean technology companies. by John Nicholson GREEN ENERGY Enerkem technology turns waste into biofuel. by Marie-Helene Labrie LEGAL VIEW Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Green Energy Act by Aaron Atcheson

4 6 46 48 50 53 54

MARKETPLACE

(PAGES 27-43)

TESTING & MONITORING Frequent soil testing is sensible and affordable. by Isaac Rudik

next edition (fall 2009) Editorial Focus: Brownfields Remediation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Bonus Distribution: Toronto HazMat Conference, Toronto; Canadian Industrial Emergency Conference, Edmonton; Remtech, Banff; Canadian Brownfields, Vancouver s 3ITE REMEDIATION s 3PILLS #LEANUP s %NVIRONMENTAL #OMPLIANCE s (AZ-AT 3TORAGE !34S AND 534S Advertising closes, August 25, 2009. Advertising Artwork required, September 1, 2009. Contact Brad O'Brien at 1-888-702-1111 ext. 1. SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 3

editorial

Canada’s Chrysotile Tears

by Guy Crittenden

“Regulation of asbestos is uneven, end uses are barely tracked and warning label requirements are weak.”

4 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

merican tourists sometimes sew Canadian flags on their backpacks to hitch a ride on our country’s excellent reputation abroad. However, Canada needs to clean up its act on one issue that undercuts its clean international image: our status as the world’s second largest exporter of asbestos. (Russia recently became the leader.) The mineral fibre was used in the past in products ranging from clothing to construction because of its fire-resistant, durable qualities. Nowadays — almost entirely in its chrysotile form — it’s mostly used as a cement additive. The risks from asbestos are well known. Even the ancient Romans noticed that slaves garbed in asbestos-fibre robes succumbed to respiratory illness. Today, more than 40 countries have banned the substance, including the United Kingdom in 1999. Says Richard Moyle, National Awareness Coordinator for the Mesothelioma Cancer Center in Orlando, Florida, “Unfortunately, exposure to this contaminant is the only proven cause of a rare cancer known as mesothelioma. The most common form of this cancer affects the lining of the lungs, and is extremely difficult to treat.” Mesothelioma doesn’t typically trigger discernable symptoms until anywhere from 25 to 50 years after exposure. The cancer is usually not diagnosed until it’s too late; the average survival rate after diagnosis is just one year. Canada currently exports more than 200,000 tonnes (about $93 million worth) of asbestos annually. Our government funds the Chrysotile Institute (an industry group) and supports its claim that chrysotile is less dangerous than other forms of asbestos and can be safely managed. While chrysotile may become less easily airborne than more “friable” forms of asbestos, critics say that impartial science does not support claims about chrysotile’s safety, especially in major export markets in the developing world where few safeguards are in place. A spokesperson for the Canadian Cancer Society says, “We are stating factually that all forms of asbestos cause cancer.” In order to protect approximately 800 jobs in the asbestos-producing area of Quebec, our federal government consistently opposes any proposed ban on chrysotile. It has also lobbied successfully against the EU, Chile and Australia to exclude chrysotile from the Rotterdam Convention, where listing along with other hazardous materials would require prior informed consent (PIC) from importing countries. Our government, it seems, doesn’t want developing nations to even be aware of the risks posed by chrysotile. Most Canadians probably think asbestos was a problem dealt with back in the 1970s and 80s. They’d be surprised to learn that the worst of the health crisis is still ahead. In 2005, 61 percent of work-related deaths in Canada were the result of asbestos exposure (totaling 340 people). Asbestos is one of the most common contaminants that HazMat removal workers encounter. The World Health Organization lists asbestos as a cancer-causing substance and reports 90,000 people worldwide die from an asbestos-related disease every year. Many asbestos products such as drinking water and sewage pipes are cheap, so developing countries such as Russia, China, Brazil, India and Thailand use them with few precautions. Many people in these countries will succumb to asbestos-related diseases and the problem is growing. It’s a totally preventable toxic time bomb to which Canada is contributing overseas, even as we carefully remove asbestos from buildings in our own country and require asbestos contractors to wear special protective equipment. Despite the risks, regulation of asbestos is uneven, end uses are barely tracked and warning label requirements are weak A US EPA attempt to ban asbestos in 1989 was overruled by US courts, so products containing asbestos are still legal. In 1989 about 3,500 products in the US contained asbestos. As reported in The Gallon Environment Letter, in the US limits on asbestos health compensation were set by the workers’ compensation system until the court case Borel vs Fibreboard opened the door to successful litigation in 1973. RAND estimates that 730,000 asbestos claims were filed through 2002 with over 8,000 companies as defendants. US defendants or their insurers in asbestos personal injury claims have paid about $70 billion, with ultimate costs estimated to be in the $200-250 billion range. The economic impact has been huge. Johns-Mansville Corporation, the largest supplier and manufacturer of asbestos-containing products in the US, filed for bankruptcy in 1982. Asbestos claims have triggered 80 bankruptcies in the US so far and as many as 60,000 US jobs have been lost. Pat Martin, Winnipeg Member of Parliament, is attempting to make the House of Commons proclaim April Fools Day (April 1) an awareness day for asbestos-related diseases. “We’ve fooled the world with phony science for too long,” says Martin, who spent two years in his youth mining asbestos in the Yukon, unaware of the danger. The Canadian Cancer Society supports Martin and is calling for an asbestos ban. We support Martin and the Canadian Cancer Society and call upon the Canadian government to heed impartial science, end the asbestos exports and help Quebec’s asbestos workers make a “just transition” to other, less harmful work. The mere $93 million in export revenues isn’t worth the exponentially higher longterm health costs and human suffering overseas, and the stain on our country’s otherwise excellent reputation. For more independent information on asbestos risks, visit www.asbestos.com. HMM

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at gcrittenden@hazmatmag.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:802;

demolition emergency response hazardous materials abatement remediation thomson metals and disposal

the complete package Quantum Murray LP is a full-service waste management, decommissioning and environmental contracting company. With offices across Canada qualified professionals seamlessly provide demolition, emergency response, hazardous material abatement and environmental remediation as well as scrap metal salvage and disposal services. Our remediation team provides a full range of services, from heavy civil and geotechnical applications, to industrial site decommissioning, site excavation and remediation, treatment of contaminated soil and water, all manner of cut-off walls, excavation shoring, slurry excavation, UST / AST removal and in-situ system installation. offices located nationwide • 1.800.251.7773 • info@quantummurray.com • www.quantummurray.com

HazMat

SUMMER 2009

up-front

MANAGEMENT

Vol. 21, No. 3

Solutions for the Business of the Environment

Guy Crittenden EDITOR gcrittenden@hazmatmag.com

Brad O’Brien PUBLISHER 416-510-6798 bobrien@hazmatmag.com Jamie Ross ACCOUNT MANAGER 416-510-5221 jross@hazmatmag.com Sheila Wilson ART DIRECTOR Kimberly Collins PRODUCTION MANAGER 416-510-6779 kcollins@bizinfogroup.ca Selina Rahaman CIRCULATION MANAGER Carol Bell-LeNoury GENERAL MANAGER, ECOLOG GROUP Bruce Creighton PRESIDENT

AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE HazMat Management, USPS 016-506 is published four times a year by EcoLog Group, a division of Business Information Group Inc., a leading Canadian business-to-business information services company. HazMat Management magazine provides strategic information and perspectives to North American industry and government on pollution prevention and waste management issues. Readers include corporate executives, compliance and safety officers, industrial plant managers and operators, municipal, government environment officials, working scientists, and consulting engineers. EcoLog Group products include Solid Waste & Recycling magazine, the ERIS risk information service, and a number of newsletters affiliated with EcoLog.com Head Office: Internet: Email:

12 Concorde Place, Suite 800 Toronto ON M3C 4J2 Call: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5133 www.hazmatmag.com bobrien@hazmatmag.com

Information contained in this publication has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, thus HazMat Management cannot be responsible for the absolute correctness or sufficiency of articles or editorial contained herein. Although the information contained in this magazine is believed to be correct, no responsibility is assumed therefore, nor for the opinions expressed by individual authors. Articles in this magazine are intended to convey information rather than give legal or other professional advice. Reprint and list rental services are arranged through the Publisher at (416) 5106780. This magazine is printed on RECYCLED PAPER made with 10% post consumer and 50% post commercial waste. Periodical Postage Paid Niagara Falls, NY, U.S. P.S. #016-506 U.S. Office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-0357 U.S. Postmaster: Send address corrections to: HazMat Management, P.O. Box 1118, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40069240 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Circulation Department — HazMat Management magazine 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800 Toronto ON M3C4J2 From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Fax: 416-510-5133 Email: jhunter@bizinfogroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Officer Business Information Group 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800 Toronto ON M3C 4J2 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs. © 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent. PAP Registration No. 11032 ISSN-1713-9511 Member

Canadian Business

PARTNERING, the key to environmental business opportunities outside Canada by Jamie Ross

uring the Spring I attended a number of meetings held by the Ontario Ministry of International Trade and Investment. The topic of these meetings was world wide business opportunities for Canadian environmental companies. There were teleconferences and face to face meetings with officials from Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Brazil (held jointly with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada) and China. Through these meetings the opportunity for Canadian companies to get work overseas became obvious. There are billions of Euros being spent on environmental improvements in the former Soviet Bloc. This investment represents a wonderful opportunity for Canadians. We have a good reputation around the world for having first rate environmental firms. Don’t get me wrong, there will be hard work involved in getting these contracts but the business is there for those willing to do the legwork. One common theme was finding a strategic local partner, someone to represent your company and to liaise with local officials and clients. This is a sticking point for many companies but they must understand that there is an interest in supporting companies within these countries, not just outsourcing the work to Canadians. Each country has its specific growth areas. Waste management is a growing concern in Eastern Europe, along with a multitude of contaminated sites from former military and heavy industrial operations. Then there is China. The World Bank has identified that 16 of the worlds 20 most polluted cities are in China. This does not mean that the Chinese are not actively working towards environmental improvements. They are in fact very active both nationally and on a regional basis through Environmental Protection Industry

Associations. The Chinese have indicated that wastewater management is their number one concern but there is also a demand for contaminated site cleanup. In Brazil it was noted that Petrobras has over US$2 Billion to spend on site remediation and the environment sector is worth an estimated $4.9 billion/year, 85 per cent supplied by domestic firms. Brazil, like China is more in need of service than equipment as they manufacture their own. Legislation is a driving force behind some of the opportunities. For example Brazil has set rules based on service stations that a contaminated site must be cleaned within three years, with another two years of monitoring after. The scale of this opportunity is massive. There are an estimated Jamie Ross 50,000 plus contaminated sites in Sao Paulo alone. In order to get a shot at this business it is best to find a local partner you trust. Everton de Oliveira, President of the Brazilian Groundwater Association (ABAS) put it best when he said, “You have to understand the culture to do business here.” Locals do. That is why the Canadian government is working to put you in contact with the right people in these markets.

Jamie Ross is Account Manager with this magazine. Contact Jamie at jross@bizinfogroup.ca Watch our events listings on www.solidwastemag.com and www.hazmatmag.com for upcoming business development opportunities. @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

Press

6 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

up-front

Brownfields Breakfast Summit Series

iÑ Å å w i `ÈÑ Åi> w>ÈÓÑ -Þ ÓÑ -iÅ iÈÑ å>ÈÑ Ó >Ói`Ñ >ÓÑ Ó iÑ Å å iÑ * >ë>Ñ Ói Ñ Ñ "ÓÓ>å>Ñ Ñ 7i` iÈ`>ç]Ñ >çÑ ÛÌ]Ñ Ûíí µÑ *Å `ÞVi`Ñ LçÑ HazMat ManagementÑ > >ë i]Ñ >Ñ ii Ñ VÅ å`Ñ wÑ ÞÈÓÑ äiÅÑ yíÑ i ä Å i Ó> Ñ °Å wiÈÈ > ÈÑ >Ó iÅi`Ñ Ó Ñ i>ÅÑ Þ°`>ÓiÈÑ> `Ñ w Å >Ó Ñ ÑÓ iÑ" Ó>Å Ñ ÈÓÅçÑ wÑÓ iÑ ä Å i ÓÂÈÑ,i Þ >Ó Ñ§yÕÐí}Ñ°iÅÓ> ÑÓ ÑLÅ å w i `ÈµÑ Ñå ìÑÈ°iVÓÅÞ Ñ wÑ å i` iÑå>ÈÑ°>ÈÈi`Ñ> Ñ >ÈÑ ì i >ÓiÈÑ i>Å i`Ñ >L ÞÓÑ Ó iÑ Ó Ñ > `Ñ °Å ViÈÈiÈÑ Ó >ÓÑ Ó iÑ ÈÓÅçÑ ÈÑ ÅiV i ` \Ñ Ó iÑ iåÑ / iÅÑ Ñ °Å ° Èi`Ñ ` w V>Ó ÈËÑÓ iÑ iåÑÅ È Ñ>ÈÈiÈÈ i ÓÑ ì ËÑ Ó iÑ iæ°i` Ói`Ñ ÓiÅ > Ñ °Å ViÈÈiÈÑ Ó Ñ Å> ÓÑ >Ñ ,iV Å`Ñ wÑ - ÓiÑ ` Ó ËÑÓ iÑ>`ä> Ó> iÈÑ wÑÓ iÑ > çÑ> `ÑV ° iæÑ °Ó ÈÑ wÑ ÈÞÅ> ViÑ> `ÑwÞ ` ËÑÓ iÑV > iÈÑÓ Ñ >L Å>Ó ÅçÑ ÅiºÞ Åi i ÓÈÑ > `Ñ Åi° ÅÓ Ñ ÓÈËÑ Ó iÑ Å> ÓÈÑ > `Ñ > ÈÑ°Å Å> Ñ>ä> >L iÑw ÅÑ°Å iVÓÈÑÓ Å Þ ÑÓ iÑ Åii Ñ Þ V °> Ñ Þ `ËÑ > `Ñ Ó iÑ Li iw ÓÈÑ wÑ ÞÈ Ñ > Ñ , -Ñ Åi° ÅÓÑ Ó Ñ >ÈÈ ÈÓÑ Ñ iiÓ Ñ Ó iÑ VÅ ÓiÅ >Ñ ÈiÓÑ ÞÓÑ Ñ Ó iÑ °Å ° Èi`Ñ,iV Å`Ñ wÑ- ÓiÑ ` Ó Ñ>°° V>Ó µ / iÑ äiÅ> Ñ°Å Å> Ñ°Å ä ì`Ñ>Ñ Åi>ÓÑ äiÅä iåÑ wÑÓ iÑ Ñ V > iÈ]Ñ °Å ° Èi`Ñ > i ` i ÓÈÑ > `Ñ ` ÅiVÓ Ñ Ó >ÓÑÓ iÑ ÈÓÅçÑ ÈÑ ° ÑÓ Ñ>V iäiÑå Ó ÑÓ iÑV > iÈÑ Ó Ñ ,i Þ >Ó Ñ §yÕÐí}µÑ / iÑ ÈÓÅçÑ >ÈÑ Lii Ñ iiÓ Ñ å Ó ÑÈiäiÅ> ÑÞÈiÅÑ Å Þ°ÈÑ> `Ñi ä Å i Ó> ÑV ÈÓ ÓÞi ÓÈÑ Ñ ÅìÅÑ Ó Ñ °Å ä ìÑ > Ñ iæ°i` Ói`Ñ °Å ViÈÈ]Ñ å Ó Ñ Þ w Å Ñ °Å Vi`ÞÅiÈÑ Ó >ÓÑ >ÅiÑ V ÈÓ iwwiVÓ äiÑ w ÅÑ `ÞÈÓÅçµÑ / iÑ ÞÓV iÈÑ wÅ Ñ È iÑ wÑ Ó ÈiÑ iiÓ ÈÑ °Å ä ì`Ñ Ó iÑ Þ°`>ÓiÈÑ Ó >ÓÑ åiÅiÑ È >Åi`Ñ å Ó Ñ Ó iÑ ì i >ÓiÑ L>ÈiÑ >ÓÑ Ó iÑ Å å w i `ÈÑ Åi> w>ÈÓÑ-Þ Óµ Speakers included: UÑÑElliot Sigal]Ñ-i ÅÑ-Vi Ó ÈÓÑ> `Ñ æiVÞÓ äiÑ6 ViÑ*ÅiÈ ì ÓÑ wÑ ÓÅ È Ñ ä Å i Ó> Ñ-V i ViÈÑ Vµ UÑÑPaul Fitzgerald]Ñ*>ÅÓ iÅ]Ñ*ÞÅäiÈÑ,i` `Ñ Ói`

UÑSusan Susan Howard]Ñ-i ÅÑ* VçÑ > çÈÓ]Ñ ÈÓÅçÑ wÑÓ iÑ ä Å i Ó]Ñ äiÅ i ÓÑ wÑ" Ó>Å UÑÑKen Dunn]Ñ-i ÅÑ ÈÞ Ó> Ó]Ñ i`iÅ>Ó Ñ wÑ > >` > Ñ Þ V °> Ó iÈ]Ñ Åii Ñ Þ V °> Ñ Þ ` UÑÑMarcus Maguire]Ñ-i ÅÑ6 ViÑ*ÅiÈ `i Ó]Ñ,iÈi>ÅV Ñ> `Ñ

iäi ° i ÓÑ wÑ /Ñ >L Å>Ó Å iÈÑ Vµ UÑÑCarol Bell-LeNoury]Ñ i iÅ> Ñ > > iÅ]Ñ V Ñ , -Ñ Vµ / iÑ iæÓÑ Å å w i `ÈÑ -Þ ÓÑ å Ñ Ó> iÑ ° >ViÑ >ÓÑ Ó iÑ ä Å i Ó> Ñ ° > ViÑ wiÅi ViµÑ²See boxed item.)

2009 Environmental Compliance Conference

he 2009 Environmental Compliance Conference will take place November 4, 2009 at the Westin Bristol Place, Airport Road, Mississauga. The conference this year will focus on two environmental issues in Ontario. The first track will highlight the proposed amendments to Ontario Regulation 153/04 and the area of Brownfield’s redevelopment; and the second track stems from the Waste Diversion Act — extended user responsibility and Zero Waste initiatives. In addition, a keynote speaker will open the conference. The ECC is a full day, interactive conference featuring panel discussions, keynote speakers, participatory round-tables, networking, and meals. Registration is $459 for a single registration and $399 for two or more delegates from the same company. To learn more and to register, contact: Simuoko Frayne, Conference Manager EcoLog Group Tel: 416-510-6867 Fax: 416-510-5133 Email: sfrayne@bizinfogroup.ca Web: www.ecologevents.com SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 7

cover-story

Newalta Beech Hill Facility uses bioremediation to locally manage oil and gas drilling waste in Atlantic Canada

Drilling

rilling for oil and natural gas — both on land (“onshore”) and in ocean waters (“offshore”) — from drilling rigs generates residual contaminated byproducts, particularly in the form of drilling waste that workers call or “muds.” In the drilling process, drilling mud is used to lubricate equipment and to bring rock cuttings to the surface, among other purposes. Because these muds are contaminated with hydrocarbons and are potentially dangerous to the environment, oil and gas drillers look to specialized waste management providers to manage their waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. This means the muds must be treated in one of a variety of ways. Typical options include landfill disposal, land farming, solidification and stabilization, and incineration. In Atlantic Canada, home to a significant and increasing amount of both onshore and offshore natural gas drilling activity, there were, until recently, minimal local treatment options for drilling wastes. In addition, the primary options involved disposal, as opposed to potential recycling or reuse options. Recognizing the growth in the oil and gas industry in the region, as well as the opportunity to help drilling customers locally manage their byproducts in an environmentally responsible manner, Newalta in late-2008 acquired a drilling waste treatment facility in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The Newalta Beech Hill Facility uses state-of-the-art bioremediation — or composting — techniques to treat onshore and offshore drilling waste to required regulatory standards such that it can be reused

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for land application purposes. “We’ve been making a number of investments throughout Atlantic Canada to ensure that as the industry continues to grow, we are able to grow with it,” says Alton Payne, General Manager of the Atlantic region for Newalta. “Our strategy is focused on locally handling, treating and safely managing as much of the waste produced in local industries as possible. In doing so, our first priority is to treat and process waste to be recycled and reused. Our Beech Hill operations are a key component of that.” The facility was formerly owned by Newpark Environmental Services and operated from 2000 to 2004, sitting idle until Newalta purchased the operation last year. In the meantime, drillers and waste management providers were forced to ship drilling waste great distances out of the province,

“In late-2008 Newalta acquired a drilling waste treatment facility in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.”

by Greg Jones

Waste

cover-story

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Properly managed, mature compost typically achieves an 80 to 90 per cent reduction in hydrocarbon content.â&#x20AC;? where it was typically stabilized and sent for landfill disposal. By acquiring and reopening the facility, Newalta is able to offer a local, more environmentally sound alternative to traditional disposal options for waste generators. This provides a strategic competitive advantage, as customers are increasingly focused on environmental stewardship and strongly encourage local management of waste.

THE OPERATION

The facility sits on five acres of land in the Beech Hill area of Antigonish County in northeastern Nova Scotia. It consists of a small administrative office and sampling work area and three mixing pits, while the bulk of the property is made up of treatment rows dedicated to the composting operation. The site is permitted to handle several thousand cubic metres of material at a given time. The equipment used includes excavators, specialized material handling attachments, dump trucks, and miscellaneous equipment for compost monitoring and field testing. The composting operation is designed to provide a local bioremediation option for the management of drilling wastes, with the intention of reducing hydrocarbon contamination to trace levels so the material is viable for reuse. According to Chris Chasse, special projects manager at the Beech Hill facility, 10 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

cover-story

Drilling waste is collected in bins called “mud boxes” and shipped to land on a regular basis.

the process is relatively simple, in theory. Newalta blends drilling wastes with programmed organic substrates and nutrients, then constructs the mixture into compost windrows throughout the site. “The key is that our technicians must ensure that moisture levels, aeration, nutrients and secondary treatment enhancers are maintained to provide optimal conditions for bio-degradation of the hydrocarbon contamination throughout the process,” says Chasse. This process takes place over a period of several months. Typically, drilling waste is collected in bins on drilling rigs (called “mud boxes”) that, in the case of offshore exploration, are shipped to land on a regular basis. Newalta collects the mud boxes at the customer’s shore-based operation and ships them by flat-bed truck to the Beech Hill facility. Upon arrival at the facility, technicians collect samples of every shipment to assess the material parameters. The company is required by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment to maintain records of all

sampling and analysis, as well as the source of the material (i.e., generator name, well license number, carrier name, quantity and type of material) for a minimum of two years.

COMPOSTING DETAILS

Upon being deemed acceptable for treatment, the wastes are then prepared for composting. Organic fibre, such as bark, wood peelings and other residuals, is used as the primary stabilization and bulking agent within the compost media mixture. This fibre provides the aerated structure required for aerobic treatment, as well as available carbon, to the composting system. This is important because the total carbon from the waste itself will not create the “self-heating” composting characteristics required for the material to biodegrade effectively. Natural bacteria cultures are also added to enhance nutrient levels and biodegradation rates. Nutrient levels are maintained by balancing nitrogen and phosphorous

with available carbon. Additionally, special surfactants are added to increase moisture-holding capacity, reduce nutrient leaching and assist in aeration of the compost material. Once it has been prepared, the nowstabilized waste is then placed and formed into windrows throughout the site. The windrows are typically two metres high by eight metres long and must not exceed a height of three metres (with a minimum clearance of one metre between windrows). The compost material is periodically aerated and monitored by Newalta technicians according to a construction and treatment activity plan. The windrows are turned (aerated) and amended as required to ensure that oxygen levels, moisture content, and nutrients are maintained at optimal levels. The heat released by organic metabolization is the secret to maintaining active degradation throughout the year. This sees composting activity take place at elevated temperatures — ideally between 32 and SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 11

CEMENT-BASED SOLUTIONS

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

Cement-based Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) A Proven Technology This cost-effective technology is ideal for the clean-up of contaminated property. It protects human health and the environment by immobilizing hazardous chemicals within treated soils, sludge and sediment and by preventing leaching of contaminants into ground water. Why use cement-based S/S? • Environmental clean-up method of choice for the Sydney Tar Ponds in Nova Scotia • Treats a wide variety of hazardous contaminants • Popular, well-established technology in brownfield redevelopment with a demonstrated track-record of use since 1980 Cement Association Association Canadienne • Designated “Best Demonstrated Available Technology” of Canada du Ciment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.cement.ca Members of the Cement Association of Canada: Ciment Québec, ESSROC Italcementi Group, Federal White Cement, Glacier Northwest, Lafarge North America, Lehigh Hanson, St. Lawrence Cement, St. Marys Cement Group

12 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

cover-story

42 degrees Celsius — which significantly reduces the treatment time required. Compost bioactivity, total petrochemical hydrocarbon (TPH) levels, moisture content, and nutrient levels, are monitored until the process is midway into the curing stage, which triggers closure assessment. By this point, much of the available carbon has depleted and compost temperatures approach ambient air temperature. The material is then tested for residual hydrocarbons, toxicity issues and compost maturity according to the CCME Guidelines for Compost Quality, March 1996 (updated in 2005). These tests confirm the nature of each compost lot and ensure it’s suitable for reuse. Hydrocarbon leachability testing further ensures there will be no concern of migration of hydrocarbon compounds from this mature compost.

Properly managed, mature compost typically achieves an 80 to 90 per cent reduction in hydrocarbon content within the compost windrow, according to Chasse. By undergoing this extensive treatment process, the former drilling waste — now compost — material is able to be used for more beneficial activities, such as alternate landfill cover. “The process we employ at Beech Hill allows Newalta to provide a more environmentally responsible waste management solution to the oil and gas industry than HMM simple disposal,” says Chasse. Stabilized waste is placed and formed into windrows throughout the site.

Greg Jones is Communications Director for Newalta in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Greg at gjones@newalta.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

Complete and continuous enhanced deep in situ aerobic hydrocarbon bioremediation solutions without chemical release or mechanical aeration.

Soil and groundwater. Prudent response. Ecologically responsible. CleanEARTH Solutions Ltd. 178 Pennsylvania Ave. Unit 4, Concord, ON L4K 4B1 Canada

Tel: (905) 482-2149 Toll Free: 1-866-885-2706 Fax: (416) 913-1610 Email: ksharfe@cleanearthltd.com

www.cleanearthltd.com SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 13

chemical-waste

Effective Waste Chemical Lifecycle Management How to increase employee and environmental safety while reducing material and removal costs by Fred Vangroningen

ffective lab chemical management is a day-in, day-out affair. It requires constant attention supported by well-articulated, well-communicated procedures. Any new process or chemical should be evaluated to ensure safe handling, storage and removal. Comprehensive databases are helpful in identifying chemical compounds and creating a well-managed chemical lifecycle program that significantly increases employee and environmental safety, while reducing material and removal costs. Federal and provincial regulations require the proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous waste materials. They require comprehensive site-specific waste management plans, as well as training and, for some chemical handlers, registration with provincial environment ministries. Hazardous materials and chemicals require controlled handling throughout their lifecycles, which have three distinct phases in research or industry. The first is procurement and inventory storage in vendor-supplied sealed containers (see sidebar, page 16); the second is use in a manufacturing process or research program; and the third is post-use including removal and disposal. The two latter phases are more problematic when it comes to safe handling.

MATERIALS USE AND STORAGE

“Immediately move hazardous materials to the local storage area and label all secondary containers with the full chemical name.”

Industrial users and researchers are concerned with the safe handling of the materials while in use and are less likely to focus on storage and removal. This leads to some potential problems in chemical lifecycle management. Researchers often neglect to properly label chemicals in secondary containers that are poured off from original containers or filled with waste material at their stations. “They know” what is in the containers. This is efficient for the researcher, but the container contents must be treated as unknown substances by anyone else who comes in contact with them. These chemicals may require testing, special handling and disposal, even if the material is still located at the researcher’s station. The places where waste chemicals are stored, including a researcher’s station, are considered satellite accumulation areas by regulators and may be subject to inspection. Therefore, researchers should not be allowed to store chemicals at their stations. Instead, a sufficient

14 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

number of properly organized storage areas should be conveniently positioned to serve several researchers. The best practice is to immediately move hazardous materials to the local storage area and label all secondary containers with the full chemical name in accordance with hazardous communication (HAZCOM) regulations. The most effective waste storage container labels list every specific chemical in the lab’s inventory that can be safely added to the container. This provides another level of verification and eliminates unexpected reactions between seemingly compatible materials.

TRACKING THE REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL PROCESSES The most efficient way to manage waste chemical storage/removal through the disposal stage is to rely on a dedicated staff member responsible for the last phase of the lifecycle: removal from the local storage areas plus storage in a main storage location; packing and disposal. They are the only ones authorized to transport material from local storage areas to the main storage. This approach removes the responsibility from researchers and reduces the number of personnel who must be trained in provincial and federal environmental and

transportation regulations. This approach also provides the opportunity for trained staff to periodically visit all of the local storage facilities to ensure that proper procedures (labeling, secondary containment, etc.) are being followed at each location. Most progressive hazardous material managers rely on software or online tracking systems to facilitate the movement, inventorying and packing, as well as documenting the transfer of the material to a certified waste hauler. Many labs develop spreadsheet applications to manage their inventories. Although a step in the right direction, spreadsheets are not up to the task of comprehensive lifecycle management. Spreadsheets lack the ability to easily sort and search against expiration dates and other criteria. They tend to be standalone applications without built-in reporting mechanisms unless someone takes the time and the effort to create the reports. Most importantly, spreadsheet programs generally do not extend beyond the internal organization to include any outside documentation. Moving to an in-house application built on a generic database, such as Access, can address some of these issues but generally falls short on reporting and integration with other systems, unless custom extensions are developed. Specialized software and online chemical waste management systems available today address all of the important criteria, such as movements, storage time limits â&#x20AC;&#x201D; generally 90 days by provincial regulation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and chemical expiries. More sophisticated applications assign cost center allocations. Templates and data export

facilities that make management and Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) reporting more efficient are also generally included in hazardous waste management applications. The most sophisticated databases provide comprehensive profiles of thousands of chemicals that can be selected to quickly build an accurate custom database. The systems are generally flexible enough to enable managers to quickly and easily create new profiles or edit existing ones. They also maintain accurate inventory details by generator location including container number, shipping name, drum size, shipping volume, waste codes, days-in-location and description. Advanced systems include online portals that handle the in-house management of the entire chemical lifecycle and extend to waste disposal and reporting, as well as distributed online and web reporting. They also support direct links with the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hazardous waste hauler to report containers that are ready for packing and/or pickup. This approach is more cost effective since Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and packing lists can be automatically generated directly from the database. An integrated management system creates a complete, auditable chemical lifecycle management report for each chemical and shipment. HMM

Fred Vangroningen is Technical Services General Manager for Clean Harbors Canada, Inc. in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Contact Fred at vangroningen.fred@cleanharbors.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 15

chemical-waste

Understanding Labpacking

“It cannot be overemphasized that all labpacks must be sent to an approved de-packing facility.”

iVi ÓÑ V > iÈÑ Ó Ñ " Ó>Å ÂÈÑ ,i Þ >Ó Ñ Õ}Ì]Ñ w ÅÑ å>ÈÓiÑ > > i i ÓÑ ²,Õ}Ì³]Ñ >äiÑ V>ÞÈi`Ñ È iÑ ÈV Vi°Ó ÈÑ Åi >Å` Ñ Ó iÑ ÞÈiÑ > `Ñ >°° V> Ó Ñ wÑ Ó iÑ >L°>V Ñ Åi ÈÓÅ>Ó Ñ ²iæi °Ó ³Ñ > `Ñ åÑ Ó içÑ>ÅiÑ > ` i`ÑÞ ìÅÑÓ iÑ > `Ñ È° È> Ñ,iÈÓÅ VÓ ÈÑ ² ,³µÑ/ iÑ >ÓÓiÅÑÈ Þ `ÑLiÑ wÑ ÓiÅiÈÓÑÓ Ñå>ÈÓiÑ i iÅ>Ó ÅÈÑ Ñ> Ñ°Å ä ViÈµ >L°>V Ñ ÈÑ>Ñ iÓ ` çÑÓ >ÓÑw>V Ó>ÓiÈÑÓ iÑ` È ° È> Ñ wÑ Þ Ó ° iÑ È > Ñ V Ó> iÅÈÑ wÑ V i V> ÈÑ å Ó ÞÓÑ >ä Ñ Ó Ñ Åi ÈÓiÅÑ Ó i Ñ ` ä `Þ> çÑ ÅÑ ÈÓÑ Ó i Ñ ÞÓÑ ` ä `Þ> çÑ Ñ>Ñå>ÈÓiÑ > wiÈÓÑå iÑ>ÓÑÓ iÑÈ> iÑÓ iÑ ÓÑLi Ñ°iÅVi äi`Ñ>ÈÑ æ Ñ wÑå>ÈÓiÈµÑ/ iÈiÑ ` ä ` Þ> Ñ V Ó> iÅÈÑ >ÅiÑ ° >Vi`Ñ Ñ > Ñ ¿ äiÅ°>V ÀÑ V Ó> iÅ]Ñ ÞÈÞ> çÑ>ÑÈÓii Ñ ÅÑw LÅiÑ`ÅÞ ÑÓ >ÓÑ ÈÑ> Ñ>°°Å äi`Ñ i> ÈÑ wÑV Ó> i ÓÑ w ÅÑ `> iÅ ÞÈÑ `ÈµÑ *Å ä ì`ÑÓ >ÓÑÓ iÑ >ÓiÅ > ÈÑ >ÅiÑ °Å °iÅ çÑ Èi Åi >Ói`Ñ > `Ñ Å Þ°i`Ñ wÅ Ñ >Ñ È>wiÓçÑ °iÅÈ°iVÓ äi]Ñ Ó iÑ iÅÑ V Ó> iÅÈÑ Ñ Ó iÑ >L°>V Ñ >ÅiÑ> È Ñiæi °ÓÑwÅ ÑÓ iÑÅiºÞ Åi i ÓÈÑw ÅÑ*iÅw Å > ViÑ *>V > Ñ Þ ìÅÑ Ó iÑ iìÅ> Ñ /Å> È° ÅÓ>Ó Ñ wÑ

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HazMat Management and Solid Waste & Recycling magazines have teamed up with Michael Lavelle and “Going Green for Green” to bring the environmental business to the general public and investment community. Highlighting the advancement in environmental sciences and focusing on the positive aspects of the environmental business, the show attempts to highlight the endless possibilities within waste management and recycling. From brownfield redevelopment to renewable energy, the series profiles businesses that are making a profit while helping the planet at the same time. Visit hazmatmag.com and solidwastemag.com for more information. For sponsorship opportunities email: bobrien@hazmatmag.com or goinggreen4green@gmail.com

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ators utilize the following guidelines: UÑ Ñ V °>Ó L iÑ ÈÞLÈÓ> ViÈÑ >ÅiÑ ° >Vi`Ñ å Ó Ñ Ó iÑ È> iÑ >L°>V ]Ñ µiµ]Ñ V LÞÈÓ L iÈÑ >ÅiÑ ÓÑ ° >Vi`Ñ Ñ Ó iÑ È> iÑ V Ó> iÅÑ >ÈÑ æ ` ëiÅÈ]Ñ >V `ÈÑ >ÅiÑ ÓÑ æi`Ñ å Ó Ñ L>ÈiÈ]Ñ Å > VÈÑ >ÅiÑ ÓÑ æi`Ñ å Ó Ñ Å > VÈËÑ L Ó ÑÅi>VÓ äiÈÑ> `ÑÈiäiÅi çÑÓ æ VÑ >ÓiÅ > ÈÑ>ÅiÑ i iÅ> çÑ °>V i`Ñ ÑÓ i ÅÑ å µÑ/ iÅiÑ >çÑ> È ÑLiÑwÞÅÓ iÅÑÅiºÞ Åi i ÓÈÑw ÅÑÈi Åi >Ó Ñ ° Èi`ÑLçÑ>Ñ¿ì °>V ÀÑw>V Óçµ UÑ / iÑ >ÓiÅ > ÈÑ >ÅiÑ Å Þ°i`Ñ Þ°Ñ È Ñ Ó >ÓÑ Ó içÑ iiÓÑ >Ñ V Ñ µ"µ-µÑ È °° Ñ > iÑ Þ ìÅÑ / µÑ ÅÑ iæ> ° i]Ñ> Ñ Å > VÑ>V `ÈÑå Þ `ÑLiÑÈ °°i`ÑÞ ìÅÑÓ iÑ > iÑ ÅÅ È äiÑ ºÞ `ÈÑ V ` V]Ñ Å > VÑ µ"µ-µÑ²1 Ñ ÕÛÎ}³Ñ ÅÑ w > >L iÈÑ å Þ `Ñ LiÑ È °°i`Ñ >ÈÑ > >L iÑ ºÞ `ÈÑ µ"µ-µÑ²1 Ñ§ Õ³µ UÑ/ iÑÈ > ÑV Ó> iÅÈÑ>ÅiÑ° >Vi`Ñ Ñ> Ñ äiÅ°>V Ñ> `Ñ >ÅiÑ ÈÞÅÅ Þ ì`Ð äiÅw i`Ñ å Ó Ñ °>ÅÓ VÞ >ÓiÑ È ÅLi ÓÑ Ó >ÓÑ å Ñ L Ó Ñ >LÈ ÅLÑ È V ÈÑ `ÞÅ Ñ > ` Ñ ÓÅ> È° ÅÓ>Ó Ñ > `Ñ> çÑ ºÞ `ÈÑÓ >ÓÑ >çÑLiÑÅi i>Èi`Ñ`ÞiÑÓ Ñw> ÞÅiÑ wÑÓ iÑ È > ÑV Ó> iÅÈµ UÑ/ iÑ äiÅ°>V Ñ iiÓÈÑÓ iÑ1 Ói`Ñ >Ó ÈÑ*iÅÑw Å > ViÑ*>V > ÑÈÓ> `>Å`Ñw ÅÑ`> iÅ ÞÈÑ `ÈÑ i> ÈÑ wÑ V Ó> i Óµ UÑ7 i ÑÅi ÈÓiÅ ÑÓ iÑå>ÈÓiÑw ÅÑ > ` Ñ Ñ" Ó>Å Ñ ² 7 ³ÑÓ iÑ ÈÓÑV Ñå>ÈÓiÑV >ÈÈiÈÑÞÈi`Ñ>ÅiÑ§}n]Ñ ÛÎÕ]Ñ > `Ñ Û}ÛµÑ wÑ ` ä `Þ> Ñ å>ÈÓiÑ V >ÈÈiÈÑ >ÅiÑ Åi ÈÓiÅi`Ñ Ó içÑ>ÅiÑÓ ÑLiÑÈ °°i`Ñ Ñ ` ä `Þ> Ñ >L°>V È]Ñiµ µ]Ñ wÑÛ§§Ñ Ñå>ÈÑÅi ÈÓiÅi`Ñ ÓÑå Þ `ÑÅiºÞ ÅiÑ> Ñ ` ä `Þ> Ñ >LÑ°>V ÑÓ Ñ LiÑ > wiÈÓi`ÑÈi°>Å>Ói çµ UÑ / iÑ ÈÓÅçÑ ÅiV i `ÈÑ Ó >ÓÑ >ÓiÅ > ÈÑ ìÈÓ i`Ñ w ÅÑ > `Ñ` È° È> ÑÈ Þ `ÑLiÑ°>V i`ÑÈi°>Å>Ói çÑwÅ ÑÓ ÈiÑ Ó ÑLiÑ > ` i`ÑLçÑ Ó iÅÑ iÓ `Èµ Ñ " Ó>Å ]Ñ È iÑ V wÞÈ Ñ >ÈÑ >Å Èi Ñ LiV>ÞÈiÑ wÑ Ó iÑ ÓÅ `ÞVÓ Ñ wÑÓ iÑV Vi°ÓÑ wÑ¿È > ÑV Ó> iÅÈÀÑÞ ìÅÑ ÈiVÓ Ñ níÑ iæi °Ó ÈµÑ *Å ä ì`Ñ >Ñ i iÅ>Ó ÅÑ iiÓÈÑ > Ñ Ó iÑ ÅiºÞ Åi i ÓÈÑ wÑ >Ñ È > Ñ ºÞ> Ó ÓçÑ i iÅ>Ó ÅÑ Þ ìÅÑ ,]Ñ å>ÈÓiÑ >çÑ LiÑ È °°i`Ñ Ñ >Ñ È > Ñ V Ó> iÅÑ w ÅÑ ` ÅiVÓÑ° >Vi i ÓÑ Ñ>Ñ >ë>Å` ÞÈÑå>ÈÓiÑ > `w ËÑ åiäiÅ]Ñ Ó iÑ >æ Þ Ñ >ÈÈÑ wÑ ÈÞV Ñ >Ñ È > Ñ V Ó> iÅÑ ÈÑ ÓÑ Ó Ñ iæVii`Ñ ÛyíÑ Å> ÈÑ > `Ñ Ñ ºÞ `ÈÑ >çÑ LiÑ °ÅiÈi ÓµÑ / iÑ V wÞÈ Ñ >ÈÑ >Å Èi Ñ Ñ Ó >ÓÑ È iÑ i iÅ>Ó ÅÈÑ >äiÑ V ÈÓÅÞi`Ñ Ó >ÓÑ > Ñ >L°>V ÈÑ Ó >ÓÑ åi Ñ iÈÈÑ Ó > Ñ ÛyíÑ Å> ÈÑV> Ñ ÑÈÓÅ> ÓÑÓ Ñ > `w uÑ/ ÈÑ ÈÑw>ÅÑwÅ ÑÓ iÑ V>ÈiÑ> `Ñ ìi`Ñ ÈÓÑ >L°>V È]ÑLçÑ` ÓÑ wÑÓ i ÅÑV >Å>V ÓiÅ ë>Ó ]ÑV Ó> Ñ ºÞ `ÈµÑ ÓÑV> ÓÑLiÑ äiÅ i ° >È ëi`Ñ Ó >ÓÑ> Ñ >L°>V ÈÑ ÞÈÓÑLiÑÈi ÓÑÓ Ñ> Ñ>°°Å äi`Ñì °>V Ñ w>V ÓçµÑ HMM

John Hosty, CHMM Master Mariner, is Director, Training and Environmental Preparedness for Environmental Solutions Remediation Services in Burlington, Ontario. Contact John at jhosty@cogeco.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

16 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

Published by HazMat Management and Solid Waste & Recycling magazines. PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

Fueling the Future: Enerkem’s ‘Syngas’ Plants

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CLEAN TECH CANADA editorial

Canada must act now to move into new clean economy

SEIZING THE CLEANTECH OPPORTUNITY

ver the last few years, clean technologies have become a part of our daily lives. They are everywhere: in the cleaner vehicles available at the dealership, in the energy efficient light bulbs in our houses, in the power produced from alternative sources of energy we use every day. It’s becoming obvious to all of us that they can have a direct impact both on our environment and in our personal lives. However, what might not be so obvious is the tremendous economic opportunities that cleantech can create, at a time when Canada and the rest of the world are seeking measures to create new jobs and economic activity. In the current global context, an increasing number of countries are entering the cleantech race, convinced that investments into low-carbon technologies and green infrastructure can help create jobs in the short-term and play a key role in the shift to a new clean economy. For example, the U.S., under the new Obama Administration, will spend $150 billion over the next decade on clean energy, creating an estimated five million jobs. As major markets like the United States and China seek to shed costs and increase value in their product offerings, resource-based economies like Canada’s must move up the value chain in order to position themselves at the front of the pack. There’s no shortage of innovative and promising clean technologies in Canada. In fact, SDTC’s SD Tech Fund™ has a portfolio of 154 projects that, once they reach the market, have the potential to bring positive environmental impacts for Canadians and others. In total, SDTC has committed $376 million to these projects from across the country. That amount has been leveraged with an additional $905 million in funding from other project partners for a total project value of $1.3 billion. While this financial support is essential in helping them move towards commercialization, it is often not enough. In the instant-gratification world of today, the payback from supporting and adopting innovative clean technologies

by Vicky Sharpe 18 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

“Canada can be a technology maker or it can lag behind and become a technology taker.”

can sometimes get lost. The development and demonstration of clean technologies often requires high capital expenditures for plant construction, product scale up, and manufacturing capability. However, while sometimes difficult to finance, successful technologies lead to broader and more integrated supply chains, spin-off economic opportunities, and a multiplier effect in job creation. This entire chain of innovation is fed by knowledge workers with diverse skill sets, creating ideas that lead to product development. These technologies are manufactured, distributed and then enter markets, creating jobs and wealth for a greater number of individuals in the supply chain. As the global cleantech race continues there will be a strong global demand for market-ready clean technologies. In the absence of such technologies, Canada could find itself unable to fulfill its traditional role as an exporting nation, and become a net importer of clean technologies in order to keep up with global advances. While there isn’t a silver bullet solution to ensuring that Canada can take full advantage of the cleantech opportunity to strengthen its economy, achieving this goal will require efforts from a multitude of sectors. First, all levels of government must use their leadership to develop and implement harmonized regulations and incentives to encourage the widespread adoption of clean technologies in domestic markets. Second, industry executives need to be leaders in the adoption of clean technologies that will ultimately reduce both costs and their impact on the environmental. Other private-sector players, such as the investment community, must develop a greater appetite for the risk attached to funding clean technologies, further appreciating the greater rewards they could potentially reap. Both early-stage and expansion capital funds are needed as young companies struggle to obtain financing in this tough market. Canada stands to lose an entire generation of cleantech companies if we don’t ensure successful commercialization of their products and tap into burgeoning domestic and international markets. Canada has the choice to seize these opportunities and be a technology maker or it can lag behind and become a technology taker. The time to act is now; together, we can transition successfully into a new 21st-century economy in which green infrastructure plays a critical part and supports the objectives of prosperity and environmental sustainability.

Vicky Sharpe, Ph.D., is President & CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC) in Ottawa, Ontario. Contact Vicky at info@stdc.ca

CLEAN TECH CANADA

SHOULD YOU JUMP ON OR JUMP OFF?

THE CLEANTECH BANDWAGON IN CANADA A

good benchmark on the state of the cleantech industry in Canada is The Cleantech Report™. Recently issued by the Ontario Centre of Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) and the Russell-Mitchell Group, the report provides a good description of the industry, trends and drivers, barriers and opportunities in the cleantech and green tech industry. Although focused solely on Ontariobased companies, it has applicability to the rest of Canada. The report itself provides good background information to the barriers to growth for cleantech companies. The Cleantech Report identifies investment as a key to the success of clean technology companies in the province. The report estimates that Ontario’s cleantech sector will require $800 million to $1.2 billion in investment for product commercialization over the next three to five years. These figures do not include investments in demonstration plants or proof-of-concept equipment. One major difference between some cleantech companies and start-up in other sectors is the lengthy and sometimes complicated permitting process for some technologies. This is one obstacle that Canadian governments should be looking into so as to support the commercialization of local

“In many Canadian jurisdictions, the regulatory environment is not conducive to a demonstration testing of a new technology.” by John Nicholson

technologies. (See Editorial by STDC’s Vicky Sharpe.) In many Canadian jurisdictions, the regulatory environment is not conducive to a demonstration testing of a new technology, especially if it involves thermal treatment. Startups are faced with face hefty consulting fees and long waits in order to get approval demonstrate their technology to potential customers. Without a successful full-scale demonstration, it’s extremely difficult to convince a customer to buy an unproven solution. By assisting in the development of a domestic market for made-in-Canada clean technologies, governments will be providing invaluable assistance to the sector.

Who are these guys? Almost half of the 145-page document is dedicated to profiles of Ontario-based clean technology companies. The information in the profiles is similar to what one would typically find from a company website — a summary of the company, the product or technology, key people and contact information. I know a good number of the companies profiled in The Cleantech Report. Despite the common perception that cleantech companies are new, some of them have been around for 20 years or more. I’m surprised some are still around considering that they are still waiting for the big commercial breakthrough! Of the sixty companies profiled, 21 are micro-sized (10 or less employees) and 22 are small (between 11 and 50 employees). Based on this sampling, it appears that a good portion of the sector in Ontario is not far removed from garage operations. Note that I oppose garage technology startups; I realize that Bill Gates founded Microsoft out of his garage. In my view, cleantech companies, in general, represent great potential for investment. However, there are no shortage of dogs and very few stars. In order to avoid the former and find the latter, due diligence is necessary; don’t SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 19

CLEAN TECH CANADA

invest just because a company is in a new “hot space.” The analysis of the product, the people, the regulatory climate, and the competition should be no different for a cleantech company then one in any other well-established sector.

The companies Below are my insights on some of the cleantech companies I’m familiar with from the The Cleantech Report. In some cases I’ve worked with the companies and in others, I’ve interviewed them for my articles in HazMat Management or Solid Waste & Recycling magazine. Altech. This company has been around for over 20 years. The company has been involved in the development and commercialization of a number of technologies in Canada ranging from soil cleanup to wastewater treatment and air pollution control. Biorem. With its roots at the University of Waterloo, this company has grown to be a world leader in providing engineered biofilters for odour control at wastewater treatment plants, abattoirs and composting facilities. Publicly traded, this company is a good example of a Canadian clean technology success story. Bluezone. It’s hard to believe but this company has been around for over 10 years, still arguably in the start-up phase. The company’s advanced technology captures “sleeping gas” used in hospital operating rooms and cleans it for reuse. The environmental benefit of the technology is that it prevents of the release of toxic and GhG gases. Unfortunately, cash-strapped hospitals have a hard time justifying the budget for the technology within any voluntary effort of reducing toxic emissions or GhG gases. Tougher regulations on emission or a cap-and-trade system for GhGs would greatly help this company grow. Environmental Waste International. Listed on the TSX-V, this five-employee company has been around since 1992. Since that time, the company has been developing its microwave technology to treat various waste streams. With limit commercial success in North America it is currently chasing leads in China with the assistance of Inteeds Solutions Inc. Envirotower Inc. If you want to succeed in green tech, have a technology that works better and cheaper then conventional methods. EnviroTower delivers on both counts. Its technology cleans water from cooling towers without the need of conventional chemicals at up to 20 per cent less cost. The environmental benefits are an added bonus. Choosing EnviroTower’s water treatment system is a no brainer for a building owner looking to retrofit an existing cooler water system or needing a new one. Fielding Chemical. One might not normally think of a chemical company as “the good guys.” However, this com-

pany can rightly claim to employ a “green collar” workforce as it recovers chemicals for reuse. The company has been recycling chemicals since 1955 at its Mississauga facility; it shows you can be “green” without fitting the cliché of a new, flashy cleantech company. Napier Reid. This is another company that has been around since the 1950s. Specializing in water and wastewater treatment, the company integrates technologies into packaged treatment plants. It’s adept at integrating various water treatment technologies, having completed almost 3,000 projects worldwide since its inception. Plasco. Thanks to its president, Rod Bryden, this company was the first advanced thermal treatment company in Ontario to get a demonstration facility built that thermally treated municipal solid waste. If the company can prove that its gasification system in Ottawa works, it may have a future building WTE plants and treating municipal waste for about $65 per tonne. Pontaralo Engineering Inc. This is a good example of a company that takes a waste (plastic) and turns it into a product (a flooring system). Founded in 1995, the 110-employee company supplies a patented structural flooring system made from recycled plastic that replaces gravel and hard fill. The flooring system also provides a barrier against subsurface VOCs, radon gas, and humidity. Quantum Murray. This company is a player in a traditional industry (demolition) that has rebranded itself as a recycler and part of the new economy. Quantum Murray, like any major demotion company, recycles major components of buildings but — in its case — also provides remediation and other environmental services. REMCO. When I first met the representatives of this LED lighting company in 2003, they valued their company to have a potential worth of $1 billion. After five years, they have three employees and have a way to go before reaching their anticipated worth. Who knows what the future holds. Stormfisher. The vast majority of cleantech start-ups consist of technological entrepreneurs looking for financing. Stormfisher is an exception. It was founded by three MBA graduates looking to get into the bioenergy space by first having money and then finding technologies. With $350 million to invest, they are arguably the most richly funded developer of biogas energy projects in the world. Tadger. I’ve witnessed first-hand the ability of the TADGER to reduce pollution emissions from vehicles. Sales have never taken off partially because of the myriad of other fuel-saving devices on the market. It’s too bad — I own shares in the company.

John Nicholson, M. Sc., P. Eng. is based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at john.nicholson@ebccanada.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:814;

20 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

CLEAN TECH CANADA

ENERKEM’S SECOND-GENERATION WASTE-TO-BIOFUELS TECHNOLOGY

FUELING THE FUTURE

overnment mandates are driving global growth in demand for second-generation fuels. In Canada, the federal government has enacted a target blend of five per cent ethanol in gasoline by 2010. In Quebec, the 2006-2015 Energy Strategy sets a target blend of five per cent ethanol by 2012. In December 2007, then-US President Bush signed into law a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) calling for at least 36 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels to be used nationwide by 2022, including a minimum of nine billion gallons in 2008, and 20.5 billion gallons by 2015. Corn-based ethanol has paved the way to alternative fuels, but is now considered a bridge to next-generation ethanol. These second generation biofuels are made from non-food feedstocks such as residual biomass and municipal solid waste and address some of today’s main economic and environmental challenges. They help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs), while contributing to a greener economy. Further, producing fuels locally rather than importing foreign oil increases energy independence. While several operational first-generation biofuel plants use food feedstock such as corn and sugar cane, very few second-generation ethanol plants have been built to commercial scale. However, the wide range of feedstocks from which second-generation fuels can be created means these fuels have a number of benefits over first-generation fuels.

Benefits of secondgeneration biofuels Whereas first-generation biofuels, or “agrofuels,” are produced from sugar-rich crops such as corn, sugar cane and wheat, second-generation fuels are not produced from plants that are part of the food chain. Second-generation fuels can be created from a large base of biomass materials, including residues from urban living, forestry, and agricultural sources, municipal solid waste and energy crops such as switchgrass. The wide range of feed-

by Marie-Helene Labrie

“This is the world’s first agreement between a large urban centre and a biofuel producer to turn municipal waste into ethanol.”

stocks that can be used to create second-generation fuels leads to a number of benefits. First, second-generation biofuels contribute to reducing GhGs by replacing gasoline produced from petroleum. National Resources Canada’s GH Genius model shows that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs) by 40 to 60 per cent compared to gasoline. The federal government’s commitment to requiring gasoline to contain an average of five per cent ethanol by 2010 will bring GhG reductions equivalent to removing one million cars from Canada’s highways each year. These biofuels can further contribute to reducing GhGs by using waste materials and residues that would otherwise decompose into methane (a potent GhG) when landfilled. Second, by diversifying our energy sources, second-generation biofuels lessen our dependence on petroleum as our main source of energy. Finally, second-generation biofuels can reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the use of landfill for many waste materials by converting them into fuel for automobiles.

Enerkem’s technology platform Enerkem, a waste-to-fuel and green chemical company based in Montreal, has pioneered a clean technology platform designed to use a wide variety of feedstocks (from sorted municipal solid waste to agricultural and forest residues). The technology is not only feedstock flexible, but also employs a multi-product platform that can produce many valuable transportation fuels and green chemicals. The company has tested more than 20 types of feedstock at its pilot plant, which has been in operation in Sherbrooke since 2003, and has produced syngas, methanol and ethanol. It is operating its first commercial plant in Westbury. Enerkem’s gas conditioning process allows it to produce a tailored syngas that can be converted into alcohols using established and readily available industrial catalysts at the proper temperatures and pressures. Enerkem can produce methanol and ethanol, other advanced fuels, such as synthetic diesel, dimethyl ether, and synthetic gasoline, as well as other green chemicals. Enerkem’s clean technology converts one tonne of raw material (dry base) into 360 litres of cellulosic ethanol — enough to drive a distance of approximately 2,500 kilometres (a drive from Winnipeg to Montreal). Additionally, Enerkem’s gasification technology allows it to produce renewable electricity. The end-product mix makes it possible for Enerkem to develop a wide range of projects based on market conditions from biorefineries to renewable electricity plants. In addition to producing renewable transportation biofuels and reducing landfilling, the process has a posiSUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 21

CLEAN TECH CANADA The federal government will require cleaner-burning five-per-cent ethanol gasoline by 2010.

tive energy balance, since gasification requires less energy than it produces. It also requires minimal use of water, and depending on the feedstock, it can be a net producer of potable water. In comparison, the production of corn ethanol uses 300 percent more water than Enerkem’s process. Finally, according to an independent lifecycle analysis, the process reduces the production of CO2 by three tonnes for each dry tonne of municipal solid waste processed.

Municipal negative-cost model Enerkem’s recently announced plants in Edmonton and Mississippi demonstrate the range of projects facilitated by the diverse feedstocks its technology uses. Enerkem’s technology platform is designed to use non-homogeneous waste as feedstock, thus enabling the company to use negativecost feedstock such as municipal solid waste and things like used electricity poles. Municipalities pay Enerkem a tip fee to remove their waste and free up scarce landfill space, relieving municipalities of some costs related to waste disposal. “This strategy could give the company an edge in case ethanol prices drop further,” says Jim McMillan, a manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Bioenergy Center. “Instead of paying money to put it in a hazardous-waste landfill, to make fuel out of it is a great thing. The fact that their model is based on negative-cost feedstocks is very attractive.” In June 2008, Enerkem signed a 25-year agreement with the City of Edmonton to build and operate a plant that will produce and sell next generation biofuels, including methanol and cellulosic ethanol, from sorted municipal solid waste. This is the world’s first agreement between a large urban centre and a biofuel producer to turn municipal waste into ethanol. As part of the agreement, the city Edmonton will supply a minimum of 100,000 tonnes of sorted municipal 22 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

solid waste per year. The sorted municipal solid waste to be used is the ultimate residue after recycling and composting. These residues would otherwise be landfilled. Greenfield Ethanol and Enerkem will be jointly responsible for financing the project and for constructing, owning, and operating the plant which will be located at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The plant will initially produce 36 million litres of biofuels per year. (See companion article in the Summer 2009 edition of HazMat Management magazine, page 44.) In March 2009, Enerkem announced plans to build and operate a $250 million second-generation biofuels production facility located in Pontotoc, Mississippi — its first in the United States. The facility will produce 20 million gallons of ethanol per year from 370,000 green tonnes of feedstock (200,000 tonnes of urban biomass and 170,000 tonnes of forest/agricultural biomass). Enerkem’s approach may provide a solution to some of the challenges that the production and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol has faced, including high manufacturing costs and the volume of feedstock required. The company has also received financial support from governments and agencies including Natural Resources Canada, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Natural Resources Quebec and the Alberta Energy Research Institute. And with the ability to use municipal waste and telephone poles as feedstock, Chornet believes Enerkem won’t have any difficulties maintaining a constant supply of feedstock. “The waste streams we’re looking into, fortunately for us, have been up in the last 10 years. That’s a more subtle answer to the question: ‘Are you going to miss waste someday?’”

Marie-Helene Labrie is Vice President, Government Affairs and Communications, for Enerkem in Montreal, Quebec. Contact MarieHelene at mlabrie@enerkem.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

CLEAN TECH CANADA

UNDERSTANDING ONTARIO’S NEW GREEN ENERGY ACT

FLOWER POWER

n May 14, 2009, Bill 150 (the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009) received Third Reading in the Ontario legislature and received royal assent. The Act constitutes the second significant attempt by the McGuinty government to make Ontario a national and international leader in the development of renewable energy through the introduction of a new power procurement program. Moreover, the Act will have a huge impact on all aspects of electricity production and consumption in Ontario, and in the process, Ontario will become a guinea pig for jurisdictions seeking to adapt European-style procurement programs for use in North America. Although Energy Minister Smitherman and the government have expended significant energy in bringing the Act and its associated programs to fruition, for various reasons the results of this initiative may be disappointing.

Feed-in tariff program The Act introduces a new feed-in tariff concept to Ontario’s electricity system through the requirement that the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) develop such a program. Based on feed-in tariff programs in Europe, the program will allow for sale of renewable energy at pre-set rates without the necessity of proponents seeking inclusion within a government RFP. Rates will vary based on energy source or fuel type, with further rate differentiations serving as incentives for the development of smaller capacity and community projects. Based on the information available to date, it’s likely that properly designed, constructed and financed new projects will be able to take advantage of the feed-in tariff without having to dedicate the time and monetary resources necessary to com-

by Aaron Atcheson

“For various reasons the results of this initiative may be disappointing.”

pete with other projects within the framework of an RFP. This program will provide an opportunity for many entrepreneurs to bring forward projects that would not otherwise have been feasible, which will create opportunities in turn for equipment suppliers, financing and other services. Unfortunately, the structure of the program appears very likely to provide less than optimal results for the investment committed. As the tariff rates for some of the classes of renewable energy, in particular small solar, are significantly higher than for others, the new regime runs the risk of overbuilding the highest cost options. This issue is clearly a product of the competing goals of the government to encourage the development of a green economy and to replace and expand the electricity generation infrastructure in the province. As well, incentives built into the Act and the feed-in tariff program to spur community groups, First Nations, co-operatives and other smaller economic actors to develop projects will result in less efficient results from the new program. Proposed domestic content requirements may raise the cost of developing projects and lead to reduced project development. SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 23

CLEAN TECH CANADA

Uploading municipal responsibilities The Act amends many existing statutes with the goal of reducing for renewable energy projects the restrictions that currently exist when undertaking any industrial project, such as the building of a power plant. The intention is to create a permitting system in which a single renewable energy approval will address all otherwise applicable permit requirements. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the burden of documentation and other information to be submitted will be reduced, and certain additional approvals will still be required in particular circumstances (for example, for projects located on Crown land). The new provisions act to “upload” decision-making from municipalities to the province, effectively expropriating municipal power to determine location of these projects. With the stated objective of facilitating the construction of new renewable energy facilities and creating consistent treatment of such projects across the province, these changes will in effect centralize the process of obtaining approvals for new facilities. Unfortunately, this streamlining exercise is accompanied by unhelpful procedures for appeals of the required provin-

cial approval. Because the new “renewable energy approval” may be appealed to Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT), the focus of NIMBY forces in Ontario will move from the Ontario Municipal Board — the appeal entity for changes to zoning by-laws and other municipal decisions — to the ERT. Disregarding the cost and time associated with preparations necessary for a hearing at the ERT, the Act eliminates any formal leave to appeal process and allows any person resident in Ontario to require a hearing at the ERT with respect to a renewable energy approval. While the onus of proof rests with the party alleging that there is “serious harm to human health” or “serious and irreversible harm to plant life, animal life or the natural environment”, project proponents will need to prepare for a full hearing on the facts, notwithstanding that there may be little or no substance to the claim.

Ontario Energy Board’s role Prior to passage of the Act, the objective of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) was essentially to operate an efficient system. The Act adds to the OEB mandate by requiring

Fuelling the success of Canada’s CleanTech companies through practical legal advice and industry expertise. For more information, please contact:

Aaron Atcheson National CleanTech Industry Leader 416.595.2996 519.931.3526 aatcheson@millerthomson.com

Miller Thomson LLP is one of Canada’s largest national law firms, with over 430 lawyers working across Canada. The firm provides a complete range of business law, advocacy and personal legal services to Canadian and international corporations, entrepreneurs, institutions, governments and not-for-profit organizations.

www.millerthomson.com TORONTO VANCOUVER CALGARY EDMONTON LONDON KITCHENER - WATERLOO GUELPH MARKHAM MONTRÉAL

MT_Legal Post CleanTech Ad_v4.indd 24 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

6/4/2009 9:24:47 AM

CLEAN TECH CANADA

it to promote the conservation of electricity, to facilitate the implementation of a smart grid and to promote the use and generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. The additional mandate items will dramatically change the OEB’s role in terms of economic regulation. It’s far from clear how the new mandate items can be integrated with the old and there will likely be a period of adjustment and confusion. Other notable elements of the Act include: The new Renewable Energy Facilitation Office will have broad powers to assist or encourage the development of qualifying renewable energy projects. The usefulness of this office will depend on the staffing and other resources provided to it. The Act mandates the development of a “smart grid” in the province. The concept behind the smart grid system is to adjust or rebuild the system in order to minimize transmission inefficiencies. While the Act sets forth this objective, implementation is to be spelled out in the regulations. The Act introduces for the first time a number of mechanics directed at improving conservation throughout Ontario. As one example, energy audits will be required on

the sale of residential premises. The concept of “conservation and demand management” (CDM) targets is introduced for distributors of electricity and CDM targets can be specified as conditions of licences held by the distributors. Overall, the changes initiated by the passage of the Act comprise an interesting experiment in facilitating and incentivizing renewable energy development, energy conservation and the growth of a green economy in Ontario. Despite its faults, the Act is likely to improve the speed at which renewable energy projects are developed in Ontario, and other North American jurisdictions will keep a close watch.

Aaron Atcheson is Partner and Chair of the National CleanTech Practice Group with Miller Thomson LLP in London, Ontario. Contact Aaron at aatcheson@millerthomson.com (Written with the assistance of David Rounthwaite and Andrew Roman.) @ARTICLECATEGORY:807;

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 Westin Bristol Place Hotel, Airport Road, Toronto EcoLog’s Annual Environmental Compliance Conference is back! Mark your calendar on November 4, 2009 to learn about upcoming Ontario government regulations pertaining to Brownfields and Waste! Don’t miss this full day of expert opinions, information, business case studies, networking and more! For registration, contact Simuoko Frayne at 416-510-6867 or ecolog@ecologevents.com For sponsorship information, contact Jamie Ross at 416-510-5221 or jross@bizinfogroup.ca P R E S E N T E D

B Y

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 25

“We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.” U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Sustainable Growth for Canada

Growing Beyond Oil

www.greenfuels.org

BROWNFIELDS Published by HazMat Management magazine PUBLISHE D

I N

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A S S O C I A T I O N

FCM

The Canadian Real Estate Association

Green Municipal Fund Fonds municipal vert

W I T H :

CORPORATE PARTNER:

Canadian Brownfields Network

SUMMER 2009

COLLINGWOOD SHIPYARDS REVITALIZATION Bringing the waterfront back to life

S P O N S O R E D

Centre for Advanced Visualization

B Y :

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editorial

SDTC A KEY PARTNER in clean soil technology adoption

t a time when countries around the world are looking to stimulate their economies while lowering the environmental impacts of their activities, clean technologies have a crucial role to play. The transition to this new, green economy — one that allows economic diversity and prosperity in ways that are environmentally and socially sustainable — can’t be done without investing into a green infrastructure, which will create jobs in the short and long-term. In Canada, the economic opportunities that can be created by cleantech are multiple. Soil remediation is one that should not be passed up, both because of the urgent need to clean the tens of thousands of brownfield sites across the country and because of its great job-generating potential. Together, these factors create a unique chance for Canada to play a major role in the development of innovative clean soil technologies. Technology developers all over the country are working on promising technologies that can change the way brownfield sites are dealt with and increase the efficiency of their remediation. New technologies have the potential to reduce both the amount of energy required for the remediation of contaminated sites and the impacts it has on the land. Moreover, many emerging remediation technologies have been shown to have superior performance at significantly lower cost and therefore can actually reduce financial and liability risk over the long run. Of the 154 projects currently in SDTC’s portfolio — worth a total of $1.3 billion — 27 per cent have clean soil as one of their potential environmental benefits.

“Of the 154 projects currently in SDTC’s portfolio, 27 per cent have clean soil as one of their benefits.” by Vicky Sharpe 28 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

However, technology developers often face many barriers on the road to getting their technology demonstrated. Soil remediation is a heavily-regulated area of industry and site owners have to comply with strict standards imposed by all levels of government. The availability of early adopter sites to prove new technologies is of critical importance to the industry. Pressed by time and limited economic constraints, site owners, investors and regulators often view innovative new technologies as too risky. SDTC works to help clean technology solutions break these barriers so that they can reach the market and deliver broad environmental and economic benefits. Through the SD Tech Fund(tm) SDTC has $200 million available to support the late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean soil and water technologies. However, we do much more than simply fund groundbreaking technologies. The organization works closely with an ever-growing network of stakeholders and partners to build the capacity of Canadian clean-technology entrepreneurs, helping them form strategic relationships, formalize their business plans, and build a critical mass of sustainable development capability in Canada. When it comes to clean soil technologies, this means that SDTC can be a key partner in helping technology developers get over the many challenges they may be facing. In addition to providing financial support, STDC can use its knowledge, expertise and extensive network of contacts acquired since 2001 to act as a facilitator in getting projects demonstrated in “real-life” settings. This lowers risk for both regulators and site owners and creates a situation in which the demonstration of an innovative clean technology is beneficial to all parties involved. As the world is transitioning to the green economy, Canada must secure its position as a leader in clean technology on an international level and take immediate measures to ensure that Canadians can safely enjoy our land for generations to come. SDTC is ready to partner with developers of innovative clean soil solutions to seize this tremendous opportunity.

Vicky Sharpe, Ph.D., is President & CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC). Contact Vicky at info@sdtc.ca @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

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CONVERTING AN OLD INDUSTRIAL PORT LAND INTO A MODERN NEW URBANIST COMMUNITY

THE SHIPYARDS

by Fred Serrafero & Paul Bowen

he Town of Collingwood is situated on the southern tip of Georgian Bay, part of Lake Huron, approximately 100 kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario. When it was founded, the town was initially envisioned to become the size of Chicago, but Toronto eventually fulfilled that destiny instead. That’s why Collingwood’s oldest streets are broad thoroughfares. While it never became Chicago, “There was a Collingwood has steadily grown in popularity requirement to properly as a destination for new residents based on its mix manage approximately of industry, tourism, and 300,000 m3 of fill as part four-season recreational opportunities. of site redevelopment.” SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 29

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Collingwood‘s historic shipyards in their heyday.

The Collingwood Shipyards were located directly along the lake shore, immediately adjacent to the traditional downtown core. The Shipyards were operated from the late 1880s until the 1980s and were a significant local industry that built lake freighters and ships for the Canadian navy. They also provided a dry-dock facility for ship rebuilding and refitting. The operations included steel fabrication and welding facilities, woodworking shops, metal casting facilities, and engine shops. The Shipyards were famous for launching new ships sideways into the water — an event the whole town came out to watch. One reason that Collingwood became a ship-building centre is that it had a tremendously busy port. Though hard to imagine today, before rail lines connected eastern Canada to the west, settlers and other travelers would travel by train from Toronto to Collingwood, then take a boat to Thunder Bay in order to reach the Prairies. As the ship-building industry in North American declined, and as travelers started taking trains and then cars to the west, the yard operations eventually became uneconomical and were terminated in the 1980s. The buildings and associated structures were demolished and the site was vacated by the early 1990s. This left the developed parts of the town oddly disconnected from the shoreline. So, the site is situated in an area which affords an excellent opportunity for redevelopment. It has extensive frontage along the lake, as well as being immediately adjacent to the downtown core which features a lovely main street comprised of historic buildings. The area is well serviced with commercial and institutional facilities such as supermarkets, schools and a large new library.

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developer (Fram Building Corporation and Slokker Real Estate Group). CSL took responsibility for site cleanup while Fram & Slokker directed planning, approval and site development activities. Following site cleanup, Fram & Slokker obtained ownership of the property for final development purposes. The property owner CSL and their consulting engineers Terraprobe Limited worked closely with property developer Fram & Slokker throughout the project. Interestingly, Fram & Slokker completed a very similar redevelopment in Port Credit on the shores of Lake Ontario, and the two towns are connected directly by the old northsouth Highway 10, also called Hurontario Street. The success of the Port Credit project was one reason the developer was approved for the Shipyards Development, which will have a similar appearance when complete. Naturally, detailed environmental and planning studies were conducted to assess the redevelopment potential and costs associated with the property. The planning studies suggested there would be a potential market for a mix of residential and commercial uses, given the lakefront access and proximity to existing development in Collingwood. Through a series of workshops with local municipal stakeholders and interested citizens, Fram & Slokker finalized a conceptual mixed-use development plan with low to midrise buildings. This was approved in principle by the town in 2006. The development closely follows New Urbanist principles and will create opportunities for people to live, work and play in a lively jumble of different spaces. New Urbanism is a reaction against suburban sprawl where people must get in a car to go to their workplace, to shop or even get to their fitness club. The concept is for people to be able to walk or ride a bike everywhere they need to go. As occurs in many European towns and cities, such developments often place apartments above stores, and include small parkettes and lively public spaces to encourage human interaction. This is not the world of big box stores surrounded by huge parking lots.

The development The project known as the “Shipyards Development” was first conceived in 2004 as a cooperative venture between the landowners (CSL Equity Investments Limited) and the 30 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

Site remediation begins.

For Sale

Heavy Industrial Vacant Land

Wi d

Gage Avenue North (West Property), Hamilton 5.495 acres Location: S/W corner of Sydney Hamber, SIOR Industrial Drive and Gage Avenue

Zoning: K-Heavy Industrial

Broker of Record sydney.hamber@dtzbarnicke.com

Paul Mariutti

Services: 300 mm and 150 Real Estate Sales Representative mm water (Gage Ave N) 450 combined sanitary/storm paul.mariutti@dtzbarnicke.com Taxes: $2,997.50 approx. (2006) Price: $225,000 per acre Comments: Vacant land High traffic location Ideal for commercial/ industrial redevelopment

Tel: 905 637 1215

139 Windermere Road, Hamilton 41.77 acres Zoning: K-Heavy Industrial

Sydney Hamber, SIOR

Services: 150 mm water 450 mm storm

Paul Mariutti

Broker of Record sydney.hamber@dtzbarnicke.com

Taxes: $169,996.15

Real Estate Sales Representative paul.mariutti@dtzbarnicke.com

105 - 3027 Harvester Road Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3G7

Price: $225,000 per acre

DTZ Barnicke Limited

Tel: 905 637 1215 Toll Free: 1 800 737 1215

Comments: High profile location with QEW exposure

DTZ Barnicke Limited

www.dtzbarnicke.com

Although the information contained within is from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty or representation is made as to its accuracy being subject to errors, omissions, conditions, prior lease, withdrawal or other changes without notice and same should not be relied upon without independent verification, DTZ Barnicke Limited, Real Estate Brokerage 2008.

Tel: 905 637 1215

105 - 3027 Harvester Road Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3G7 Tel: 905 637 1215 Toll Free: 1 800 737 1215

www.dtzbarnicke.com

TEMAGAMI, ONTARIO Two sites available for redevelopment. !# ",;( &3(4 (partially lakefront) < !# ",;( &3(4 15+ 4,5(4 +$7( 2,0( %$3- 2,.(4 ;10(' ($7: 0'6453,$.

Owner(s) Location

Uniboard Canada Inc. 1107 Lakeshore Road South Temiskaming Shores, Ontario. 55 (+/acreage) with 1953â&#x20AC;&#x2122; of waterfront. Site Area Exclude Landfill site, pending potential severance. Building Area 130,000 sq ft Clay loam mix generally sloping toward Topography Lake Temiskaming. Hydro, Telephone, Fire & Police Services $48,882.62 Taxes â&#x20AC;&#x153;RHâ&#x20AC;? Rural and Hazard Land Zoning Pierrre-Andre Gignac Director Uniboard Canada Inc Email: pierre-andre.gignac@uniboard.com 450-781-2276

Contact for more information: Karen Beauchamp, Planning & Community Development Coordinator Municipality of Temagami, Box 220, Temagami ON, P0H 2H0, Canada /$,. -$3(0 5(/(*$/, &$ < +10(

(95 < $9

EXCEPTIONAL BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY APPROXIMATELY 3.4 ACRES, CALGARY, ALBERTA Two separately owned and titled lots of approximately 1.7 acres each packaged for immediate sale at the northeast corner of the lit intersection at 70th street and 17th Avenue, South East Calgary. These two sites offer approximately 500 feet of frontage on a high traffic highway connecting Calgary with Chestermere Lake to the East and will be the closest commercial node West off the newly constructed Ring Road proposed to circle Calgary in the near future. For further details contact Murray Bauer, Broker, Strategic Realty Services Inc, at (403)807-9292 or email strategic.realty@shaw.ca

BROWNFIELDS Consistent with this vision, the Shipyards locates most parking spaces underground. There is a wide range of home and condominium sizes and styles, and the architectural style of key buildings pays homage to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ship-building heritage. An extra-wide boulevard will wrap around the waterfront, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy shops and restaurants along with boaters who will tie up along a renovated walls and docks.

The cleanup In order for the Shipyards vision to be realized, leftovers from the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial past had to be addressed. Environmental studies indicated that much of the property had been reclaimed from the lake by the placement of fill. As was common for developments conducted in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a variety of fill materials were used. Typically these included coal ash and cinders, sand material dredged from the lake, and local industrial byproducts such as waste glass. In addition, localized areas of the site have been impacted by former industrial activities associated with the Shipyards. This included areas where wood waste and other byproducts had been placed, and where underground storage tanks had been located. The fill materials at the site, while relatively inert, did not meet the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Site Condition Standards. There was a requirement to properly

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manage approximately 300,000 m3 of fill as part of site redevelopment. A decision was made to manage the fill by selectively excavating and sorting it. A large landscape berm was designed to accommodate clean material on the western property boundary; materials or waste not suitable for placement in the berm were hauled off-site for safe disposal. This approach had several significant environmental advantages including: s 4HE LANDSCAPED BERM PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT PHYSICAL barrier between the proposed development and an existing wastewater treatment plant. s 4HE BERM PROVIDES OVER SEVEN ACRES OF hOPEN SPACEv for the development and the waterfront area, including walking and biking trails as well as an outdoor amphitheater. (The Town of Collingwood is already interlaced with a network of walking and biking trails, with which the Shipyards trails connect.) s /N SITE MANAGEMENT OF THE lLL MATERIAL IS IN ACCORDance with provincial policy that permits appropriate re-use of the fill and minimizes the greenhouse gas emissions associated with trucking the material for off-site disposal. A Risk Assessment was completed under Ontario Regulation 153/04 to support the proposed redevelopment plan. (The project was one of the first Risk Assessments approved under this regulation.) The Risk Assessment process provided the appropriate design, construction and management criteria for the berm and the site operations. The Risk

Remediation Rewards s TRUCK LOADS OF IMPACTED lLL OFF THE ROAD 'H' EMISSION REDUCED s TONNES OF CRUSHED STONE CONCRETE RECYCLED ONSITE s CUBIC METRES OF WOOD AND CUBIC METRES OF STEEL RECYCLED LOCALLY s /NE ACRE OF NEW WETLAND CREATED WITH ADAPTIVE REUSE OF RECYCLED BOULDERS

Below: Outline indicates the proposed developmental area

32 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

Below: Early stage of remediation.

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Assessment took 20 months for approval from the date of submission. As one might imagine, extensive consultation was conducted with the town, the environment ministry and the public during the design and construction of the project. Monitoring helped control dust levels and ensure that materials were properly placed and contained within the berm. The site cleanup and construction activities began in the summer of 2004 and were essentially completed by the fall of 2006. The cleanup activities included the excavation, sorting, monitoring and testing of over 300,000 m3 of earth fill materials. At the conclusion of the study, a cover of clay and clean soil was placed over the fill materials in the berm, and the berm was prepared for final landscaping, including terraseeding for erosion control. A Record of Site Condition (RSC) was filed for the berm and the development site. The RSC recognized the proximity of the site to Lake Huron and its classification as a “sensitive site” under Ontario Regulation 153/04. The project received a Certificate of Property Use (CPU) and a Risk Management Plan that requires twice-yearly visual inspection for erosion and twice yearly water sampling, for five years.

Project completion Construction of residential housing began at the east end of the site in 2006, and homes were first occupied in 2007. Construction of residential and commercial development

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Artist’s rendition of proposed multi-use facilities. Completed single-family dwellings; housing project underway.

on the west portion of the site is currently underway, with occupancy starting in the summer of 2009. The project is considered both an economic and planning success. Sales for the new development are proceeding briskly, both as a result of the attractiveness of the Collingwood area to buyers, and the unique character of the site. The site represents a brownfield success story which resulted in the return of some 40 acres of former industrial land to productive residential and commercial uses. The success of the project hinged on the close cooperation and foresight of the former landowner CSL and its consultants at Terraprobe, the developer Fram & Slokker, and the municipality. The project should provide a worthwhile model for other municipalities interested in converting old industrial lands into lively mix-use neighborhoods.

Fred Serrafero, P.Eng., is Vice-President of Development & Construction with Fram Building Group in Mississauga, Ontario. Contact Fred at fserrafero@framgroup.com Paul Bowen, P.Geo., P.Eng., is a founding Principal of Terraprobe Limited in Brampton, Ontario. Contact Paul at pbowen@terraprobe.ca @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 33

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SUSTAINABLE REMEDIATION

AN EMERGING CONCEPT WHOSE TIME IS NIGH

ait! Sustainable contaminated site remediation as an emerging concept? Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remediation already sustainable? Well sort of. Remediation of contaminated sites does fall under the broad description of sustainability. After all, cleaning up land and returning abandoned property to effective re-use has economic, social and environmental benefits. But, the concepts and tools of sustainability are rarely applied to the process of remediating contaminated sites, so there is significant room for improvement in how we evaluate and manage impacted land. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new movement within the environmental industry that looks at applying the tools of sustainability to remediation activities. The old approach of digging large holes in the ground (excavation) and trucking contaminated soil to another large hole in the ground (a landfill site) is being replaced with: s #AREFUL RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS s ,OW IMPACT REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGIES AND s 4HE APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS TO DETERMINE the remedial strategy that provides the best overall result.

Tools and models Using and adapting the models and tools developed for corporate sustainability initiatives â&#x20AC;&#x201D; life-cycle analysis, environmental economics and carbon foot printing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; allows remediation practitioners, property owners and regulators to assess what remedial activities provide benefits to the environment and society in addition to the economic benefits of recovering the value of underutilized land and increasing its value. Sustainable remediation evaluates potential remedial options against a broader set of design issues than just the cheapest approach to meeting rigid regulatory standards. Sustainable remediation considers the overall risks and impacts of the entire project and not just the post-remedi-

by Wayne McPhee & Peter eter Beukema 34 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

ation risks to the site. The traditional three-component sustainability model that looks at environmental, social and economic impacts can be used to look at the broad issues associated with remediation projects. Selecting remedial approaches that balance the short-term impacts of remediation with the long-term impacts of residual contamination can provide a much broader view of the project and more comprehensive risk management. The concept of sustainable remediation is still in its infancy, with new tools and approaches being developed by corporations, consultants and regulators in North America and Europe. The concepts are supported by the existing knowledge and skills found in: s 'REEN REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT INCORPORATE renewable energy and low-carbon emission strategies into REMEDIAL DESIGNS s 2ISK ASSESSMENT MODELS THAT CAN BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE BROADER PROJECT RISKS AND s 3USTAINABILITY TOOLS TO EXPLAIN AND COMMUNICATE THE broad impacts of contaminated site cleanup. As sustainable remediation continues to be discussed and developed, approaches to site remediation will evolve. As new technologies are developed and new models are used to evaluate and select remediation strategies, the application of sustainability concepts to site remediation will become more accepted by the business and regulatory communities.

Green remediation The US EPA defines green remediation as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to maximize net environmental benefit of cleanup actions.â&#x20AC;? The concept focuses on not just cleaning up historical chemical impacts to meet regulatory standards but also evaluating the overall impact of the remediation. This requires consideration of: s %NERGY USE ON SITE AND TRANSPORTATION s !IR EMISSIONS CONTAMINANTS PARTICULATE GREEN HOUSE GASES s 7ATER USAGE AND DISCHARGES s ,AND USE AND IMPACT ON LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS AND s 7ASTE GENERATION At a very basic level, incorporating green remediation strat-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tearing down a forest to remove low levels of contamination, then covering the area with asphalt just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to make sense.â&#x20AC;?

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s )NCORPORATION OF GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP INSTALLATIONS into brownfield redevelopment projects; s 5SE OF TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGIES TO INSTALL REMEDIATION infrastructure and minimize waste generated from trenching through contaminated soil; and s %NERGY AUDITS OF EXISTING REMEDIATION SYSTEMS TO OPTImize operations.

Broad view of remediation risk

egies into a site remediation program can be as simple as using biodiesel in heavy equipment and dump trucks during an excavation project. Ideally, a green remedial strategy will identify and evaluate more comprehensive ways to reduce excavation volumes and the associated environmental impacts by incorporating risk assessment techniques and in-situ contaminant management. At AMEC, an international project management, engineering and environmental consulting company, our team has used a broad range of green remediation technologies to minimize the overall impact of the remediation. A few examples include: s 7IND POWERED BIOREMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE farm windmills to introduce air into the soil and groundwater to stimulate destruction of contaminants; s 4REE PLANTING ALONG PROPERTY BOUNDARIES TO STIMULATE biological activity (phytoremediation) and reduce the offsite movement of organic and inorganic compounds; s 0ERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS BIOLOGICAL AND ZERO VALENT iron) to reduce off-site movement of contaminants; s "IOREMEDIATION IN SITU AND EX SITU TO DESTROY ORGANIC contaminants and stabilize metals;

Most contaminated sites regulations reflect the risks associated with the property based on post-remediation risk analysis and management. Risk-based soil and groundwater standards evaluate the risk to ecological receptors, human health, and worker safety after the remediation activities have been completed. In some cases, focusing on postremediation risks and ignoring the risks directly associated with the remediation activities could actually increase the overall impact associated with the management of the contaminated site.

Terrace, BC Prime downtown commercial property of 4.5 acres available immediately. Site designated for mixed use commercial development. Price negotiable. Asbestos abatement and soil remediation required. Contact: D. Block, City of Terrace (250) 615-4028 dblock@terrace.ca

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The most common approach to remediation is to excavate the contaminated soil and transport the material to an off-site secure landfill. The environmental impacts of these activities not typically evaluated include: s (UMAN HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH WORKER EXPOSURE TO contaminated dust and volatile contaminants; s %XPOSURE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO DUST AND VAPOURS from both the excavation and transportation of the soil in UNSEALED DUMP TRUCKS TO THE LANDlLL SITE AND

s 2ELEASE OF DIESEL EXHAUST FROM THE TRUCKS AND EQUIPment used for excavation and transport of the contaminated soil. %XCAVATION ACTIVITIES ALSO INCLUDE UNMEASURED SOCIAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT SAFETY SUCH AS PHYSICAL INJURY TO CONTRACTORS THROUGH CONTACT WITH HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXCAVATION CAVE IN AND IMPACT OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES /THER BROAD social impacts related to the transportation of contaminated SOIL USUALLY INVOLVE TRUCKING THE MATERIAL ON THE LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAYS INCREASING THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS ROLL OVERS and local traffic problems. All of these impacts are ignored in the traditional regulaTORY APPROACHES AND RISK ASSESSMENT MODELS BUT CAN BE INcorporated into sustainable remediation analysis to provide A BROADER VIEW OF THE FULL IMPACTS RISK AND BENElTS OF A remedial program.

Brownfields and sustainable development Many of the concepts of sustainable remediation have GROWN OUT OF MUNICIPAL AND LOCAL BROWNlELD INITIATIVES that are driving sustainable development and revitalization of old industrial areas. Applying sustainable development concepts to site remediation issues has resulted IN NEW TOOLS AND MODELS THAT LOOK AT MANAGING THE SITE remediation component of the development in a sustainABLE MANNER INSTEAD OF TREATING REMEDIATION ASPECTS OF THE BROWNlELD STRATEGY AS A BLACK BOX WITH NO OPTIONS FOR improvement. 7ATERFRONT 4ORONTO IS ONE EXAMPLE WHERE SUSTAINABILity elements have been incorporated into the soil manAGEMENT PROGRAM 7ATERFRONT 4ORONTO WAS ESTABLISHED TO OVERSEE AND LEAD WATERFRONT RENEWAL FOR THE #ITY OF 4ORONTO AND HAS DEVELOPED A SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE THE RENEWAL AND REVITALIZATION PROJECTS THAT WILL RESTORE 4ORONTO S WATERFRONT TO MORE ACTIVE USE 4HE SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK HOPES TO ACHIEVE AN hOVERALL POSITIVE NET IMPACTv OF THE PROJECT AND LOOKS AT SOIL AND GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AS A COMPONENT of the broader sustainability goals of the organization. #ONTAMINATED SOIL MANAGEMENT IS VIEWED NOT JUST AS A

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BROWNFIELDS black box that is necessary to meet government standards but as a component of broader objectives including enhancing the natural resources in the area, developing sustainable buildings, and protecting the water resources and air quality that could be effected by the remediation activities.

Applying sustainable remediation

MARKETPLACE also better for society with fewer workers exposed to toxic chemicals, fewer trucks on the highway and preservation of a natural area along the creek where people enjoy walking. The client was appreciative of the financial analysis of the project: overall costs were reduced and, instead of incurring one large payout to excavate the contaminated soil, total expenditures were spread out over several years. The comparison of remedial options is rarely this clear and the business objectives of the project can outweigh the broader sustainability objectives. The excavation of contaminated soil is fast and appears to carry less financial risk, while the use of bioremediation and trees to remediate sites takes time and carries potential risks that the technology may not be effective. If the sole objective of the project is to meet the regulatory standards in the shortest time period in order to sell a property then excavation may be the only option available under the current business and regulatory regime. If the management of contamination is considered to be a broader part of an overall sustainability goal, then alternative approaches start to become more attractive. The use of sustainable remediation strategies will not replace traditional approaches to site remediation at every site. But with a little bit of extra time and thought, we can develop remedial strategies that provide additional benefits to the environment and to society — often for the same or less financial cost. If you are interested in learning more or applying sustainable remediation concepts, additional information can be found on the UK based Sustainable Remediation Forum (SuRF) page of the CL:AIRE Brownfield website at www. claire.co.uk/surfuk or by contacting the authors.

At present, the application of sustainable remediation may not be cost-effective for small sites where financial and legal models render the solutions impractical. Larger industrial sites and complex brownfields are often well-suited to a sustainable remediation approach. The projects are often large enough to support additional up front analysis and the benefits — financial, social and environmental — can be realized. The value of considering sustainability concepts in the development of remedial options is that they can often lead to creative and innovative solutions. AMEC recently evaluated remedial options for a chlorinated solvent plume along a site property boundary, which was migrating through a strip of forest and towards a local creek. The property owner and regulator were concerned about the impacts to the creek. The initial selected technology was to cut down the onsite section of the forest, excavate the contaminated soil, control groundwater movement, avoid further off-site movement of contamination and pave the area to support a risk assessment. The concept of tearing down a forest to remove relatively low levels of contamination and then covering the area with an amorphous mass of heavy hydrocarbons (i.e., asphalt) just didn’t seem to make sense. The AMEC team Wayne McPhee is a senior remediation applied sustainable remediation approaches to develop an engineer at AMEC in Mississauga, Ontario. alternative to managing the contamination at the site. Contact Wayne at wayne.mcphee@amec. The proposed solution was a simple, cost-effective apcom Peter Beukema is a senior sustainability proach that incorporated in-situ anaerobic bioremediation consultant and engineer at AMEC in in the high concentration source areas to break down the Mississauga, Ontario. Contact Peter at peter. chlorinated solvents. Leaving the existing forest in place albeukema@amec.com lows the use of phytoremediation to assist in removing any remaining low level contaminant impacts that remained. The remedial program will include adding oxygen and nutrients to Leaders in Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law the tree roots to stimulate improved treatment of the residual groundwater impacts For more information, contact: and reduce levels to acceptable risk-based James Ayres standards. @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

Scorecard A scorecard comparison of the two remedial options was performed using a sustainability scorecard approach, which uses red for a negative impact, yellow for neutral and green for improving the aspects identified under the three elements of sustainability. The scorecard showed that the remedial option suggested by the sustainable remediation analysis was better for the environment: reduced contaminant release, less greenhouse gas emissions and greater protection of a natural ecosystem. The sustainable approach was

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Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Municipal and Environmental Law 416 869 5967 or jayres@casselsbrock.com

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 37

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A STRATEGY FOR ENGLAND

UK BROWNFIELDS L

ike other areas of the world, it’s been a difficult year for the UK economy, but in particular the development industry has been heavily hit by the “credit crunch.” An almost total cessation of development has occurred, driven initially by a lack of available credit, but followed by a large stand-off of potential buyers eager to wait for purchase prices to drop further. UK house prices have fallen from the market peak, according to latest estimates, by nearly 22 per cent. However, there has been no relaxation by government on the desire to build three million new homes by 2020, nor of the 60 per cent minimum target for brownfields. There has never been a more important nor pressing time, therefore, to implement the National Brownfield Strategy for England to ensure that brownfield redevelopment is done in a more coordinated, efficient and ultimately sustainable way. The culmination of an extensive stakeholder consultation and research exercise to gauge the needs of industry and others to successfully redevelop brownfield land were combined and summarised into the four strands (see Box 1) of the National Brownfield Strategy for England (NBFS), which were accepted by government in March 2008. Although all intimately interrelated, each strand is designed to address the main issues associated with the nearly 52,000 hectares of recorded brownfield land in England according to the last validated survey in 2007. This is considered to equate to some 62,000 hectares of land in total, of which 54 per cent of the sites are vacant or derelict. Figures like this are difficult to comprehend, but it equates to an area nearly 2.5 times the size of the largest of England’s core cities (our second city, Birmingham) that is home to nearly one million people. Together with ever intensifying land pressures on England’s finite size, as well as tight restrictions around urban areas in the form of green belt, the densification of cities is essential to address ever greater population pressures. In order to assist with improving the efficiency of regeneration programs, the newly established Homes and Communities Agency (HCA, see Box 2) has brownfield at the heart of its agenda and is the brownfield advisor to government. The arrival of the HCA during the economic downturn UK brownfields equate to 62,000 hectares of land, of which 54 per cent is vacant or derelict

by Richard Boyle 38 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

land.

National Brownfield Strategy for England Strands Strand One — Identify, assess and prepare brownfield land for reuse to meet demands for all types of land uses; Strand Two — Safeguard the environment, by recognizing that not all brownfield land is suitable for redevelopment; Strand Three — Enhance communities, by tackling visual and economic blight, whilst ensuring that land is properly maintained for the future; and Strand Four — Accreditation and skills, through a more joined up approach by practitioners with appropriate skill sets.

is an extra benefit, due to the incredible financial resources and staff experience on offer. Indeed, the HCA is currently active in most developments in England, whilst in some areas the HCA is effectively the only “developer” operating. As a result, the HCA is in prime position to lead and develop its principal business process, the single conversation (see Box 3). However, other organizations and individuals are also responsible for ensuring that they play a pivotal role in the brownfield agenda and the implementation of the NBFS. Despite the quantities of derelict and vacant brownfield land stated earlier, it’s known that the record is not as accurate as it could be, which affects urban policy design and implementation. The HCA has already been working hard to address this brownfield land. This involves coordinated work with selected local authorities with the most recorded, or suspected, brownfield land in deprived areas to deliver local brownfield strategies (LBFSs). Crucially, LBFSs are not just seen as a way to increase the knowledge base of the quantity of brownfield land within an area, as all sites identified will be assessed via a new GIS tool that offers a robust, but flexible, measure of their constraints and opportunities. This will provide an evidence base for round table discussions in order to make informed decisions to feed into emerging local initiatives on employment, housing, open space and commercial land use needs. Sites will be characterized based upon the apparent “usability” of the site, with the ultimate end to establish whether sites are likely to come forward via private developers. Of course, recognition of the present economic climate is required, so the sites considered to be the most

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important will be assessed as to when the proposed end uses are likely to come forward and if a reality check is needed to consider changing the end use, at least in the interim, to help remove the blighting effects of brownfield land and to help stimulate the area. Finally, intervention mechanisms will be considered as to how sites may be encouraged to come forward if public assistance is necessary. However, the identification and development of longer term planning strategies to help provide consistency and certainty to the industry on the reuse of brownfield sites is only part of the answer. All stakeholders are still awaiting satisfactory outcomes of issues relating to the so-called â&#x20AC;&#x153;abnormal site conditionsâ&#x20AC;? that may affect brownfield sites, in particular relating to contamination and waste. On this front, the HCA continues to work with government departments and agencies and other organizations, such as the Soil and Groundwater Technology Association (SAGTA), to

The Homes and Communities Agency The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the national housing and regeneration agency for England. It was formed on 1 December 2008 through the transfer of functions and assets of English Partnerships; investment functions of the Housing Corporation; several delivery programs from Department of Communities and Local Government and transfer of the Academy for Sustainable Communities. Headline facts include: s 4HE LARGEST REGENERATION AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY in Europe; s &UNDING APPROACHES a BN FOR INCLUDING a BN INVESTMENT IN THE .ATIONAL !FFORDABLE (OUSING 0ROGRAMME .!(0 s .EARLY STAFF OVER OFlCES ACROSS NINE regions; and s 6ISION TO CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE homes they can afford, in places they want to live, and for local authorities and communities to achieve their ambitions. In order to deliver the statutory objects, the HCA has the power to â&#x20AC;&#x153;do anything it considers appropriate for the purposes of its objects or for purposes incidental to those purposes.â&#x20AC;? Alongside this broad power, specific powers relate to the provision, facilitation and acquisition, including compulsory purchase, regeneration, development of effective use of land for housing and infrastructure; establishing companies; providing financial assistance; providing or facilitating services for communities; and undertaking advisory, training, research and information services.

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SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 39

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The Single Conversation (HCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important business process) The HCA is committed to moving to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;place-â&#x20AC;? rather than â&#x20AC;&#x153;programâ&#x20AC;?-based approach. One of the key ways to achieve this is by developing a new approach to working with local partners: the Single Conversation. The key benefits are anticipated to be: s $EVELOPING CORE BUSINESS PROCESSES THAT REmECT THE FACT THAT ONE SIZE DOES NOT lT ALL WITH TAILOR MADE INTERVENTIONS at local levels; s 5SING INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT MUTUALLY SHARED AND AGREED PRIORITIES BASED ON LOCAL AMBITIONS WHILST ALSO ENSURING MAXIMUM LEVERAGE TO OBTAIN THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY AND s 3ECURING DEALS ACROSS LOCAL AREAS AND WITH A RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO SECURE GOOD OUTCOMES FOR BOTH THE LOCAL AREA AND THE (#! @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

Canadian Brownfields Network Working on Brownfields? Canada's Voice for Brownfield Redevelopment Building Capacity

Advocacy

Think Tank

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Linkages

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Community

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Revitalization

www.CanadianBrownfieldsNetwork.ca 40 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

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rectify the situation to provide certainty. The HCA was intimately involved with production of recent guidance on the legal definition of contaminated land, as well as a breakthrough on the definition of waste by an industry code of practice, which goes some way to providing a framework for determining when excavated materials are either not a waste in the first place and/or, if they are, may cease to be a waste. This shows what joined-up thinking and stakeholders working together can achieve. Through discussion and international forums, such as the recently established UK Sustainable Remediation Forum (SuRF UK), work is being done towards addressing sustainability when remediating brownfield, or any other, land. SuRF UK, which is facilitated by CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments) and involves the Environment Agency and the industry landowning stakeholder SAGTA, is developing a decision support framework that will allow for the sustainability of remediation to be assessed. A key part of the acceptance of the NBFS by government was the creation of a new National Brownfield Forum to be formed of key stakeholders, including government departments and agencies, including the HCA, Environment Agency and Health Protection Agency, SAGTA and other

industry representatives. Although still in its infancy, this draws upon recent joined-up working and will play a fundamental role in not only identifying the issues surrounding the development of brownfield land, but also working together to overcome them. No doubt the future will be interesting for all, but during this time of market uncertainty we can all ensure that we are working to the best of our abilities and learning new ways to overcome the challenges so that when the market returns, we can achieve a more sustainable redevelopment of brownfield land. The HCA will continue to work with partners to encourage coordinated activity on shared learning and challenging stakeholders to deliver good policy and practice. The first ever National Brownfield Strategy for England has laid the foundations for this, and, by unlocking the supply of land, providing access to funding and expertise, and setting standards, will play a key role for the HCA in helping deliver communities that will stand the test of time.

Richard Boyle is Brownfield Technical Consultant, Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in London, England. Contact Richard at Richard.Boyle@hca.gsx.gov.uk

www.xcg.com Environmental Site Assessment Site Remediation Risk Assessment Hazardous Building Materials Survey Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Groundwater Investigations

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TESTING IS CHEAP, EASY AND MAKESGOOD BUSINESS SENSE

SOIL MONITORING

armers have known for centuries that crops won’t grow in contaminated soil. Likewise, engineers have known for at least a quarter-century or longer that contaminated soil can make a plant — a manufacturing plant, that is — unusable. Yet far too few factories, warehouses and similar businesses bother testing to see whether they are contaminating the land around their facility. Frequently, the stated reason for this is that it’s either “too

by Isaac Rudik

“There are four smart, simple ways of providing protection through an ounce of prevention.”

complicated” or “too expensive.” But as countless companies have learned the hard way, it is much more complex and costly to clean up soil contamination than it is to monitor it regularly. Indeed, between provincial regulations and new, relatively inexpensive technology, there is neither a reason nor an excuse not to be testing for soil contamination frequently.

The Gong Show Early last year, the three owners of a mid-sized manufacturing company not far from Toronto were surprised when pollution inspectors from the province showed up to sample the soil around their facility, which is located in a semirural area. Two days later, the owners were stunned when they were served with a sworn complaint that discharge from their factory was seeping into the soil and, eventually, groundwater. The inspection and grievance was prompted by calls to the environment ministry from nearby farmers who suspected that contamination from the facility was both damag-

Brownfield Redevelopment

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Helping you with the Science of Brownfields Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. is a leading science-based consulting firm, with more than 20 years of experience assisting our clients by providing them with leading edge scientific knowledge and advice related to the protection of human health and the environment.

Risk Assessment UÊ Õ > Ê i> Ì Ê> `ÊiV } V> ÊÀ Ã Ê>ÃÃiÃÃ i ÌÃ UÊ/ Ý V }ÞÊ> `Ê >â>À`Ê>ÃÃiÃÃ i ÌÊ vÊV i V> Ã UÊ Û> Õ>Ì Ê vÊÀ Ã ÃÊÀi >Ìi`ÊÌ ÊV Ì> >Ìi`ÊÃ ÌiÃ UÊ*À L>L ÃÌ V]Ê Õ Ì i` >]ÊiÝ« ÃÕÀiÊ> `ÊÀ Ã Ê >ÃÃiÃÃ i ÌÊ `i } UÊ iÛi « i ÌÊ vÊ*À «iÀÌÞÊ-«iV wVÊ-Ì> `>À`Ã UÊ*iiÀÊÀiÛ iÜÊ vÊV Ì> >Ìi`ÊÃ ÌiÊÀ Ã Ê>ÃÃiÃÃ i ÌÃ UÊ*ÕL VÊV ÃÕ Ì>Ì Ê> `ÊÀ Ã ÊV Õ V>Ì

Hamilton’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program has proven results. Contact us to learn more. Brian Morris Business Development Consultant, City of Hamilton tel: 905.546.2424 ext. 5602 e-mail: brownfieldoffice@hamilton.ca

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42 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

Regulatory Affairs UÊ Ý«iÀÌÃÊ Ê" Ì>À Ê,i}Õ >Ì Ê£xÎÉä{ÊÜ Ì Ê> Ê iÃÌ>L Ã i`ÊÃÕVViÃÃÊÀ>ÌiÊÜ Ì Ê ÃÌÀÞÊ-ÕL ÃÃ Ã UÊ ÀiÊÌ > Ê£äÊÃV i Ì ÃÌÃÊÜ Ì ÊÌ iÊµÕ> wV>Ì Ã]Ê iÝ«iÀ i ViÊ> `ÊiÝ«iÀÌ ÃiÊÌ ÊµÕ> vÞÊ>ÃÊ>Ê+*, UÊ-Ì> ` }ÊV ÌÀ>VÌÃÊÜ Ì Ê " ]Ê Û À i ÌÊ > >`>]Ê> `Ê i> Ì Ê > >`>ÊÌ Ê«À Û `iÊiÝ«iÀÌÊ>`Û ViÊ ÊÌ Ý V }ÞÊ > `ÊÀ Ã Ê>ÃÃiÃÃ i Ì° ÀÊ ÀiÊ v À >Ì ]ÊV Ì>VÌ Dr. Glenn FergusonÊ

(905) 364-7800 Ext.206

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ing crops and causing birth defects in livestock. To make matters worse, not only did the company not realize it was causing problems, the owners had no idea that anything in their manufacturing process was potentially harmful. The company faced two unpleasant and hugely expensive propositions. Either it could pay for decontaminating the soil or close down; in any event, the business and its owners were facing enormous fines and possible criminal citations. “It was like being on The Gong Show,” one of the owners said. “No matter what we did, we were going to be rung off stage.” In the end, the business negotiated a settlement with the province and neighbouring farmers, and assumed responsibility for part of the cleanup costs. But threatened with its very existence, the company learned an extremely costly lesson.

An ounce of prevention Whether located in an urban, semi-rural or country setting, monitoring soil contamination is critical. All companies with a potential risk should be doing so at least one a week; daily testing is even better for businesses that know they are dealing with hazardous materials. Moreover, farms should also be testing frequently since agriculture has the

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most to gain — and lose — by knowing soil quality. Fortunately, keeping an eye on possible contamination is easy thanks to one of the many “handy” measuring instruments that are available today. There are four smart, simple ways of providing protection through an ounce of prevention: s $EPENDING ON THE INDUSTRY THERE ARE SPECIlC TEST KITS available to determine the contamination level of land surrounding a plant. s !GRIBUSINESSES MAY USE A P( -ETER TO DETERMINE whether a specific crop has the best condition to grow in a given soil. s "OTH INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE SHOULD USE DISSOLVED SALT meters to determine if drainage is working properly. s 5SE STANDARDIZED SAMPLERS TO OBTAIN A STANDARD SOIL sample ensuring all tests are showing comparable results. Today, new, rapidly emerging technology makes it increasingly easy to manage and prevent soil contamination at an affordable cost. As the Ontario manufacturer and its farm neighbours learned the hard way, testing is cheap and cleaning up a mess is awful.

Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. in Vaughan, Ontario. Contact Isaac at Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca @ARTICLECATEGORY:810;

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sustainability

The Greening of Edmonton Alberta’s capital creates a high-tech environmental centre by David Israelson

“The 233-hectare Edmonton Waste Management Centre is home to more than 16 waste processing facilities, including research facilities.”

ven though this is Alberta’s capital, you can’t see the Rockies, but in the northeast corner of town, there is a magnificent mountain: an electronic mountain. Call it a mountain of opportunity. On one of the city’s many bright, sunny days, you can see it glinting; the biggest pile you might ever see of dead wires, obsolete cathode ray tubes, bulky old computer terminals, nowantiquated cell phones and clunky printers that are well worse for wear. In another country, this hill of hardware might be an environmental nightmare, but here it’s part of a field of environmental dreams: a key element in Edmonton’s strong effort to be a world leader in sustainability. Edmonton’s e-mountain sits at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC), North America’s largest collection of highly advanced, sustainable waste processing and research facilities. While many, if not most, cities are struggling to catch up and become more effective in waste management, Edmonton has been planning ahead and making progress for years. With its large collection of modern facilities, the city has been able to attract innovative private companies such as GEEP Alberta, which built the e-waste facility in 2007. Handling e-waste is part of the city’s commitment to what Mayor Stephen Mandel refers to as “global leadership in sustainable waste management.” Indeed the city is well on its way to become the first city in North America to divert 90 per cent of its residential waste from landfill. The goal will be achieved in 2012 when the world’s first industrial scale facility to produce biofuels from municipal waste is operational, turning waste that cannot be recycled or composted into methanol and ethanol. The facility is being built by Enerkem and Greenfield Ethanol. (See article, page 21.) By comparison, Vancouver’s landfill diversion rate is 52 per cent, Toronto’s 40 and Calgary’s 20. Sydney, Australia sits at 25 per cent while London and New York City are at 20 and 33 per cent respectively. The e-waste facility at the EWMC exemplifies the city’s strategy of thinking ahead. E-waste is a growing world problem, and Canada is no exception. The average life span of both computers and monitors today is less

44 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

than two years, and according to Environment Canada, Canadians will toss out an estimated 206,000 tonnes of unwanted elecronica by 2010. Many jurisdictions are scrambling to cope. In April, 2009, Ontario launched the first phase of its e-waste recovery program, covering computers and some peripherals (more products would be covered in an anticipated second phase). But Alberta and Edmonton were already there, and early. In 2004, Alberta launched the first e-waste recycling program in Canada. In 2007, GEEP Alberta opened its 4,050 square metre electronic waste recycling plant in Edmonton. The plant harvests plastic, precious metals and glass for re-use. It’s capable of processing 18,000 tonnes per year. Some smaller companies pioneered e-waste processing in Edmonton; GEEP represented a major scaling-up. All these Alberta companies provide better alternatives than shipping e-waste abroad — which also adds greenhouse gases from the transport — or simply dumping it in landfills. Alberta’s recycling authority now says it has support to expand its electronics program to 60 types of items from the current six by the end of the year. “People want to recycle more than just their computers and TVs,” Jim Sellers, communications manager for the Alberta Recycling Management Authority told the Calgary Herald. “Now we have enough infrastructure to handle what’s coming into the system, we can build on that.” That’s certainly true in Edmonton. With its 90 per cent solid waste diversion rate looming, Edmonton already diverts 60 per cent of its residential waste from landfill — an aspiration many other cities still hope to achieve. In 2009, Edmonton was chosen “Canada’s most sustainable city” by Corporate Knights magazine. Edmonton is comprehensive in virtually all of its waste management. Nine out of 10 households in Edmonton participate in voluntary curbside recycling; the city makes it easy by asking householders simply to put all recyclables — unsorted — in blue bags at curbside. The sorting is done at the materials recovery facility located at the EWMC. The city also has a large composting facility; in 2008 it processed 117,000 tonnes of residential waste.

Edmonton skyline.

Compost produced at the facility goes to farms, for land reclamation and landscaping. In addition to turning garbage into compost, Edmonton also has an extensive concrete and asphalt recycling program — the most successful recycling program in the country. It produces more than 150,000 tonnes of materials annually, used as base material for new roadways. Since 2004, Edmonton has also been the only North American city to recycle road sand — it is collected and cleaned for re-use. This saves the city $3 million each year in salt, and it diverts dangerous chemicals from getting into the ground and water sources. “We’re also one of few municipalities in Canada to produce electricity from the collection of landfill gas,” says Connie Boyce, Director of Strategic Planning and Community Relations for the City of Edmonton’s Waste Management Branch. “Each year, the electricity generated from the landfill gas meets the needs of about 4,600 homes.”

The 233-hectare Edmonton Waste Management Centre is home to more than 16 waste processing facilities, including research facilities. In June, the world will get to see, and learn from, Edmonton’s solid waste management efforts. The city is hosting the World Congress of ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, whose membership includes nearly 1,100 cities and towns. Tours of the EWMC will be offered to the delegates. HMM

David Israelson is Vice President and Editor with Media Profile in Toronto, Ontario. Contact David at david.israelson@mediaprofile.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

FCM’s Green Municipal Fund Below-market loans for brownfield remediation projects www.fcm.ca/gmf

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 45

environment-business

Innovative Remediation in Canada Beyond the start-up companies

by John Nicholson

“The federal government owns or is fully responsible for over 19,000 sites with known or suspected contamination.”

he federal government owns or is fully responsible for over 19,000 sites with known or suspected contamination. The financial liability for these sites is estimated at $3.5 billion. Besides the chronicled federal sites, there are thousands of private and provincially-owned sites across Canada. That’s a lot of potential work for companies that have technologies that work and are cost effective. Although “dig and dump” has been a popular method for cleaning up sites in Canada, there are number of disadvantages, including contamination beneath buildings, remote locations, and the clean-up of groundwater. There are several ways of categorizing alternative remediation technologies, including the following: UÑ È ÓÞÑ ÅÑiæ È ÓÞ UÑ Å > VÑ ÅÑ Å > V UÑ w >ÓiÅÈ]Ñ ` ÈÈ äiÅÈ]Ñ ÅÑ È iÅÈÑ ²`i ÈiÑ >ºÞi ÞÈÑ ° >ÈiÑ ºÞ `È³ UÑ iV > V> ]ÑL V i V> ]Ñ ÅÑÓ iÅ > / iÑ°i`` iÅÈÑ wÑ° å`iÅÈÑ> `Ñ æÓÞÅiÈÑÓ >ÓÑ>ÅiÑ iVÓi`Ñ

46 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

Ó ÑÓ iÑ Å Þ `Ñ >äiÑ wÓi ÑLii Ñ > i`Ñ>ÈÑ° æ iÑ`ÞÈÓÑ salesman. There have been a few peddlers of magic powders that, once inoculated into a contaminated site, do nothing. These shysters have damaged the reputations of the industry and have made it more difficult for legitimate companies to market their wares. Despite setbacks caused by non-reputable compan iÈ]Ñ >°°Å æ >Ói çÑ ÕÛÑ °iÅVi ÓÑ wÑ Åi i` >Ó Ñ °Å iVÓÈÑ in Canada utilize bioremediation according to statistics from the Federal Contaminated Sites Program. Adventus is one such company that has weathered to storm of distrust with in situ bioremediation. With a 15-year proven track record and in collaboration with the University of Guelph and other institutions, Adventus has shown that its EHC-O additive works at over 300 sites worldwide. / iÑ "Ñ ÓÅ i`Ñ Åi i>ÈiÑ æç i Ñ > `Ñ ÞÓÅ i ÓÈÑ>ÅiÑ iVÓi`Ñ ÑÓ iÑ Å Þ `å>ÓiÅÑV Ó> >Ói`Ñå Ó Ñ °iÓÅ iÞ Ñ ç`Å V>ÅL ÈÑ ² µiµ]Ñ >È i³µÑ / iÑ °Å V ° iÑ Li `ÑÓ iÑÓiV çÑ ÈÑÅ>Ó iÅÑÈ ° iÑqÑÈÞ°° çÑ æç i Ñ

environment-business

and nutrients to assist in the growth of naturally-occurring microorganisms that subsequently eat the organic food (gasoline). Compared to calcium-peroxide and magnesium-peroxide based inoculates, the EHC-O product is superior at releasing oxygen into the groundwater -- a critical factor for assuring degradation of the contaminants. Depending on the rate of application and the concentration of contamination, the contamination and groundwater can be reduced to below detection methods within a month. The cost of EHC-O works out to $5.23 (U.S.) per pound. Another Canadian company that has established itself in the bioremediation marketplace is Biogenie, a division of EnGlobe Corp. Biogenie has developed a niche at remediating contaminated soil using “biopile” technology at remote sites that don’t have access to electrical power. Biopile technology consists of excavating contaminated soil, piling it on-site, and injecting air, moisture, microorganisms and nutrients. Wind turbines are used to generate the electricity required to run the system. Biogenie has utilized its niche technology on dozens of remote sites across Canada including Iqaluit, Aklavik, and Sachs Harbor.

Phytoremediation The utilization of plants to clean up contaminated sites still has its share of detractors in Canada. That said, there are examples of successful remediation using phytoremediation. One of the main attractions to phytoremediation is its flexibility and price. Phytoremediation has the potential to remove any type of contaminant (i.e., organic or metal) at an estimated cost of $50 to $75 per cubic metre of soil. As a comparison, bioremediation can only treat organic contamination and can cost upwards of $100 per cubic metre of soil. The primary disadvantage of phytoremediation is time. Restoration of a site can take between two and five years. Good luck finding a land developer willing to wait that long for a brownfield site to be cleaned up. There is published data on the success of phytoremediation in Canada, including Sarnia, several sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The data shows that phytoremediation can remove up to 40 percent of recalcitrant petroleum hydrocarbons per year. HMM

John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng. is based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at john.nicholson@ebccanada.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:803;

Canada’s BEST source of environmental risk information for real estate

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Visit www.eris.ca Call toll free: 1-877-512-5204 Email: info@eris.ca SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 47

chemical-corner

Urea Formaldehyde Foam InsUlatIon makes a partIal bUt brIeF comeback

malodoroUs sUlFUr prodUcts oFFgas From drywall From chIna

materials, causing them to need to be replaced repeatedly. It has been determined that the problem is related to presence of iron disulfide (FeS2 pyrite). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon disulfide (CS2) are also suspected as culprits. There have been reports that large quantities of drywall produced in China were kept on sea barges for months awaiting permission for importation to the USA, reputedly developing higher than typical density and a higher propensity to off-gas sulfur compounds. Drywall is usually made of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate). Therefore, sulfur is one of the main components present in the sample. All drywall has sulfur in its elemental composition; therefore the odour is not explained by an analysis of the total sulfur content. The extent of the indoor air quality issues related to this is still unclear. US EPA is currently investigating the severity of the problem. However, it is well documented that exposure to sulfur compounds may cause irritation and breathing disorders. However, the level at which sulfur-containing compounds can be smelled (Odour Threshold) is very low, and smelling them does not necessarily mean one is being exposed to adverse amounts. HMM

It has been reported that drywall imported between 2004-2006 from certain areas in China, can release sulfur-like odorous components. These compounds can corrode air conditioning coils and other copper-bearing

For more information on these topics, contact Glenn Wood Ph.D., C.I.H, R.O.H., in the Mississauga office of Golder Associates Ltd. At gwood@golder.com

Heath Canada was recently advised that a Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) type of insulation, RetroFoam, was installed in a limited number of homes (~700) in Ontario. This type of insulation was prohibited in Canada in December 1980 under the Hazardous Products Act. Urea formaldehyde insulation is prohibited in Canada because it may release formaldehyde vapours into indoor air. Health Canada issued a “cease and desist” letter to the Canadian importer of the insulation, to stop all importation and sale of RetroFoam in Canada. Health Canada also instructed the Canadian distributor of RetroFoam, to stop all sale, advertisement and further installations of the product and to call back any unused product. Although not a removal notification, Health Canada is taking further regulatory action to protect the health and safety of homeowners who have had RetroFoam installed in their homes by supporting them in having their indoor air quality tested.

@ARTICLECATEGORY:801;

TOPIC ALERT timely information that matters

HazMat Management Introduces TOPIC ALERT – Timely information, with the power to drive your business success. Now you will have access to the same news information as the business press, hot from the news wires, and HazMat Management Topic Alert will be your link, delivering to you only the information that matters to you TOPIC SELECTION CUSTOMIZED BY YOU You select only those topics relevant to your business enterprise. Track competitors, investments, industry events, mergers and acquisitions, and more. YOU SELECT From a wide range of topics such as Waste Management, Solid Waste & Recycling, Trucking, Transportation Logistics and More. WE DELIVER RIGHT TO YOUR E-MAIL BOX Delivered at a time and frequency specified by you. 48 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

ARCHIVES Gain Access to thousands of hazmatmag.com articles. HERE’S HOW Visit us at hazmatmag.com and select Topic Alert. Start receiving your customized Topic Alerts Today. Business Information Group, Contact: Melinda Marasigan, Phone: 416 442 5600 ext 3548 Toll Free: 1-866-543-7888, Suite 800 — 12 Concorde Place, Toronto, Ontario M3C 4J2

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hazmat-products

Affordable NFPA 1991-certified HazMat suit Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is introducing the most affordable hazmat suit certified to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1991 standard. The new hazmat suit, ONESuit(r) Pro, is flame-resistant and is the first product certified to both NFPA 1991: Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies and NFPA 1994: Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents. The United States’ leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety, NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of exposure to fire, chemicals, and other associated risks. Saint-Gobain’s patent-pending CoreTech™ Barrier Membrane technology enables the light, under 10-pound ONESuit Pro to cost-effectively deliver the highest levels of protection against chemical and biological agents in both liquid and vapor form. Its convenient singleskin design is engineered for maneuverability and user comfort in the most challenging environments. ONESuit Pro features a minimum seven-year shelf life and is compactable for convenient, space-saving storage. “Fire departments, chemical facilities, and government agencies charged with protecting public safety can now choose certified single-skin hazmat protection without breaking the budget,” says Matthew Madeksza, General Manager, Coated Fabrics Business Unit, SaintGobain Performance Plastics. Visit www.onesuittec.com

Skull microphone for first responders Xacore has launched a new lower-cost waterproof skull microphone radio communication kit, specifically geared towards fire fighters and other helmet wearers. The skull microphone radio communication kit is comprised of a microphone, a speaker and a waterproof body push-to-talk (“PTT”). The microphone is a soft bone vibration microphone affixed inside the helmet. When the helmet is adorned this microphone makes contact with the crown of the head and picks up voice vibrations through the bones in the skull. This signal is then transmitted when the waterproof PTT is depressed. Receive audio is achieved through a right or left side helmet mounted over-the-ear speaker. This radio communication system addresses the need for clear communications in a loud environment, especially while wearing a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) at a lower price than comparable systems. Visit www.xacore.com

50 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

hazmat-products

Green business opportunities book In the new book Good to Green: Managing Business Risks and Opportunities in the Age of Environmental Awareness (Wiley; Cloth; April 2009; $34.95) authors John Phyper and Paul MacLean examine the business risks and opportunities associated with environmental issues. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about â&#x20AC;&#x153;cosmetic environmentalismâ&#x20AC;? but what businesses must do now to survive. Leveraging case studies of companies, Good to Green shows how companies can save money through implementing green strategies from product/process design, supply chain management and logistic optimization. The authors provide easy to read insight into the good and bad of the current green wave, with examples including: s 4HE .ORTH !MERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY S response, or lack thereof, to demands for more efficient/cleaner vehicles in their lineup and the emergence of upstarts like Th!nk Global, Project Better Place and Tesla Motors; s %NVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT IN supply chains, which has become headline news â&#x20AC;&#x201D; how companies like Wal-ART 3ONY -ATTEL .IKE )+%! AND $ELL are demanding environmental accountability from their suppliers; s 7HAT COMPANIES ARE DOING RIGHT AND in many cases, expanding their product lines, e.g., General Electric and Ecolab; s 2ECENT ENVIRONMENTAL MISSTEPS INCLUDING HOW BIO BIOfuels from crops can actually make things worse, mismanagement of tailings ponds at some Alberta oil sands projects and emissions trading in the EU that lacked a carbon price incentive to create real emissions reductions. The book explores the top three reasons why your business canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to ignore the green rush Improved Customer Stickiness: Increased public awareness of environmental issues (like global warming, species extinctions, and carcinogens in products) has significantly impacted consumer spending and retention. Companies are realizing that â&#x20AC;&#x153;greenwashingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;cosmetic environmentalismâ&#x20AC;? are damaging to the bottom line and that true change, along the entire supply chain, is required. Expansion into New Markets: Over a trillion dollars per year is being spent on water purification, solid waste

management and clean energy technologies. Add to this monies being spent on environmentally friendly products, energy conservation and regulatory compliance, and the market opportunity is overwhelming. The recent U.S. stimulus package included approximately $58 billion in spending and tax cuts to encourage the use of alternative energy and energy conservation. Companies need to assess how they can capitalize on the growth of these markets. Elimination of Mismanagement: More and more companies are starting to assess the business risks/opportunities related to environmental issues, and in doing so ARE ALTERING HOW THEY DO BUSINESS .OW these issues are being transferred from the VP level to the shop floor, at both companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations and those of their suppliers. Only by attacking this prob problem in a multi-prong approach can the desired goal of reducing costs and nega negative impact on the environment, across the supply chain, be achieved. About the Authors: *OHN $AVID 0HYPER 4ORONTO /. IS President of P&A â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Business Advisory Services Inc., a management consult consulting firm that provides business advice to small-medium clean-tech compan companies and advises larger organizations on how to manage business risks and opportunities associated with environ environmental issues. Phyper was also recently appointed CEO of Mondial Energy Inc., a company that develops and finances renewable power and energy savings projects. Paul MacLean (Montreal, QC) is President of EEM Inc., a management consultancy that provides leadership in environmental and social sustainability to a wide variety of multinational and local industries, as well as to First .ATIONS AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS -AC,EAN HAS BEEN advising clients on embedding sustainable development into business processes, capacity building, integrated management systems, and EHS compliance issues for more than twenty years. He has directed projects in three languages across the Americas, as well as in Africa, Asia and Iceland. Contact Deborah Guichelaar at dguichel@wiley.com

SUMMER 2009 HazMat Management 51

hazmat-products

Enhanced Chemical Approval Management Tool New module enables quick chemical control decision support with direct access to relevant Ariel regulatory data 3E Company®, a leading provider of Environmental

Health and Safety (EH&S) compliance and information management services, has introduced an enhanced Chemical Approval Module for use with 3E Online® — MSDS, the company’s award-winning Material Safety Data Sheet management system. The module facilitates informed decision making by allowing chemical approval managers quick and easy access to directly relevant regulatory data for reference when deciding whether to approve or deny a product.

The Chemical Approval Module also allows the chemical approval manager to filter products by relevant regulatory lists associated with the products under review. With this new functionality, the user will be able to quickly see how products pending approval are regulated by the 40+ regulatory lists maintained in 3E Online. 3E Company’s Ariel regulatory data spans more than 75 countries around the world and provides unprecedented support for identifying, monitoring and complying with both new and existing EH&S regulations. The enhanced Chemical Approval Module also enables: • Custom list creation. Users can now create a custom list by adding any one of the standard regulatory lists, or a combination of lists. Once the custom list is created, users can utilize this list within the Chemical Approval Module. • Access to the custom list for chemical approval

purposes. Users can also review all products pending approval that contain a chemical from the selected custom list. This is especially helpful for managing banned chemicals. Users can ensure that new products being added to the catalog do not contain company or site specific banned chemicals. “We’re constantly striving to develop tools and solutions that effectively enhance workplace safety while promoting EH&S regulatory compliance,” says Erica Miller, Product Manager, 3E Company. 3E Online — Chemical Approval Module is available as an optional enhancement immediately to subscribers of 3E Online® — MSDS Gold and 3E Online® — MSDS Platinum. Pricing is based on an annual subscription and the number of products managed in the user’s inventory. For more information visit www.3ecompany.com or email info@3ecompany.com

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Eco-friendly pallets EcoPolyBlend™ Pallets™ from Justrite Mfg. are made of 100 per cent recycled polyethylene, making them twice as good for the environment. They not only protect against groundwater contamination; they also utilize post-industrial material that might have otherwise been discarded into the waste stream. These robust pallets are EPA and SPCC compliant and meet or exceed fire codes with oversized, leak-proof sumps to capture hazardous spills. Sturdy, thick grates remove for easy sump cleaning. Visit www.justritemfg.com

52 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

advertiser index

SUMMER 2009

ADVERTISER ................................................................................................ PG #

AGAT Laboratories .......................................................................................................................... 53

Miller Thomson LLP .......................................................................................................................... 24

Canadian Renewable Fuels ............................................................................................................ 26

MMM Group....................................................................................................................................... 36

Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo.............................................................................................. 49

Municipality of Temagami............................................................................................................... 31

Cassels Brock LLP ............................................................................................................................ 37

Newalta ............................................................................................................................................... 36

Cdn Brownfields Network............................................................................................................... 40 City of St. Catherines ........................................................................................................................ 37 Cement Assoc of Canada................................................................................................................ 10 Centre for Advanced Visualization ............................................................................................... 35 City of Hamilton .................................................................................................................................. 42 Clean Earth Solutions Ltd ............................................................................................................... 13 Davis & Company LLP ...................................................................................................................... 36 DTZ Barnicke ..................................................................................................................................... 31 EcoLog.................................................................................................................................................. 43 Environmental Compliance Conference...................................................................................... 25

OHE Consultants ................................................................................................................................ 35 Pinchin Environmental Ltd .............................................................................................................. 40 Proeco .................................................................................................................................................. 55 Quantum Murray ................................................................................................................................. 5 Seneca College.................................................................................................................................. 13 TD Waterhouse/Going Green for Green...................................................................................... 16 Team-1 Environmental Services Inc .............................................................................................. 2 Terrace BC .......................................................................................................................................... 35 TIGG Corporation .............................................................................................................................. 53

EPA/Brownfields 2009 ..................................................................................................................... 41

T. Harris Environmental ................................................................................................................... 46

Eris......................................................................................................................................................... 47

Veolia Environmental........................................................................................................................ 38

Federation of Canadian Municipalities........................................................................................ 45

Western Canadian HAZMAT Symposium .................................................................................. 43

Intrinsik................................................................................................................................................. 42

XCG Consultants ................................................................................................................................ 41

Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund....................................................................................................... 36

Zurich.................................................................................................................................................... 56

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legal-perspective

Understanding Ontario’s New Toxics Reduction Act by Dianne Saxe, D.Jur.

“The Toxics Reduction Act, 2009 will be the first statute in Canada with the word ‘toxic’ in its name.”

ntario will soon have a special law on toxic chemicals. By the time you read this, Bill 167, the Toxics Reduction Act, 2009, will have received second reading and likely will be awaiting proclamation. It flows from the work of the Toxics Reduction Scientific Expert Panel and the Ministry of the Environment’s Toxic Reductions Project. The panel concluded that exposure to a wide range of toxic chemicals poses significant risks to human health in Ontario. Bill 167 will require Ontario industries to measure, monitor and report on toxics, and to plan how to reduce them. Its basic concepts are that those who use and release toxic substances should know it, admit it, and reduce their emissions if they can. The public should know who is polluting its air and water with especiallyhazardous chemicals. Businesses must therefore prepare toxic reduction plans, but implementation of those plans will be voluntary, at least for now. (Similar strategies are already used in some US states, such as Massachusetts. The Massachusetts law caused some immediate reductions in the use of toxic chemicals, but longer-term decreases may be tied to a local decline in manufacturing.) Last fall, when this new law was first proposed, public reaction was prompt, strong, but mixed: “Stakeholder feedback ... was largely balanced between requests for the province to go further (e.g., require mandatory substitutions of safer alternatives, legislated toxics reduction targets, mandatory labelling of consumer products containing toxics), and concerns related to the potential overlap with federal toxics programs and potential new costs.” There are good arguments for both sets of comments. On the one hand, duplicate regulation is a serious concern. The Canadian market is too small to easily bear multiple layers of regulation, and this is a time of particular difficulty for most manufacturers. The Toxics Reduction Act, 2009 will be the first statute in Canada with the word “toxic” in its name. However, toxic substances and emissions of toxics into the environment are already regulated under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), the Hazardous Products Act, etc. The federal government has an elaborate process for evaluating the toxicity of substances and publishes a national Toxic Substances List under CEPA, 1999. It requires

54 www.hazmatmag.com SUMMER 2009

substantial reporting of toxics under the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and is deeply into an expensive, multiyear Chemical Management Plan to evaluate the toxicity of all major chemicals in commercial use in Canada. This is supplemented by a cooperative program across all Canadian jurisdictions, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, to set acceptable standards for chemicals of concern. In addition, Ontario closely regulates the emissions of toxics under the EPA and Regulations 346 and 419/05, and requires substantial additional reporting under Reg. 127/01. Plus, Toronto is now moving ahead with its own toxics reporting by law. Worse, each of the three levels of government will have its own distinct list of “toxics” and “substances of concern,” and overlapping, but different, requirements for managing each list. This will be cumbersome and expensive, and will make it hard for industries to know what they should truly focus on. Was it really impossible to accomplish more by working with the feds? On the other hand, the federal process has been very slow, and is focused on substances that are both persistent and bioaccumulate. While levels of many toxics in the natural environment have dropped in the last 20 years (such as DDT and benzene in urban air), the total load of toxics remains high. Regulations always seem to be playing catch-up, slower at building evidence for control of toxics than industry is at inventing new ones. As cancer rates climb, no one seems to know - is it just because people don’t die earlier of other things, or are we poisoning ourselves with our own chemicals? Bill 167 makes a gesture to both sets of stakeholders. It allows the province to set mandatory Toxic Reduction Targets, although the environment ministry says it won’t do so, for now. Meanwhile, the province hopes to mollify business by coordinating its paperwork with existing federal requirements (NPRI). Minister Gerretsen has also promised $24 million to provide technical assistance: financial support for small businesses; accreditation of toxics reduction planners; and “encouragement” for early reductions. HMM

Dianne Saxe, Ph.D. in Law, is one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers with her own practice in Toronto. Contact Dianne at dsaxe@envirolaw.com @ARTICLECATEGORY:807;

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