Forest Industry (Wood Residual Disposal Guidelines)
Wood Residual Disposal from Small Sawmills
Purpose
The intent of these notes is to provide advice to operators of small sawmills on the disposal of wood residuals.
The sawmill operator should notify the Environmental Protection office of the sawmill location and size, and discuss the need for any authorizations.
Legislation & Policy
The policy of Environmental Protection is that the 3 Rs principles should be followed. These are:
- Reduction - by planning the sawmill facility so that the creation of wood residuals is minimized.
- Reuse - by diverting residual streams to other uses, such as chips for pulp production.
- Recycling - which is similar to reuse but, for example, hog could be composted and used for access road or landing rehabilitation.
Wood Residuals
Wood Residuals Consist of:
- trim ends
- chips
- bark
- sawdust
- shavings
- slabs
- stumps and tree limbs
- log yard debris
Possible Disposal Options Include:
- trim ends, which could go to a Finger Jointing Plant
- chips can go for pulp production
- sawdust and shavings can go for pulp, or wood pellet, production
- shavings and bark can go for cattle bedding
- incineration, with energy recovery
- log yard debris can be sorted for chipping and / or hog, and the remainder landfilled
Disposal Options
Disposal of Wood Residues to Land
Any waste discharge to the environment, i.e. to land, air, or water, requires a
Permit or Approval under the Environmental Management Act, except for any discharge of wood waste to land that complies with Section 2.(3).(a) of the Conditional Exemption Regulation. This section exempts a discharge from requiring a permit if the discharge complies with the attached Appendix; Waste Management Guidelines for Classification of Woodwaste Discharges.
Disposal by Incineration
Incineration of wood residuals must comply with the Wood Residue Burner and Incinerator Regulation, and would not require a Permit or Approval. Any emission to the air under this regulation must meet a particulate concentration limit of 120 mg/m3 at 8% oxygen.
Beehive, or Tepee, burners and unmodified silo burners will not be allowed at new wood processing sites. The policy of Environmental Protection is to eliminate the use of these burners at existing facilities.
A modified silo burner may be used, providing that there is a plan acceptable to the Regional Waste Manager to add pollution control equipment so that the 120 mg/m3 particulate standard would be met after an agreed period of time.
Disposal by Landfilling
This disposal method requires a Permit under the Environmental Management Act and would be subject to various conditions applied by the Regional Waste Manager. These include restrictions on materials that may be landfilled, requirements for maximum depth of material, intermediate and final cover, leachate control as well as record keeping and waste minimization plans. Landfills are only authorized for log yard debris, not other wood residuals. Landfills are not suitable sites for snow dumps as the melting snow often creates serious leachate problems.
Open Burning
Open burning is generally not allowed at industrial sites, except for very occasional, one time, events. For example, when an old site is being cleared for a new facility. Land clearing debris can be open burned in compliance with the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation.
Management of Waste Oil
Legislation:
British Columbia has enacted a Hazardous Waste Regulation under the Environmental Management Act. This legislation pertains to the generation, storage, transport and disposal of hazardous wastes. Hazardous Wastes are normally Dangerous Goods that cannot be used for their intended purpose. Please refer to the regulation for a more detailed definition.
Waste oil must not be discharged to the environment (Sec. 3 (2), Environmental Management Act) except in accordance with the Environmental Management Act and its regulations. Waste oil must be collected and shipped for recycling. The use of waste oil for dust control is now illegal (Sec. 41(7), Hazardous Waste Regulation).
Definition of waste oil (Section 1, Hazardous Waste Regulation): automotive lubrication oil, cutting
oil, fuel oil, gear oil, hydraulic oil or any other refined petroleum based oil
or synthetic oil where the oils are in the waste in a total concentration
greater than 3% by weight and the oils through use, storage or handling have
become unsuitable for their original purpose due to the presence of impurities
or loss of original properties".
Requirements: Many sections of the Hazardous Waste Regulation are applicable to waste oil
management. A summary interpretation is provided below. Administrative
requirements for hazardous wastes are described in Part 7 of the Hazardous Waste
Regulation.
Registration: Registration as a generator of waste oil is required if more than 5000 litres (approximately
1000 Imperial gallons) are generated within a 30 day period, or stored (Section
43(2) Hazardous Waste Regulation) for more than 14 days.
Transportation: (See also Section 9 of the Environmental Management Act). A manifest is required for shipments of waste oil in excess of 205 litres (Section 46(1), Hazardous Waste Regulation) unless the oil is transported solely within the boundaries of property owned, leased or controlled by the person who generates or stores the waste oil (Section 46 (2), Hazardous Waste Regulation).
All persons transporting waste oil in quantities for which a manifest is required must have a license to transport hazardous waste (Section 45(1), Hazardous Waste Regulation) unless the waste is transported by the generator within the boundaries of property owned, leased or controlled by the generator or, unless less than 5000 litres of waste oil is transported by the generator (a manifest would still be required in the latter case where more than 205 litres is transported) (Section 45(2), Hazardous Waste Regulation).
Storage: (See also Sections 5 & 8 of the Environmental Management Act). Temporary storage for a period of less than 14 days does not have to comply with these requirements but the storage area must be bermed and secured to prevent leaks. The siting and operation requirements of Parts 2, 3 and Section 16 of Part 4 of the Hazardous Waste Regulation do not have to be met when less than 5000 litres of waste oil is stored (Section 48(3), Hazardous Waste Regulation).
For storage requirements of greater than 5000 litres please contact the Environmental Protection Regional office.
The requirement of Part 3, Section 10(b) for weekly inspections or 24-hour spill alarms has obvious implications for underground waste-oil storage tanks. Underground storage tanks are not recommended.
Although the situation is not dealt with explicitly in the Hazardous Waste Regulation, Environmental Protection recommends that the minimum acceptable practice for disposing of all oil containers is that they are drained thoroughly into suitable storage receptacles (not onto the ground) and then buried at an authorized landfill site. Most landfills authorized in association with logging camps are not authorized to accept any kind of industrial refuse, only ash and noncombustibles from domestic refuse. All waste oil filters are regarded as a hazardous waste and must be handled, stored, transported and disposed of in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulation.
Recycling: Used oil, and containers, should be returned to the recycling facility recommended by the
seller. All sellers must provide a return facility for the recycling of used
oil, at no cost to the purchaser.
Fuel Storage
Fuel storage facilities must comply with the provincial Fire Services Act and regulations, including the provision for berms and security.
Any spills or soil contamination occurring at fuel storage facilities will be subject to the Environmental Management Act. The Environmental Protection office must be contacted regarding clean up of any soil
contamination. Under Section 12(2) of the Environmental Management Act, the Ministry may require that steps to prevent spills be taken. It is cheaper to prevent a spill than to clean it up.
Spill Reporting
In accordance with the Spill Reporting Regulation, any spills of oil, fuels, etc. shall be reported to 1-800-663-3456 (Spill Reporting Centre of the Provincial Emergency Program).
UPDATED: OCTOBER 2007
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