Omineca Region EPD

Industrial Camps (Waste Disposal)

Waste Disposal from Camps and Other Remote Facilities

Open Burning

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Environmental Management Act
• Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation

Open burning of wood debris, generated by activities such as land clearing and forest harvesting, can be conducted in accordance with the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Conditions of the regulation are summarized in Appendix A. Open burning of other waste materials is prohibited.

A Permit or Approval under the Environmental Management Act is required for open burning operations which do not meet the requirements of the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Contact the regional Environmental Protection office for permit/approval application instructions.

Water Supply

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Water Act

If water for camp operation is taken from any surface source other than a well, a licence (for long-term operations) or an approval (for operations up to 12 months) under the Water Act is required. For information about obtaining a water licence or approval, contact the regional Water Management Branch.

In addition, the local health authority should be contacted regarding the requirements for provision of a safe drinking water supply.

Sewage Disposal

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Environmental Management Act, Municipal Sewage Regulation
• Health Act, Sewerage System Regulation

A site-specific authorization is required for installation and operation of any camp sewage facility. The form of authorization depends on the size of the camp and type of disposal:

1. for camps > 100 persons, sewage facilities must be designed and operated in accordance with the Environmental Management Act, Municipal Sewage Regulation (MSR), and registered with the Ministry of Environment at least 90 days prior to constructing the facility;
2. for camps < 100 persons, where treated sewage effluent is to be discharged onto the land surface (i.e. pumped off) or to surface water courses — requirements same as above;
   
   or
   
   
3. for camps < 100 persons, where treated sewage effluent is to be discharged into the ground (subsurface) via absorption fields or seepage pits — contact the local health authority to obtain a permit to construct a sewage disposal system under the Health Act, Sewage Disposal Regulation.

Discharge of treated effluent into ground (subsurface) is allowed via absorption fields and seepage (exfiltration) ponds. The Ministry of Environment (MoE) also allows controlled discharge of effluent to the land surface during periods when the ground is not frozen, as well as to surface water courses under certain conditions.

For additional information pertaining to Temporary Camps click the following links:

• Handling of Sewage from Temporary Camps
• Requirements for Temporary Storage of Sewage at Remote Camps
• Requirements for On-site Treatment & Ground Disposal of Sewage at Remote Industrial Camps

Refuse Disposal

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Litter Act
• Landfill Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste

The ministry's policy for disposal of putrescible refuse (i.e. food waste) at industrial, residential, exploration and construction camps is incineration in a properly designed, auxiliary fuel-fired refuse incinerator. Burial or landfilling of refuse is not permitted, except for combustion residue from the incinerator. Alternately, waste may be stored in animal-proof containers and hauled to a municipal landfill for disposal. A prime concern with putrescible waste is bear and wildlife nuisance.

Non-putrescible waste is to be hauled to a municipal landfill. Landfill permits for camps will rarely be issued and only for remote areas where transportation to a municipal landfill is impractical.

For operations involving more than 100 persons, a Permit or Approval under the Environmental Management Act is required for operation of an incinerator. Please contact the regional Environmental Protection office for application instructions.

For operations involving less than 100 persons, a Waste Management Permit is not required for refuse disposal; however, the following conditions must be adhered to:

• All putrescible refuse shall be stored in an animal-proof container and:
  • incinerated on a daily basis; or
  • regularly hauled to a municipal landfill.
• The incinerator must have a refractory lining, incorporate an auxiliary fuel system and shall be equipped with a combustion control system and effective spark arrestor. Simple burning barrels are not acceptable.
• Only putrescible refuse (i.e. food waste) may be incinerated. No other materials shall be incinerated including waste oil, oily rags, filters, paint cans, solvents etc.
• Combusted residue (ash) must be removed from the incinerator regularly and may be disposed of on the site, in a manner acceptable to the Regional Waste Manager. Ash shall be buried with a minimum of 0.2 metres (8") of soil cover applied at least once every 2 months. The Regional Waste Manager may vary the frequency of covering when adverse freezing weather conditions make covering impractical. The final soil cover shall be 0.6 metres (24") and graded to promote runoff.
• Incinerator operation shall be restricted to specific personnel selected to perform these duties. The Regional Waste Manager shall be notified when normal incineration operations are interrupted due to equipment malfunction or other unforeseen circumstances.

Operations will be inspected by the Ministry to ensure compliance with these requirements. The Regional Waste Manager may, at his/her discretion, require operational changes and/or improvements to works.

Management of Hazardous Wastes (Waste Oil, Glycol, etc.)

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Environmental Management Act
• Hazardous Waste Regulation
• Hazardous Waste Legislation Guide

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.

Industry generates a vast variety of hazardous wastes, including as waste oil, solvents, waste paint, batteries and various types of filters (amine, glycol, oil, water, etc.). It is the responsibility of the waste generator to determine whether or not a waste material is classified as "hazardous waste". The procedure for conducting this assessment is described in the Hazardous Waste Legislation Guide. Many companies have conducted internal waste classification audits to identify hazardous wastes produced and indicate appropriate disposal practices. For further assistance in determining what materials are considered hazardous wastes, contact the regional Environmental Protection office.

Hazardous wastes must be handled, stored, transported and disposed of in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulation and are not to be disposed of by dilution, burial or incineration.

Waste Oil

The Hazardous Waste Regulation defines waste oil as ".. 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". This includes oily rags and oil filters.

• Registration: (Section 43(2) Hazardous Waste Regulation)
  • 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, are being stored, or are offered for transport at any time.
• Transportation: (Sections 45 & 46, Hazardous Waste Regulation; see also Section 9 of the Environmental Management Act)
  • A manifest required for shipments of waste oil (including waste oil filters and oily rags) in excess of 205 litres (one 45 gallon drum) 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. All persons transporting waste oil in quantities for which a manifest is required must have a license to transport hazardous waste unless:
    1. the waste is transported by the generator within the boundaries of property owned, leased or controlled by the generator; or
    2. the volume of waste oil is less than 5000 litres and is transported by the generator (Note: a manifest would still be required where more than 205 litres is transported)
• Storage: (Hazardous Waste Regulation; see also Sections 5 & 8 of the Environmental Management Act)
  • Waste oil must be stored in accordance with the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Regulation. Due diligence should be practiced in providing proper storage and containment (i.e. storage areas should be bermed and secured to prevent leaks).
  • Where less than 5,000 litres of waste oil is stored, 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 (Section 48(3), Hazardous Waste Regulation). For waste oil volumes greater than 5,000 litres, contact the regional Environmental Protection office for storage requirements.
  • 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 therefore should not be used.
• Recycling:
  • Waste oil should be returned to the recycling facility recommended by the seller. All sellers must provide a return facility for the recycling of waste at no cost to the purchaser (Return of Used Lubricating Oil Regulation).
  • Efforts should also be made to recycle all oil containers. Large suppliers do take back 20 litre containers.
• Disposal:
  • Waste oil cannot be discharged to the environment, 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 (Section 41(7), Hazardous Waste Regulation).
  • 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. Oily rags and filters are not to be incinerated or buried.
  • If recycling is not feasible, the Ministry 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 remote operations/camps are not authorized to accept any kind of industrial refuse.

Fuel Storage

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Provincial Fire Services Act
• Summary of Environmental Standards & Guidelines for Fuel Handling, Transportation and Storage
• Environmental Management Act

Fuel storage facilities must comply with the Provincial Fire Services Act and regulations, including the provision for berms and security. A Summary of Environmental Standards and Guidelines for Fuel Handling, Transportation, and Storage is also available, which includes recommendations to ensure compliance with applicable legislation. This document can be obtained from the regional Environmental Protection office.

Any spills or soil contamination occurring at fuel storage facilities will be subject to the conditions of the Environmental Management Act. The regional Environmental Protection office must be contacted regarding clean-up of any contaminated soil. Under Section 12(2) of the Environmental Management Act, the ministry may require that steps be taken to prevent spills. It is cheaper to prevent a spill than to clean it up.

Spill Reporting

Applicable Legislation and / or Guidelines:

• Spill Reporting Regulation
• Hazardous Waste Legislation Guide

Spill reporting requirements are outlined in the Spill Reporting Regulation. Any spill of petroleum products (oil, fuels, etc.) of >100 liters (22 imp. gallons) shall be reported to the Provincial Emergency Program. Mandatory reportable volumes for various other materials (i.e. corrosives, salt water, etc.) are listed in the Spill Reporting Regulation and in Table 17 of the Hazardous Waste Legislation Guide. Failure to report spills immediately can result in prosecution.

Camp Closure

The ministry requires that sites be properly closed and reclaimed prior to abandonment. Site reclamation and cleanup is required prior to cancellation of waste management permits / approvals, and / or may be ordered under the Environmental Management Act (Pollution Abatement Order).

Upon closure of the camp, the waste disposal works shall be closed and the site restored to the satisfaction of the Regional Waste Manager. Closure requirements generally include placement of adequate cover over ash pits and / or refuse sites, removal or filling of septic systems, capping of wells, and general cleanup Sewage effluent from lagoon systems shall not be discharged (i.e. by "squeezing" or pump-off) without prior approval of the Regional Waste Manager.

Appendix A: Summary of the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation

UPDATED: AUGUST 2002