Drywall that contains asbestos could end up in the woods unless action is taken at all steps of the disposal process, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) worried at its March 1 infrastructure services committee.
The committee sounded the alarm over what it saw as an impending problem in hazardous waste disposal, calling for a meeting of stakeholders at all levels of the disposal process and requesting the provincial government take action.
Last October, drywall recycler New West Gypsum (NWGR) implemented a new screening process for materials entering the facility in order to comply with a WorkSafe BC order.
The new screening method has meant fines for first and second offenders delivering drywall found to contain asbestos to the recycler. A third offence can mean "a permanent ban from any and all NWGR facilities."
Loads of drywall delivered to SCRD landfills have been routed to NWGR for processing.
Like many landfills in the province, the SCRD has moved toward recycling in response to evidence that land-filled gypsum, a product that can easily be re-used, tends to produce toxic gases as it breaks down.
Drywall made before 1984 is more likely to contain asbestos in the joint compound. To avoid losing access to its recycler in Vancouver, the SCRD will need to find a way to separate the possibly hazardous materials from the clean.
"That's the problem," said sustainable service manager Dion Whyte. "I think the solution here really is to get mechanisms in place further up the supply chain where we're actually dealing with this stuff as it's coming out of homes."
One option is to purchase expensive screening equipment like a handheld infrared analyzer, which can cost as much as $30,000.
Another, cheaper option is to refuse pre-1984 gypsum at the landfill altogether.
But that could increase the risk, as ultimately drywall that contains asbestos must be treated at a hazardous materials incinerator before being land-filled - generating worry that the materials could end up illegally dumped in the woods, rather than shipped to Swan Hills, Alta. where such a facility operates.
On the Sunshine Coast, one company that is qualified to carry out asbestos removal from buildings is Solution Based Construction.
"We don't want it ending up in our woods," said owner Darren Kopeck. "The biggest thing is the documentation that has to follow each piece of drywall around and make sure it is clean. If it isn't, it doesn't get taken."
Once asbestos is identified in a home or building, the owner must hire someone like Kopeck to carry out the tedious process of removal while abiding by strict safety standards.
Disposal means hiring another company to transport the hazardous material to a facility as far as Swan Hills, where the waste is burned at high temperatures. The added cost could increase the likelihood of the materials simply being illegally dumped instead.
"We can take most types of hazardous waste, but it just comes down to what's practical," said Zoltan Nevelos, technical sales representative with the Swan Hills Treatment Centre.
Nevelos dismissed rumours that the facility would be closing its doors to customers in B.C., but said the distance and difficulty of transporting the waste could make incineration an impractical option.
Over at NWGR, spokesperson Cheryl McKitterick said the new policy is designed to protect employees, and screening procedures can be avoided by having proper documentation.
But, said McKitterick, "the ramification of this is causing some significant potential of escalating issues in different municipalities."
The fines are designed to target contractors, and so far one has been issued.
