WC136 MayJune 2024 - Magazine - Page 14
WASTEWATER
Boonstra points out that “no specific requirements for the
acceptance and/or disposal of waste containing PFAS are
identified in any of the regulations and/or standards in place in
the provinces and territories; nor are there any specific requirements to monitor the leachate generated (and released) for the
presence of PFAS.”
Addressing the PFAS challenge
In Canada, three well-defined subgroups of PFAS were
assessed under Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan (CMP):
perfluorooctane sulfonate and its
salts and precursors (PFOS)
perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts
and precursors (PFOA)
We know that PFAS products—everything from food contact materials
long-chain perfluoro carboxylic
to textiles to period products—are ultimately disposed of in landfills.
acids (LC-PFCAs), their salts and
precursors
Their fate in the environment is persistent and accumulating.
These groups were added to the
List of Toxic Substances found
in Schedule 1 of the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act,
1999 (CEPA), based on risks to
the environment and are regulated
under the Prohibition of Certain
Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012
(PCTSR). This acts to prohibit the
manufacture, import, sale, and use
The federal government is responsible for the control of waste
of these select PFAS, with a limited number of exemptions.
management activities on federal lands and ECCC is responsible
Boonstra said he believes this “should start to limit the amount
for the transboundary and interprovincial movement of hazardof these chemicals entering landfills in the future.”
ous waste and hazardous recyclable materials. Boonstra clarifies
The Government of Canada can also apply its authorities
that “the federal government can also apply its authorities under
under CEPA and other applicable laws to waste management
CEPA and other applicable laws when there is a potential for
when there is a potential for release of toxic substances (based
release of toxic substances (based on their inclusion on Schedule
on inclusion on Schedule 1 of CEPA) to the air, land, or water
1 of CEPA) to the air, land, or water.”
(CCME 2014).
A number of Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines
Varied provincial approaches
have been developed, sometimes through the Canadian
In Canada, waste operations are regulated at the provincial
Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), but for a
and territorial level. This involves the approval, licensing, and
limited set of PFAS (mostly PFOS). Individual provinces and
monitoring of waste treatment and disposal facilities, including
territories develop guidelines that respond to needs within
municipal solid waste. The collection, recycling, composting,
their jurisdictions.
and disposal of waste is managed by municipal authorities, either
In April 2021, the federal government published a notice of
directly or through services contracted to the waste management
intent, signaling an intent to move forward with activities to
industry.
address PFAS as a class, including the publication of a State of
All provinces and territories have regulations and/or guidePFAS Report summarizing relevant information on the class
lines in place to control waste management operations and/or
of PFAS.
facilities. Some jurisdictions choose to have all of their requireThe very first PFOS guidelines were published by the
ments outlined in a regulation, while others prefer to refer to a
Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment in 2021. For
standard or guidance document in the regulations. However, the
another one of the PFAS group of chemicals, perfluorooctalevel of detail and the depth and stringency of the requirements
noic acid (PFOA), guidelines are currently being developed by
included vary significantly across Canada.
the federal government.
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Governmental efforts and guidelines
Boonstra said “several PFAS were regularly detected in landfill
leachate samples collected from both operating and closed
MSW landfills across Canada under various ECCC programs
and initiatives between 2008 and 2022. The presence and
concentration of PFAS in leachate vary based on a number of
factors, including the age of the landfill, types of wastes accepted,
and operating practices.” (More details on the results obtained
from landfill leachate sampling are available in section 4.2.3 of
the Draft “State of PFAS Report.”)
