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March 11, 1998
To: Works and Utilities Committee
From: M. G. Thorne
Interim Functional Lead, Water and Wastewater
Subject: Response to Toronto Star =s Article on Toxic Waste
Purpose:
To provide information correcting the Toronto Star =s February 17, 1998 article regarding the amount of hazardous waste being discharged into Toronto=s sewer system.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that this report be received for information.
Council Reference/Background/History:
On February 17, 1998, an article on the study by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy entitled AHazardous Waste Management in Ontario: A Report and Recommendation@ appeared in the Toronto Star. It quoted the study indicating that the most popular way for industry to dispose of its hazardous liquid waste is simply to flush it down the sewer; that the province estimates 380,000 tonnes of hazardous waste are sent to municipal sewage treatment plants that have no special facilities for handling the toxic chemicals; and that more than 40,000 tonnes of hazardous waste goes into Toronto sewers each year, which includes 180 tonnes of heavy metals and common solvents.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
We contacted the author of the study, Mr. Mark Winfield, and questioned him regarding the reported figure of 40,000 tonnes of hazardous waste being discharged into Toronto sewers. He immediately apologized and indicated that the Toronto Star reporter who wrote the article was likely confused with the estimated 40 million tonnes of liquid industrial waste discharged yearly, which is a distinctly different commodity than hazardous waste.
Virtually all industries produce liquid waste, considered as non-hazardous. Each year, the City of Toronto typically treats about 475 million tonnes of sewage before discharge into Lake Ontario. Of this figure, about 40 million tonnes (8.5 per cent) may be attributed to industrial discharge (remainder is from residential, institutional, commercial sectors). These 40 million tonnes, which is virtually all water, may contain an amount of heavy metals (copper, zinc, chromium and mercury) and organic compounds or common solvents such as toluene, xylene and small amounts of dichlorobenzene, that is estimated to be 180 tonnes annually.
Hazardous Waste has a strict legal definition under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act Regulation 347, with specific Hazardous Industrial Wastes listed under Schedule 1; Acute Hazardous Waste Chemicals listed under Schedule 2(A); Hazardous Waste Chemicals listed under Schedule 2(B); and Severely Toxic Contaminants listed under Schedule 3. The generators of these wastes are tracked by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) from cradle to grave under a manifest system. The term AHazardous Wastes@ should not be loosely used in describing industrial wastes that are amenable to treatment at our treatment plants. Within the City of Toronto, there are no known discharges of hazardous waste by industry. Such discharge is illegal under the City=s Sewer Use By-law No. 153-89. Violators of the By-law , if convicted face a maximum fine of $25,000.00 for first offence and $50,000.00 for subsequent offences.
It should be pointed out that it is misleading to label heavy metals and certain common solvents as toxic wastes. Our Sewer Use By-law No. 153-89 allows for the discharge of heavy metals up to certain concentration limits. These metals are not toxic to our treatment process except when discharged at very high concentrations. Our removal rates for organic compounds range from 27 to 100%. This is contrary to popular misconception that sewage treatment plants are designed to treat only domestic waste and are incapable to treat organic compounds. Our sludge is meeting the Provincial Guidelines for the utilization of Biosolids and Other Wastes on Agricultural Land in terms of heavy metals. Further, our sludge has been analysed by Water Technology International Corporation (WTI) for organic contaminants and they indicated in their report that, based on their calculations using the Guidelines for Cleanup of Contaminated Sites in Ontario, the organic contaminants found in our sludge would not limit land application.
The City of Toronto has one of the most stringent and best monitored and enforced Industrial Waste Control Programs. This program is continually under review and is modified as environmental standards and issues change. The most recent modification was in 1989, when a new, more rigorous sewer use by-law was approved by Metro Toronto based on the recommended MOE Model Sewer Use By-law of 1988. We are currently in the process of amending our Sewer Use By-law to incorporate pollution prevention planning to better control some of the most persistent toxic organic compounds.
The Department is pursuing the objective of continuous improvement in the industrial waste program. The sharing of information is an important way to alert industry to the potential for better ways to achieve results. The following examples serve to illustrate information sharing.
There are many pollution prevention successes by Canadian industry. Two new internet web sites are of interest to Toronto Industries.
The Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearing House web site provides information about pollution prevention, search capabilities, descriptions of problems and solutions and success stories. The address is: http://www.ec.gc.ca/cppic
The Canadian Business Environmental Performance Office brings together environmental and business strategies. Its web site is: http://VirtualOffice.ic.gc.ca/BEPO. The site contains descriptions of actions by business that not only improves financial performance but also provide environmental improvement.
Conclusions:
There is no basis in the statement quoting the report by Mr. Mark Winfield of the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy that Athe most popular way for industry to dispose of its hazardous liquid waste is simply to flush it down the sewer@. And there is certainly no basis in the further statement that Amore than 40,000 tonnes of that goes into Toronto sewers each year@, as it was an error on the part of the reporter in not getting the fact straight from Mr. Mark Winfield.
Contact Name:
Mr. V. Lim, Chief Engineer - Environmental Services, Water Pollution Control Division
Phone: (416) 392-2966
Fax: (416) 397-0908
E-Mail victor_lim@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca.
M. G. Thorne, P. Eng.
Interim Functional Lead
Water and Wastewater
Barry H. Gutteridge
Commissioner
Works and Emergency Services
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