HAZARDOUS-WASTE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES IN CANADA

Canada's political, economic and geographic make-up have influenced the approaches to hazardous waste management. Split jurisdiction between the federal and provincial governments on environmental issues has made consensus decisions expedient. These consensus approaches combined with some preference for public sector ownership of hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities distinguish the Canadian system from the hazardous waste regulatory regime in the United States. Because many of the Canadian hazardous waste management guidelines have been recently developed, they may reflect the benefit of learning from experiences elsewhere, both positive and negative.