EIHWHRMR User Guide
- Introduction
- General Information
- Interpretation and Definitions
- General Provisions
- Notification
- Appropriate Authorities
- Contracts and Insurance
- Summary of Conditions on Exports, Imports and Transits
- Movement Document
- Summary of Conditions on Returns
- Confirmation of Disposal or Recycling
- Pre-Approved Facilities
- Waste Export Reductions Plans
- Environmentally Sound Management Criteria
- PELES
- Annexes
Background
In Canada, all three levels of government contribute to environmental protection and have a role to play in waste management:
- municipal governments are responsible for establishing collection, recycling, and disposal programs within their jurisdictions
- provincial/territorial governments establish measures and criteria for licensing hazardous-waste generators, carriers, and treatment facilities, in addition to controlling movements of wastes within their jurisdictions
- the Federal Government regulates transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials, in addition to negotiating international agreements
Through domestic regulations under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), the Federal Government implements the terms of international agreements to which Canada is a party. Implementing the terms of these agreements demonstrates the intention to protect Canada's environment and the health of Canadians from risks posed by unregulated traffic in hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials.
Canada is party to three international agreements regarding the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials:
- the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal,1989
- the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Decision of Council on the Control of Transfrontier Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations C(92)39/Final, March 1992, Revised C(2001)107/Final
- the Canada-USA Agreement Concerning the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes,1986, as amended in 1992
In signing these international agreements, Canada made a commitment to develop national legislation to promote the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials. This led to the development of the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes Regulations (EIHWR), which came into force on November 26, 1992, under the former CEPA. The revised Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations (EIHWHRMR) revoked and replaced the EIHWR in November 2005.
The EIHWR required modification because a number of changes have occurred both domestically and internationally since 1992. Among these was the entry into force of CEPA 1999, which included new authorities with respect to hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials that did not exist under the former CEPA. By implementing these new authorities and modernizing the former control regime, the EIHWHRMR help Canada adapt to its evolving international obligations, and contribute to the protection of the environment and human health.
- Date Modified: