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Solid Waste Regulations: New Rules For Managing Yukon Garbage
Why New Rules Were Needed
The average Yukoner generates almost 2kg of garbage every day. That's nearly three-quarters of a tonne per year. Garbage can contaminate the air, land, and water, and turn wild animals into nuisance animals. Your own pets could be harmed by eating garbage.
In the past, a land use permit was the only requirement for building and operating a dump. These permits did not provide the environmental safeguards that Yukon citizens repeatedly called for. The Yukon government responded to public concerns by introducing Solid Waste Regulations under the Environment Act in January 2000. These regulations set modern standards for building and operating dumps and landfill operations in the territory.
Solid Waste Regulations
Permits are now required for designing, operating, maintaining, and closing dumps and landfills on Commissioner's land in the Yukon. Permits are required for owners of:
- Waste Disposal Facilities that dispose of garbage generated by the public; and
- Commercial Dumps that dispose of garbage generated by commercial activities.
Solid Waste in the Yukon
Solid waste is the everyday garbage that goes to the local dump. It can come from homes, businesses, institutions, or industrial sites, and includes waste from both the demolition and construction of buildings. It does not include special (hazardous) waste, or sewage.
Most solid waste is deposited in one of the 26 waste disposal sites located near all Yukon communities. The Department of Community and Transportation Services manages 19 of these sites, while incorporated municipalities manage the rest.
Solid Waste Management Plans
Waste Disposal Facilities are required to develop a 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan describing in detail their design, construction, operation, upgrading, closure and post-closure plans. Municipalities and the Department of Community and Transportation Services must submit these plans before January 26, 2002.
Commercial Dumps are not required to submit a Solid Waste Management Plan.
Burning
The Solid Waste Regulations do not prohibit the burning of solid waste. Burning, however, is not recommended and should be considered only as a last resort. If you decide to burn you must first obtain an Air Emissions Permit under the Environment Act.
No-Burn Pilot Project
The Yukon government is carrying out a pilot project to test the effectiveness of no-burn disposal. Two municipally operated disposal facilities and one Yukon government operated facility are participating in the project. A final decision will be made about the open-burning issue after the project results have been evaluated.
Littering
It is illegal to throw trash from your motor vehicle or allow it to be blown out of the back of your truck. If you lend your vehicle to a friend, you are the responsible person if garbage is disposed of from your vehicle. You may be found guilty of an offence unless you can prove that an unauthorized person was driving your vehicle.