Does the incinerator burn more waste at night?
No, the throughput of the incinerator is consistent both day and night. The perception that the plume appears darker at night can be attributed to the absence of light. Also, certain atmospheric conditions, calm still air for example, can make the plume appear to bellow from the stack and dissipate in the atmosphere more slowly making the plume appear "thicker" or "darker" to the eye. The facility has historically complied with emission standards published by the Ministry of Environment.
Download Fact Sheet (Incinerator Night Operations)
Does the operation of the incinerator contaminate local crops?
No, Clean Harbors has maintained a phytotoxicology monitoring program since 1991 to track potential impacts on surrounding farms within approximately 2 km of the Lambton facility. Foliage, soil and crop samples are collected and analyzed for a broad range of trace organic compounds and metals. There has been no evidence of any impact on the quality of local crops.
Is my health compromised from what I can smell?
No, independent air quality monitoring studies conducted annually indicate the Lambton incinerator operates well within the Ontario Ministry of the Environment "point of impingement" (POI) air quality guidelines. The limits set by the POI guidelines are usually based on health effects and incorporate significant margins of safety. In most cases, our emissions are only a fraction of the allowable limit.
Download Fact Sheet (What I Smell)
What contaminants are being emitted from the stack?
Emissions from the incinerator stack consist of oxygen (11%), carbon dioxide (7%), nitrogen (81.9%) and trace contaminants (0.1%). The trace contaminants that make up the 0.1% are very low emission levels based on comparison with the allowable provincial emissions standards and guidelines. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment uses analysis of "point of impingement" (POI) air quality guidelines to determine the impact of the Lambton incinerator. POI standards and guidelines are set for each contaminant, and the incinerator must operate below those standards to be in compliance.
Download Fact Sheet (What Comes Out of the Stack)
Why can't each region manage its own waste?
This approach has been tried and abandoned by several regions, including the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. Ultimately, it has not succeeded for a couple of important reasons.
The first is cost. Even large Canadian provinces often can't sustain an environmentally secure and affordable management facility like Lambton. The Lambton facility uses a complex, interconnected series of scientific procedures and technologies to safely handle and isolate hazardous waste. These procedures and technologies are expensive, as is the process of complying with government requirements.
Second, not all regions have a natural setting like the St. Clair Clay Plain in Lambton County to ensure the safe, long-term storage of residue from hazardous waste.
For these reasons, as well as the high operating costs and natural setting requirements, there are only six hazardous waste landfills, including Lambton, in the entire northeast quadrant of North America—an area that extends west to Manitoba and the Mississippi River, east to the Atlantic Ocean, north into northern Canada and as far south as the state of Maryland.
Why do you import hazardous waste from the United States?
Actually, the flow of hazardous waste between Canada and the United States is reciprocal. This system is designed to provide the best treatment and disposal options for waste generators, while ensuring protection of public health and the environment in both countries. This highly regulated activity ensures that only select hazardous waste is shipped either way across the border, and that the waste is managed only at properly licensed and regulated treatment and disposal facilities.
Factors such as the availability of treatment systems, regulatory requirements, proximity to licenced disposal facilities, transportation and cost all go into determining what is the best disposal option for a particular volume of waste. All waste treatment and disposal activities are conducted pursuant to international agreements. While the regulatory systems in Canada and the United States differ slightly, the goal of each system is the same—to safely treat and dispose of hazardous waste in a manner that protects public health and the environment.