WHEREAS damage and loss resulting from the theft of metals costs British Columbia millions of dollars each year; AND WHEREAS there are no mechanisms in place to regulate, control, monitor and enforce the market for scrap metal that provides the economic basis for metal theft, vandalism and property crime: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to implement a system to licence and regulate the scrap metal economy in British Columbia and in the process consider different methods of implementing the regulation, such as the use of a model bylaw to allow local government to assist in enforcing the regulation or mandating the Product Stewardship Program with responsibility to implement and monitor these regulations.
Ministry of Public Safety Solicitor General The Province recognizes that metal theft has grown to be a significant public safety concern in communities across British Columbia. In response to calls for Provincial Government leadership on the issue, British Columbia legislation entitles the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act in November 2011 to combat scrap metal theft by regulating the scrap metal and recycling industry. This will involve the creation of sales transaction and recordkeeping requirements; a provincial registry of metal dealers and recyclers; and penalties for non-compliance. The Province is continuing to work towards an integrated solution that is operationally sound and that builds on the achievements made by local governments, industry and police in combating metal theft.