Whereas the BC Ministry of Environment intends to finalize the Landfill Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste guidance document after January 31, 2016; And whereas the inclusion of the new standards in Landfill Operational Certificates will require local governments to meet the new standards associated with landfilling in BC, which will result in increased costs for landfill development, operation and closure and limit the ability for local governments to move forward with additional waste reduction initiatives; And whereas in many areas of the Province of BC, government regulated extended producer responsibility programs are not providing reasonable service levels which is resulting in more landfilled waste and greater costs to local governments; And whereas local governments have a responsibility to their taxpayers to be fiscally responsible recognizing the challenging times for all taxpayers of BC: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia provide funding assistance to local governments in developing and implementing sustainable waste reduction initiatives and further that the Province of British Columbia ensure that regulated extended producer responsibility programs are paying 100 of the costs associated with their collection programs and are providing reasonable service levels to all of BC.
Ministry of Environment The development of the second edition of the guidance document will not necessarily result in increased costs for landfill development, operation and closure in BC. The requirements outlined in this guidance are not mandatory requirements but are recommended practices. They may become legally enforceable if incorporated into solid waste management plans, operational certificates or permits that are issued under the Environmental Management Act. BC continues to provide the most stewardship programs of any province, and is diverting more than 300,000 tonnes of various materials through stewardship programs annually, at a cost to industry of more than 400 million. As successful as these stewardship programs have proven to be in BC, there is always room for improvement. Ensuring free and reasonable access for all consumers is a central focus of Ministry staff as part of its continuous improvement mandate, but its success also relies on key stakeholder engagement in this evolving process.