The generation and management of hazardous wastes and transboundary hazardous waste shipments between Mexico, Canada and the United States, 1990–2000
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Title:
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The generation and management of hazardous wastes and transboundary hazardous waste shipments between Mexico, Canada and the United States, 1990–2000 |
Author:
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Jacott, M; Reed, C; Winfield, M;
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Abstract:
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The paper examines the impacts of NAFTA and trade liberalization on the generation, management and shipments of industrial hazardous wastes in Mexico, Canada and the US. The paper looks at whether economic activity in the manufacturing and hazardous waste management industry have become more concentrated in the US–Canada and US– Mexico border regions, and what the impacts of that concentration have been. In addition, the paper considers whether hazardous waste is being shipped from one country to another or whether companies are investing in hazardous waste facilities in any country to take advantage of less stringent hazardous waste regulations and enforcement. The paper finds that the available data indicates an ongoing concentration of economic activity, including hazardous waste generation and management in the US–Mexico Border region. In the Canada–US border region, waste generation in Ontario and Quebec has been increasing significantly, particularly in the steel and chemical industries, which are concentrated in the border region, although waste generation in states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin has declined. In addition, despite the decline in waste generation among the US border states, there has been a dramatic growth in US waste exports to Ontario and Quebec and, in the context of a weakened regulatory environment, a significant increase in disposal capacity in those provinces. Differences in regulatory requirements related to hazardous waste disposal, specifically the existence of less stringent standards in Ontario and Quebec have been the key factor in the increase in US hazardous waste exports to Canada. Similarly, the expansion of disposal capacity in these provinces is in part intended to serve the US market, although the bulk of the investments in this capacity is Canadian in origin. The ban on imports of hazardous wastes for final disposal into Mexico limits the economic incentive for the establishment of disposal capacity to deal with imported wastes to take advantage of differences in the regulatory and enforcement regime between Mexico and the US. However, there has been significant US investment through joint ventures in Mexican capacity for the treatment, incineration and disposal of domestically generated wastes, with the market for these services being driven by stronger disposal requirements in Mexico in some cases, as well as “temporary” authorizations without publicly-approved standards in others. Significant gaps exist in the systems for tracking hazardous waste generation and disposal in all three countries. Reliable data on waste generation in Canada and Mexico is extremely limited, and the reliability of the data regarding transboundary waste movements among the three countries has been seriously questioned. Tracking of transboundary waste movements from “cradle to grave” when the “cradle” is in one country and the “grave” in another is almost impossible. While many of these changes have occurred outside of the NAFTA framework, the NAFTA trade rules have also been identified as a constraint on the ability of countries to adopt higher standards to protect human health and the environment. The outcomes of NAFTA chapter 11 complaints seen in such cases at the ban on MMT in Canada and the Metalclad case in Mexico seem likely to reinforce these directions to the detriment of the health, safety and environment of the citizens of all three NAFTA countries. |
URI:
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http://bva.colech.edu.mx/xmlui/handle/123456789/HASHf780e0d94692c82872a4eb
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Date:
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2012-03-09 |
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