Education

Caring for the environment is a shared responsibility. Alberta Environment’s compliance education programs provide an opportunity to work together with Albertans and industry to ensure they understand the role they play in protecting our environment.

Educational initiatives target both the regulated community, who hold authorizations under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act or the Water Act, and individuals or companies whose activities may not require an authorization from Alberta Environment but could still impact the environment.

EDUCATION INITIATIVES

Alberta Environment works to ensure that all Albertans understand and follow the province's environmental laws. Education programs promote compliance by raising awareness of the laws and their purpose, how to comply with the law and the consequences of non-compliance.

SWEEPS

SWEEPS Kit - including Fact Sheets

In addition to routine unannounced inspections, Alberta Environment conducts annual education and inspection programs, or sweeps, that focus on a geographic area or industry. These focused programs give Alberta Environment an opportunity to work together with businesses to ensure they understand the role they play in protecting our environment.

The programs have two parts:

• Specific, detailed information about laws, regulations and requirements are sent to targeted businesses
• Unannounced inspections are done to ensure businesses are following the requirements and in compliance

This effort produces several important results:

• All businesses within a target sector or geographic area receive the same information from Alberta Environment about their environmental responsibilities
• Non-compliance can be identified and corrected co-operatively if this is an appropriate option
• Overt acts of non-compliance can be addressed using a variety of enforcement tools

2003-2004 SWEEPS

Operation Auto Wreck
An inspection sweep of autobody businesses in Edmonton, Operation Auto Wreck was designed to educate businesses about potential air emission sources and hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable storage.

Autobody shops in Edmonton were selected for this sweep based on concerns raised by the public regarding the storage of hazardous recyclables, odour emissions from spray booths and sandblasting impacts.

During a three-day period, Alberta Environment inspected 133 facilities and issued 43 notices of non-compliance shops. All non-compliance issues were quickly resolved and no enforcement actions resulted from this sweep.

Operation Border Town
In response to reported releases into the storm sewer system adjacent to Lloydminister’s Glenn E. Nielson Industrial Park, Alberta Environment carried out a sweep of the industrial park and adjoining area in January 2004.

A total of 34 businesses were inspected during Operation Border Town based on the type of activity the business engaged in, wastes or products manufactured or handled, and the potential for contaminants to enter the City of Lloydminster sanitary sewer system.

Twelve notices of non-compliance were issued, primarily for failure to provide secondary containment for hazardous wastes or hazardous recyclables. Follow up inspections in the spring of 2004 found all companies had voluntarily complied with the legislation, and no enforcement actions were required.

Operation Clover Bar
Operation Clover Bar identified facilities in the Clover Bar Industrial park in northeast Edmonton with potential storm water run-off and hazardous wastes or hazardous recyclables storage issues.

Alberta Environment inspected 23 facilities and issued 13 notices of non-compliance. Follow up inspections showed all 13 facilities had cleaned-up and no enforcement action was necessary.

Operation Edgar
Operation Edgar, an inspection sweep of the businesses in the Edgar Industrial Park in northwest Red Deer in February of 2004, focused on educating industry about the handling of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclables.

During the sweep, Alberta Environment inspected 103 facilities and issued 15 notices of non-compliance. Follow-up with the non-compliant companies found that all companies had voluntarily complied.

Operation Prairie Wind
In 2003, Alberta Environment conducted unannounced inspections of commercial and industrial operations in municipalities surrounding Calgary with a population of between 1,000 to 5,000 people.

In total, 143 inspections were conducted in 11 towns and 33 notices of non-compliance were issued to businesses for issues involving the proper handling and storage of hazardous wastes and recyclables. Outstanding issues have now been resolved and no enforcement action was required.

Operation Rad Flush
Alberta Environment did a sweep of radiator repair shops in Edson to gather information about waste streams generated by this industrial sector and educate the management and staff about hazardous waste handling, storage and disposal.

Samples were obtained from the various waste streams associated with radiator repair shops. Metals were identified in connection with floor sump sludges, and Alberta Environment worked with shop owners to identify and employ different waste handling practices to reduce the risk of contaminant releases to the environment.

Through the use of waste minimization and recycling methods, a significant reduction in wastes generated was verified during return inspections.

Operation Radiator
Operation Radiator was a joint initiative with the City of Edmonton’s Drainage Department to educate area repair shops about the City’s Sewer Bylaw and Alberta Environment’s Waste Control Regulation.

A total of nine businesses were inspected during the program. The goal of the inspections was to determine the process used at each shop, the sources of potential contamination and what measures companies had taken to handle effluent and associated wastes.

Subsequent inspections showed all nine facilities are operating in compliance with the City Bylaws and Alberta Environment Waste Control Regulation.

Operation Sour Gas Plant
During the fall of 2003, Alberta Environment inspected 14 Sour Gas Plants in southern Alberta. This very intensive technical sweep not only involved inspecting for compliance with environmental requirements, but also assessed the effectiveness of each plant's continuous emission monitoring systems and the accuracy of their reporting. Follow-up inspections verified that companies had successfully addressed any identified non-compliance.

Operation Whitesands
In Operation Whitesands, staff from Alberta Environment and Alberta Transportation conducted an inspection sweep of the industrial business areas in the town of Slave Lake.

This four-day inspection program was in response to concerns over releases to the town sanitary sewer system and to surface water that enters the Lesser Slave Lake and Lesser Slave River. The purpose of the sweep was to improve storage and waste disposal practices, and improve area surface water quality by reducing contaminants entering the sanitary sewage treatment system.

During the sweep, 117 businesses were inspected, of which, 30 received notices of non-compliance. Facilities that were issued notices received follow up inspections. Most facilities had addressed identified non-compliance, however one facility was referred for further investigation.

2002-2003 SWEEPS
2001-2002 SWEEPS
2000-2001 SWEEPS

FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

• Storing Hazardous Waste and Recyclables
• Burning Waste
• Shoreline Modification