The Comox Valley Waste Management Centre will not be accepting renovation drywall from Monday, September 15 to Friday, September 19 due to the illegal disposal of drywall containing asbestos at the facility.
In order to ensure the safety of residents and staff the impacted area is required to be remediated by a certified asbestos abatement company.
“This is the second instance of illegal disposal of asbestos at one of our facilities the past few weeks,” said Vivian Schau, Senior Manager of Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) Services. “When asbestos is improperly disposed of at one of our facilities, the whole community loses out and the safety of our staff and the general public are put at risk.”
Instances of illegal disposal of asbestos are investigated and prosecuted. The unlawful disposal of waste carries a fine of $500 (Bylaw 720). In addition, perpetrators are responsible for the cost of the clean up which can cost thousands of dollars and must be completed by a certified asbestos abatement company with proper transportation and disposal of the asbestos containing materials at a licensed facility and any cost of the service disruption at the affected facility.
The Campbell River Waste Management Centre accepts residential asbestos disposal. The CSWM encourages anyone who is undertaking a home renovation to familiarize themselves with the risks of asbestos exposure as well as the regulations on proper disposal. This information is available on the CSWM website, cswm.ca/asbestos
The Campbell River Waste Management Centre no longer accepts commercial materials containing asbestos. For disposal of commercial materials containing asbestos please contact Northwin landfill at 250-202-8644 or visit www.northwinenv.com.
The Comox Strathcona Waste Management service area is located in the Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, and Nuu-chah-nulth territories.
Comox Strathcona Waste Management manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material annually and oversees a number of diversion and education programs for the Strathcona and Comox Valley Regional Districts.
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Media inquiries can be directed to:
Vivian Schau
Senior Manager of CSWM Services
250-334-6025