Sustainable Development Success Stories
|
CSD-7: Sustainable Development Success Stories |
| Location | Canada |
| Responsible Organisation | El-Rayes Environmental Corp. (EEC) |
| Description | In British
Colombia, Canada, auto recycling contributes significantly to
sustaining the environment. However, the dismantling of
automobiles involves handling a critical quantity of hazardous
materials. Past mismanagement of auto recycling facilities has
caused serious contamination of soil, surface and groundwater at
some sites due to poor waste management practices. The British
Columbia Automobile Recycling Association (B-CAR) decided to
manage its operations in an environmentally sound manner and to
work actively with the governments to set up better
environmental standards. To achieve these goals, El-Rayes
Environmental Corp. (EEC), an environmental consulting firm,
proposed development of pollution prevention technical
documents, including: Best Management Practices, a Pollution
Prevention Guide, and a Code of Practice; providing training for
the operators and incorporating the Code into the provincial
regulations.
The EEC assumed the responsibility for raising funds for the project and mobilizing political support from the government. B-CAR sought the support of other stakeholders including the Insurance Corporation, and the Ministry of Transportation. |
| Issues Addressed | Sustainable consumption and production patterns, environmental management, urban governance. |
| Results Achieved | In September 1994, the project was initiated and in March 1996, the EEC completed development of the technical documents. In November 1996, the EEC successfully completed the training program for the operators and workers in the yards. B-CAR has established a partnership with the Ministry of Environment to incorporate the Code of Practice into the Provincial regulations, effective from September 1998. |
| Lessons Learned | This initiative illustrated the importance of partnership between industry and government to achieve effective protection of the environment. |
| Contact | Dr. Hamdy El-Rayes, 2601 East Mall, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4 Tel: (1 604) 222-2387; Fax: (1 604) 222-9841, Email: elrayes@istar.ca Website: http://home.istar.ca/~elrayes Initial information was provided by the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (HABITAT) |