MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) Chair Tom Boutette has announced the successful shipment of more than 40 metric tons of refrigerant waste for destruction at its two disposal service providers. Twenty-seven tons were sent to Onyx Environmental in Port Arthur, Texas, and 13 tons were sent to Earth Tech (Canada) Inc. in Swan Hills, Alberta.

According to the company, collaborative efforts by RMC, Environment Canada, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), RemTec International, Onyx Environmental, and the RMC Collection Service Providers resolved the issues and concerns with shipping refrigerant waste across the U.S. border for destruction to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. A clear understanding of the regulations on both sides of the border was developed, and the necessary parameters have been established to ensure the safe movement and tracking of the refrigerant waste in the future.

Earth Tech (Canada) Inc. has modified its kilns to improve the feed rate and bag house system to better handle halocarbon refrigerants. Earth Tech successfully disposed of the 13 metric tons within a week and a half.

With all of the processes now in place, RMC is forecasting that more than 120 additional tons of refrigerant waste will be shipped for disposal by the fall.

RMC has been described as a not-for-profit corporation established to provide an environmentally responsible program in partnership with the Canadian government and the Canadian public that: manages the environmentally responsible disposal of Canada's stocks of surplus ODS refrigerants for the Canadian refrigeration and air conditioning industries; meets the objective of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to minimize and avoid the ultimate release of these substances to the environment; and ensures that all surplus ODS refrigerants will be managed in the most environmentally responsible manner to minimize depletion of the ozone layer.

For more information on how the RMC program works, visit www.hrai.ca/rmc or contact RMC project coordinator April Gucciardo at 905-361-1165, 866-622-0209, or e-mail agucciardo@hrai.ca.

Publication date: 08/09/2004