Some hazardous waste comes in liquid form. For a variety of reasons, these liquids can't be sent directly back into to the environment. They might be corrosive, for example, or reactive to water or air—or they might cause odour. And some liquid waste contains chemicals that can harm people, animals or the environment. While Clean Harbors takes every opportunity to recycle liquid waste whenever…
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If the native clay in our area is so impermeable, why doesn't rainwater stay trapped on the surface?, Following a rainfall event, a portion of the rainfall runs directly off the ground surface into local drainage ways, creeks, rivers and lakes. Another portion infiltrates into soil primarily through fractures in the upper weathered portion of the native clay. The weathered zone of the clay is approximately five metres (16 feet) thick and is underlain by un-weathered clay of very low…, If your facility is closed down, won't industry be forced to manage its own hazardous wastes?, Such an action would serve no practical purpose and could put the public and the environment at risk. Hundreds of generators send their hazardous waste to the Lambton Facility each year, because they know it has the capability to manage it safely in accordance with all associated government regulations. While some generators might have the resources and technical know-how to manage their wastes,…, If you don't regularly test the quality of the drinking water wells in the surrounding area, how can you be sure you're not adversely affecting them?, The monitoring program at the Lambton Facility involves the twice annual sampling of 47 monitoring wells. These wells are located around the perimeter of the Lambton facility property and are installed in the two zones of ‘active’ groundwater movement, namely the shallow weathered clay and a thin zone immediately at the bedrock surface, referred to as the Interface Aquifer. The Interface…, Is the groundwater aquifer around the Lambton Facility linked by an underground stream to Lake Huron?, No. Scientific knowledge about the mechanism by which groundwater moves refutes such a claim. The subsurface geography of western Lambton County, an area called the St. Clair Clay Plain. The plan is characterized by a clay till layer approximately 38-45 metres (130-150 feet) thick, which overlies shale bedrock. A thin layer [0.5 metre (1.5 feet)] of sand, silt and gravel is occasional present…, Are there measures designed into your landfill operation to ensure the protection of the area's groundwater?, Yes. The landfill design entombs the waste in a thick layer of un-weathered clay till. The clay attenuates contaminant movement and provides for the long-term protection of the area's groundwater. During the facility's Environmental Assessment completed in 1997, it was determined that the rate of contaminant movement was extremely slow (measured in millimeters per year) and that it would take…, Does the Landfill Pollute Local Groundwater Resources?, There is no evidence of contamination in samples collected from the Facility’s monitoring wells installed to the perimeter of the Facility property in the regional Interface Aquifer. The monitoring program is completed twice per year and the results are presented in the Annual Landfill Report, copies of which are available to the Ministry of Environment and other interested parties. Learn more…, Does the Operation of the Landfill Contaminate Local Crops?, Clean Harbors has maintained a phytotoxicology monitoring program since 1991 to track potential impacts on surrounding farms within approximately two km of the Lambton Facility. Foliage, soil and crop samples are collected and analyzed for a broad range of trace organic compounds and metals. There has been no evidence of any impact on the quality of local crops. Learn more »
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For more than 30 years, our Lambton transportation operations has served a wide cross-section of industries, businesses, governments and institutions, and has safely and efficiently shipped hazardous waste for in- and out-of-province generators. The transportation operation covers more than 12 million kilometres (7.5 million miles) every year., Well-founded Standards and Practices, Over its three decades of service, Lambton transportation operations has established a series of standardized safe operating procedures covering all aspects of operation, including: Health and safety Driver training system Waste pre-acceptance and controls Transboundary shipment and documentation Waste loading and unloading Vehicle cleaning and maintenance Emergency preparedness and response…
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In the hazardous waste industry, the presence and extent of support is a clear indication of a company's commitment to safety and quality. We work with our drivers on an ongoing basis to monitor: Defensive driving skills Highway regulation compliance Workplace health and safety performance Environmental regulation compliance Emergency preparedness training Documentation and filing compliance…
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At Clean Harbors, our drivers are the critical link from our Company to our customers. Helping our drivers define, track and improve their performance is, therefore, another one of our main priorities. Lambton drivers are trained using a program that is designed to fit the company's unique business environment. This comprehensive program allows our drivers to strengthen both their motor vehicle…
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While professional drivers influence the quality of service provided by a hazardous waste transporter, specialized vehicles and equipment used to contain and transfer the waste also have a significant impact on service reliability and efficiency. To maintain the mechanical integrity of our vehicles and equipment, we look to the expertise of our internal transportation specialists as well as third…
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At Lambton, we reuse the energy generated by the waste treatment process. That is, we use waste to destroy waste—yet another way Lambton meets its commitment to preserving the environment. The first step is to separate organic liquid waste into three groups, based on its potential to generate energy: Rich organics - high-energy waste that burns easily and can be used as fuel Emulsions -…
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The Lambton facility's continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) system is among the first of its kind in the country, meeting stringent new certification standards established by Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Lambton's sensors automatically monitor and record conditions at each step of the treatment process, from waste feed to exhaust. The CEM system ensures that…
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Local weather conditions can have a significant impact on the Lambton facility. Gusts of wind, for example, can alter the path of the stack plume, potentially leading to short-term odour at ground level. At Lambton, we want to counteract the effects of weather on the plume. To do that, we are working with the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) to…
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The baghouse, the final step in the high-temperature incinerator's cleaning process, plays an important role in ensuring that the Lambton facility's emission levels comply with Ontario's clean air regulations. The baghouse at Lambton has four compartments, each housing more than 400 fabric filter bags. As the air stream passes through the bags, powder-fine particles are filtered out, ensuring…
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