These were our meatiest days. We plowed through descriptions, how-to's and activities around hazardous waste management. We discussed many situations that were challenging for local landfills. Most participants could provide a story where hazardous materials were dumped illegally on their sites. Many were left to manage commercial products that will be difficult and costly to deal with. One of the most prevalent hazardous wastes for northern communities are their waste batteries. They all report having many of these and they have no option but to store them. They have not found an appropriate recycler and are uncertain of what steps they will need to take to ship the batteries away, but many are very keen to find these solutions.
While there is much interest in the requirements we have discussed, many communities are not currently in a position to begin taking the steps required. One of the greatest barriers they see is the cost that will be associated with shipping these waste products out.
It has been good to witness the types of discussions that help community representatives understand systemic issues more clearly, share solutions and their personal wisdom gained through their experiences. If there was one indirect gain from this training, I believe it could be the birth of a loose support system where the participants begin to see that there are other people who can support them. This, in itself, may help these communities to face the challenges that are ahead.
Below are a few pictures of everyone hard at work...
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