Where does asbestos waste go in Ottawa?

Ontario Regulation 347 sets the rule: asbestos waste cannot leave the site where it was generated unless it is going to a waste disposal site whose operator has agreed to accept it and has been told when to expect the load. That means the disposal site must be arranged before the waste moves, not after.

The regulation also sets what the load must look like when it leaves. The waste goes into a rigid, impermeable, sealed container strong enough to hold it. If the container is a cardboard box, the waste is first sealed inside a six-mil polyethylene bag placed inside the box. Every container must be labelled with the word CAUTION in letters at least ten centimetres high, followed by: CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBRES, Avoid Creating Dust and Spillage, Asbestos May be Harmful To Your Health, and Wear Approved Protective Equipment. Transport must be by a driver trained in managing asbestos waste, the load cannot travel with other cargo, it cannot go in a compaction vehicle, boxes must be in an enclosed vehicle, and spill equipment must be on board.

We found no information on which Ottawa-area disposal sites have agreed to accept asbestos waste, and we found nothing about asbestos on the City of Ottawa's Trail Waste Facility pages. The right question is for your contractor: ask them which site has agreed to take the load and confirm that arrangement is in writing before work starts. A contractor who cannot name the disposal site has not finished planning the job.

We found no exemption in Regulation 347 for small loads or owner-generated material. Asbestos waste is not classified as hazardous waste under Regulation 347; it is managed under section 17, whose rules on packaging, labelling and transport apply regardless of the amount. It cannot go out with regular curbside collection or in a standard bin.

One other thing worth knowing: the City's demolition permit page points to section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires an owner to identify designated substances before a project begins. Asbestos is one of the eleven designated substances listed in O. Reg. 490/09. How section 30 applies to a home the owner lives in is not settled. On the asbestos regulation's owner-occupier exemption: The exemption covers a home the owner or their family lives in, and a building of up to four units where the registered owner or family lives in one of them. A landlord who doesn't live in the building, a building of more than four units, and commercial property are not covered.

After the job is done, keep the lab report confirming whether the material contained asbestos, the written Type the contractor assessed, and the clearance air test results. Under O. Reg. 278/05, section 18, the owner must keep a copy of the clearance results for at least one year.