Educational Opportunities for Environmental Regulators

SYLVIS works closely with provincial and federal regulatory agencies not only in regulatory and best management practice development but also in providing opportunities to view and assess beneficial residuals use sites and to ask questions of SYLVIS staff. 

SYLVIS staff have conducted educational tours of residuals use areas in British Columbia and Alberta for representatives of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), the BC Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD).

SYLVIS has organized and led visits for CCME personnel to operational biosolids land application sites on Vancouver Island.  The goals of the tour were to provide a better understanding of the biosolids issues faced on Vancouver Island and to demonstrate successful biosolids use in forest fertilization and mine reclamation.

SYLVIS escorted BC MoE regulators on a tour of the Lehigh Materials Sechelt Mine.  The tour focused on the successful biosolids mine reclamation program including assessment of stockpiling locations, biosolids applications sites and equipment, a review of stakeholder consultation initiatives, and a summary of the environmental monitoring program.  MoE regulators were pleased with the tour and the opportunity to learn more about residuals use in mine reclamation.

In Alberta, SYLVIS provided the opportunity for ESRD staff to observe biosolids in non-traditional use areas for Alberta. Tours provided an opportunity for ESRD regulators to observe operational biosolids management and the effects of regulatory controls.  SYLVIS has developed a great relationship with ESRD through these tours.

By demonstrating successful, environmentally compliant residuals land application programs, SYLVIS provides educational opportunities for environmental regulators thus enabling the evolution of regulation in the field of residuals management.