Sound Management of Chemicals and Hazardous Wastes

Resource Futures International (RFI) is known internationally for our work on sound management of chemicals and hazardous wastes. We specialize in assisting government and private sector clients to strengthen and build their managerial and technical capacity for chemicals and hazardous wastes in a sustainable development framework. Our range of services includes:

Strategic policy analysis and planning
Action plan preparation, consultation and implementation
Capacity building, including gaps analyses, law and policy development, institutional strengthening and training
Best Available Techniques/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) recommendations
Best practices for Environmental Sound Management (ESM) of hazardous wastes

Project Examples

Strategic Policy

Facilitation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Partnership Initiative on Implementation of the Strategic Approach To International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and SAICM Proposal Preparation (2006-2007)
Legal and Institutional Feasibility of Appropriate and Predictable Financial Mechanisms of the Basel Convention, Executive Secretary of the Convention (2006-7):
Methodology for the Selection of Environmental Priorities, Strategic Assessment Branch, Risk Assessment Directorate, Environment Canada (2005)
GEF's Work in Support to the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention: Opportunities for Advancing the Sound Management of Chemicals (SAICM/PREPCOM.2/INF/16), for the Global Environment Facility (2004)
Thought Starter on Gaps in the Bahia Declaration and Priorities for Action Beyond 2000; Forum Standing Committee (FSC) Working Group on Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) for Forum IV: Chemical Safety in a Vulnerable Word (2003)
New Directions for the Sound Management of Chemicals and New Approaches to Chemical Assessment; North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) (2003-2004)
Feasibility of a Best Available Technologies Clearinghouse to Support Canadian Air Pollution Control Programs; Environment Canada (2002)
Principal evaluator in the review of Canada's core legislation and policies related to toxic chemicals (the Canadian Environmental Protection Act); Environment Canada (2001)

Guidance and Communications

UNDP Technical Guide for Mainstreaming the Sound Management of Chemicals in MDG-Based Policies and Plans, UNDP Environment And Energy Group (2007)
RFI Chemical Categorization Report. Guidance on utility of outcomes of Canada's categorization of 23,000 industrial chemicals in commerce for developing countries. World Bank (2007)
General Technical Guideline for Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes Consisting of, Containing or Contaminated with Persistent Organic Pollutants; Environment Canada for the Basel Convention Secretariat (2004)
Persistent Organic Pollutants Resource Guide; World Bank (2002) POPs inventory development presentation to China's State Environment Protection Agency workshop (2001-2002)
Case Study on the Effectiveness of North American Mercury Fish Consumption Advisories; CEC (1999)
Risk Communication Training Materials for Mexico's Hazardous Waste Materials, Wastes and High-risk Activities Program; National Institute of Ecology-SEMARNAT (1998)
Long-Range Transport of Air Pollution within and to North America; CEC (1996)

Hazardous Wastes

Environmentally Sound Management of PCB Wastes in Mexico; UNDP Mexico (2007)
Program Study on the Strategy for the Operational Implementation of the Amendments to the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes Regulations; Environment Canada (2002)
Study on Amending the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes Regulations to Include Provisions for Environmentally Sound Management Criteria; Environment Canada (2002)
Operational Review of Risk Assessment and Management of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclables; Environment Canada (2002)
Measuring the Effectiveness of Environment Canada (Ontario and Quebec Regions) Enforcement Activities for the Pulp and Paper Sector: A Scoping Report; Environment Canada (2001-2002)

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Environmentally Sound Management and Destruction of PCBs in Mexico, Preparatory phase (PDF-B) and full-size UNDP-Mexico proposals to the Global Environment Facility (2006-2007)
Environmentally Sound Management of POPs in Nicaragua, UNDP-Nicaragua medium-size proposal to GEF (2007)
Development of an Integrated Information System for Persistent Organic Pollutants, UNDP-Uruguay medium-size proposal to the Global Environment Facility (2006)
Government of Bangladesh, POPs National Implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention (provision of expert advice on inventories; priority-setting for the NIP) for UNDP-Bangladesh (2005)
Assistance to United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Country Offices and Recipient Governments in South and Central America and the Caribbean for the Preparation of GEF-eligible POPs-enabling Activity Submissions; UNDP (2002)
Capacity Building Project to Develop a Strategic Framework for the Management of Persistent Organic Pollutants in India; World Bank, World Bank (2002)
Capacity Building Project to Develop a Strategic Framework for the Management of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean; World Bank (2001-2002)
Implementing the Stockholm Convention: A Forum on the Sound Management of POPs; World Bank and CIDA (2002)
POPs inventory development presentation to China's State Environment Protection Agency workshop, sponsored by the State Environmental Protection Agency and the World Bank in China (2001-2002)
Principal drafter of Trilateral Resolution #95-5 on the Sound Management of Chemicals; signed by Canada, the United States and Mexico to address persistent organic pollutants on a regional basis; CEC (1995)

Heavy Metals

Lead Decision Document; Commission for Environmental Cooperation (2003-2004)
Project Oversight for National Mercury Research Efforts; (emissions from sectors; socio-economic analysis of continuing mercury use; risk assessment of mercury and non-mercury dental fillings; establishing a mercury retirement program) Environment Canada (2000-2001)
Facilitation of the North American Action Plan on Mercury and Assistance with Implementation; CEC (1997-2001)

Action Plans and Chemical Profiles

Bangladesh Government's National Implementation Plan (NIP) Under The Stockholm Convention (UNDP) (2005)
North American Regional Action Plans (NARAPs) on the following substances: DDT; Chlordane; Dioxins and Furans, and Hexachlorobenzene; Mercury (1996-2003)
North American Regional Action Plan on Monitoring and Assessment; CEC (1996-2002)

Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)

Identification of Key Issues and Challenges and Opportunities Faced by the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI); Environment Canada (2006)
An Analysis of the Business Functions and Resource Requirements of Environment Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) Program; Environment Canada (2003-2004)
Study of Options for the Future Development of the National Pollutant Release Inventory; Environment Canada (2001-2002)

Miscellaneous activities

Trade and Environment in the Indian Textile and Leather Sectors, CIDA-funded Council of Indian Industries (CII) Environmental Management Project, Phase I (1999)
Review of Releases and Ambient Levels of Tritium in Lake Huron, Environment Canada (2001)