BULLETIN TO CARI MEMBERS

Last year CARI sent a bulletin to members informing them of Measurement Canada’s Waste Management Trade Sector Review. CARI asked members to contact the review team with their input.

The review divides the “Waste Management Industry” into two sub-sectors: the waste collection and disposal sub-sector and the scrap metal sub-sector. Over the past several months, the review team has contacted various stakeholders and associations in these sectors. Measurement Canada has now come out with a draft set of recommendations for these sectors, which is available in full here.

Some key recommendations in the report are outlined below:

• Measurement Canada should conduct mandatory inspections of measurement devices­initially and periodically­using certified and traceable physical test standards.
• Device tolerances should remain in keeping with the Weights and Measures Act and Regulations in the short term, but over the next ten years should be brought into line with those of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
• Alternative service delivery (ASD) systems, such as accreditation and registration programs, may be used as long as there is no excessive cost to the industry. Measurement Canada should retain overall responsibility for these programs.
• Measurement Canada should verify the net quantity of commodities and charges for services rendered on the basis of measurement in this sector.
• Measurement Canada should investigate complaints, but only after the two parties have had the opportunity to resolve the issue first.
• Measurement Canada should provide inspection services and monitor this sector by compiling compliance data on devices, retaining complaint investigation results, and soliciting stakeholder feedback. A summary of this data should be distributed annually.
• Measurement Canada should issue tickets or fines along with other forms of enforcement if the investigations and inspections indicate that the requirements of the Weights and Measures Act are not being met.
  The results of this review will have implications for our industry, so CARI encourages its members to take the time to read it. Stakeholders have one last chance to provide feedback to the review team. Due to a delay in posting the draft report, the deadline for feedback has been extended to May 25, 2012.