More smoke and other pollutants are released into the air during the ‘start-up’ and ‘cool down’ phases of the burn cycle

than during the ‘full burn phase’ when high temperatures are maintained.    Low temperature smoldering fires should be

avoided. Burn only dry feedstock and periodically add additional waste to the fire in order to maintain high burn

temperatures until all waste has been destroyed. If waste is to be open burned on the ground, the use of deep or steep-walled

‘pits’ should be avoided as this will prevent the necessary turbulent mixing of oxygen with the burnable gases.

Desired operating temperature should be achieved as quickly as possible when operating any burning or incineration device.  A

rapid ‘start-up’ can be achieved by first loosely loading dry paper, paperboard packing and untreated wood into the bottom

of the device. Dry, loosely loaded material will ignite more quickly and burn more evenly than a wet, tightly packed load.

Wet waste should only be added after  the fire is actively burning.  Overfilling the burn chamber will prevent the turbulent

mixing of burnable gases and oxygen, and should be avoided.

Modern batch feed incinerators are designed with primary and auxiliary burners to achieve and maintain the necessary high

burn temperatures. Additional waste should only be added to these incinerators once the ‘cool down’ phase has been

completed and it is safe to do so.

Air emission standards establish limits on the amount of contaminants that can be released into the atmosphere. These standards are expressed as a concentration in the exhaust gases leaving the stack and are capable of being achieved using generally available incineration technology and waste diversion practices. The following emission standards1 apply to existing, new or expanding solid waste incinerators operating in Nunavut and have been adopted from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-Wide Standards for Dioxins and Furans and Mercury Emissions, respectively.   Similar standards for the open burning of solid waste have not been established.

Table 1. Air Emission Standards for Solid Waste Incinerators

Parameter    Numeric Standard    Explanation

Dioxins and Furans
80 pg I-TEQ/cubic metre
Unit of measure is picograms of International Toxicity
Equivalents per cubic metre of air

Mercury
20 µg/Rcubic metre
Unit of measure is micrograms per Reference cubic metre (the volume of gas adjusted to 25oC and 101.3 kilopascals)

Opacity is the degree to which the exhaust gases reduce the transmission of light and obscure the view of any object in the background. It is expressed as a percentage representing the extent to which an object viewed through the gases is obscured. Although not an emission standard, opacity provides an indication of the general performance of the incinerator during normal operation2.  Opacity in the incinerator stack should not exceed 5%. While it is not anticipated that opacity levels would exceed 1% to 2% under normal operation, values greater than 5% indicate the incinerator is not performing properly and additional performance evaluation and adjustment is required.

Figure 6 – Examples of Smoke Opacity Ratings
The opacity ratings are estimates and are provided for illustrative purposes only
Centre and right photos courtesy of GNWT Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Complete combustion converts waste into inert bottom ash with minimal creation of smoke, fly ash and hazardous

gases. Several factors influence this process including the heating value, wetness and chemical composition of the

waste itself, operating conditions in the burn chamber (i.e. temperature, holding time and turbulence) and

operator skill.

The method used is important in determining what can safely be burned. Certain wastes can only be incinerated

using equipment that has been specifically designed and equipped with sufficient air pollution controls and that

achieve specific air emission standards. For example, waste containing chlorinated compounds (i.e. chlorinated

solvents and plastics, PVC piping, wood treated with pentachlorophenol or PCB-amended paint, marine driftwood)

must be separated from other waste as their burning will result in the de novo creation and emission of various

dioxin and furan compounds. Waste containing mercury (i.e. batteries, thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs) and

other heavy metals (i.e. lead acid batteries, wood treated with lead paint) should not be burned as the mercury

and heavy metals will not be destroyed. Other waste that should not be burned unless using specially designed

incinerators include used lubricating oil, hydrocarbon contaminated soil, biomedical waste, sewage sludge or any

other waste specifically prohibited by the Department of Environment.

Table 2 provides a listing of common wastes that can be burned and those that require special consideration and

treatment. Note that open burning and incineration are identified as separate columns in the table and that

different restrictions apply depending upon which method is used.   In general, more restrictions apply to the

various methods of open burning because of the incomplete combustion achieved.  Fewer restrictions apply to

incineration because of the operator’s ability to control the combustion process.

Non-combustible materials such as metal and glass do not burn and will rob heat away from waste that can be

destroyed by burning.  Combustible waste should always be separated from non-combustible waste before being loaded

into the burn chamber.

Biomedical Waste                    Any solid or liquid waste which may present a threat of infection to humans including non-liquid tissue, body parts, blood or blood products and body fluids, laboratory and veterinary waste which contains human disease- causing agents, and discarded sharps (i.e. syringes, needles, scalpel blades).

 

Bottom Ash                                 The course non-combustible and unburned material which remains at the burn site after burning is complete. This includes materials remaining in the burn chamber, exhaust piping and pollution control devices where such devices are used.

 

Burn Box                                      A large metal box used to burn solid waste. Combustion air is usually supplied passively through vents or holes cut above the bottom of the box. An exhaust pipe or stack may or may not be attached.

 

 

 

 

Commercial Camp                   A temporary, seasonal or multi-year facility with a capacity greater than 15 people and which has been established for research, commercial or industrial purposes. A commercial camp does not include a traditional camp or field camp.

 

Commissioner’s Land             Lands that have been transferred by Order-in-Council to the Government of Nunavut. This includes roadways and land subject to block land transfers. Most Commissioner’s Land is located within municipalities.

 

Contaminant                             Any noise, heat, vibration or substance and includes such other substance as the Minister may prescribe that, where discharged into the environment,

• endangers the health, safety or welfare of persons,
• interferes or is likely to interfere with the normal enjoyment of life or property,
• endangers the health of animal life, or
• causes or is likely to cause damage to plant life or to propert

 

Determined Effort                    The ongoing review of opportunities for reductions and the implementation of changes or emission control upgrades that are technically and economically feasible and which result in on-going reductions in emissions. Determined efforts include the development and implementation of waste management planning which is focussed on pollution prevention.

 

De Novo Synthesis                   The creation of complex molecules from simple molecules.

 

Environment                              The components of the Earth and includes

• air, land and water,
• all layers of the atmosphere,
• all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms, and
• the interacting natural systems that include components referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) above.

 

Field Camp                                  A temporary, seasonal or multi-year facility consisting of tents or other similar temporary structures with a capacity of 15 people or less and which has been established for research, commercial or industrial purposes.  A field camp does not include a traditional camp or commercial camp.

 

Fly Ash                                          Unburned material that is emitted into the air in the form of smoke or fine particulate matter during the burning process.

 

Hazardous Waste    A contaminant that is a dangerous good and is no longer wanted or is unusable for its original intended purpose and is intended for storage, recycling, treatment or disposal.

 

Incineration                                A treatment technology involving the destruction of waste by controlled burning at high temperatures.

 

 

 

 

Incinerator                                  A device or structure intended primarily to incinerate waste for the purpose of reducing its volume, destroying a hazardous substance in the waste or destroying an infectious substance in the waste. An incinerator has means to control the burning and ventilation processes.

 

Inspector                                     A person appointed under subsection 3(2) of the Environmental Protection Act and includes the Chief Environmental Protection Officer.

 

Modified Burn Barrel              A metal drum used to burn waste that has been affixed with devices or features which provide limited increased heat generation, heat retention and holding time.

 

Open Burning                            Burning of waste with limited or no control of the burn process. For clarity, open burning includes burning on the open ground or using a burn box or unmodified or modified burn barrel.

 

Qualified Person                       A person who has an appropriate level of knowledge and experience in all relevant aspects of waste management.

 

Responsible Party                    The owner or person in charge, management or control of the waste.

 

Smoke                                  The gases, particulate matter and all other products of combustion emitted into the atmosphere when a substance or material is burned including dust, sparks, ash, soot, cinders and fumes.

 

Solid Waste                                 Unwanted solid materials discarded from a household (i.e. single or multiple residential dwellings, other similar permanent or temporary dwellings), institutional (i.e. schools, government facilities, hospitals and health centres), commercial (i.e. stores, restaurants) or industrial (i.e. mineral, oil and gas exploration and development) facility.  For clarity, solid waste does not include biomedical waste, hazardous waste or sewage sludge.

 

Traditional Camp                      A temporary or seasonal camp used primarily for camping, hunting, fishing or other traditional or cultural activities. A traditional camp does not include a field camp or commercial camp.

 

Unmodified Burn Barrel         A metal drum used to burn waste that has not been affixed with devices or features which provide for enhanced heat generation, heat retention and holding time.

 

Untreated Wood                      Wood that has not been chemically impregnated, painted or similarly modified to improve resistance to insects or weathering.

 

Waste Audit                                An inventory or study of the amount and type of waste that is produced at a location.