4/15/18
Quebec Updates Environmental Quality Law, Impacting Regulations for Fertilizing Residuals

The Quebec environment ministry has updated the "loi sur la qualité de l'environnement" (LQE), the overarching environmental law, effective March 23, 2018.  The overarching law only minimally affects the ongoing recycling of biosolids and other residuals.  One change is that "from now on, all applications for a Certificate of Approval will be fully accessible to all via the Ministry of the Environment’s (MDDELCC) public registry (via their web site)," notes Sophie Saint-Louis of Viridis Environnement. 

However, applying the new law is requiring integrating and adapting existing regulations and programs, including the regulations overseeing the recycling of "fertilizing residuals."  There are two such regulations still in review that could more dramatically affect residuals management. The ministry's "Guide to the Use of Fertilizing Residuals" was integrated into these regulations, but with some new restrictions that, Saint-Louis notes, create "many problems... which we hope will be addressed" before the regulations are finalized.

The proposed fertilizing residuals (biosolids) regulations that are under review can be seen in English here.

See more at the ministry's English resources pages for biosolids and residuals management.