Winnipeg plans to issue penalties for hazardous-waste spills in city sewers

The City of Winnipeg should soon be able to issue tickets for hazardous waste spills instead of having to take offenders to provincial court to recover costs associated with cleanup.

City council's water and waste committee voted Thursday to approve a new sewer bylaw that will make it easier for the city to enforce regulations governing the disposal of flammable liquids, chemicals, greaseand other substances that aren't allowedin Winnipeg's wastewater treatment system.

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"It would allow the water and waste department to issue penalties immediately as a ticket penalty notice," water and waste engineer Sean Gordon wrote in a report to the committee.

Penalties could be as little as $1,000. Provincial penalties run as highas $250,000 for repeat offenders.

The amended bylaw also creates provisions for the city to monitor waste streams fromcannabis growers and manufacturers, now that cannabis production and sale is legal in Canada.

The new bylaw still needs to be approved by executive policy committee and council as a whole.