Hazardous Waste Facility Siting In Manitoba. Case Study of a Success

Abstract

This paper provides a detailed description and analysis of the process leading to the Manitoba siting success. The paper also includes an assessment of the co-management agreement developed between the proponentandthe Rural Municipality of Montcalm. Although still in its nascent stages, Manitoba's co-management structure represents an innovative method of responding to legitimate community concerns about safety and environmental quality.

The paper explores the Manitoba siting process through primary investigation. Although secondary sources are reviewed, many of the conclusions reached are based on a series of personal interviews with individuals directly involved in the site selection process. Interviewees were given the opportunity to review and comment on earlier drafts.

The Manitoban siting success provides insight into the complex policy issues involved in waste facility siting. An underlying assumption, based on a review of numerous siting cases, is that most failed public and private sector siting attempts represent procedural failures rather than technical ones. The volunteer site selection process, as demonstrated in Manitoba, presents a potential solution to siting deadlock.