Saskatchewan has a total of 350 landfills – the most per capita for the provinces. That’s a number Premier Scott Moe wants to reduce. He says new draft policy for landfills and waste management will come out this spring. Moe delivered this message during his address to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention.

Until that happens, current regulations will not be enforced unless the landfill is a public health concern. Moe says these regulations have not been updated since 1986 and are outdated.

“The goal is safety, and the goal is affordability with these landfills,” Moe said. “Some of the public health risks we may have is to ensure those landfills aren’t for example leaking into water supplies.”

The province’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee, which involves provincial officials and municipal leaders, will be joined by private operators to review the draft regulations once released. That committee will provide final recommendations to cabinet on the future director of landfills.

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These changes may include fiscal measures to make landfills more affordable, decommission some existing landfills, and see if there is room to include them in the Environmental Code.

“We have a set of regulations that were brought into force in 1986 here in the province of Saskatchewan,” Moe said.

“They are very prescription based and are expensive to adhere to and difficult for communities and municipalities to afford to adhere to that step by step prescription based project.”

Other waste management initiatives the province are increasing efficiency at recycling facilities and an garbage incineration pilot program in southwest Saskatchewan.