
We recently learned that Trump wants to hit Canada and Mexico with excruciating tariffs. One option for Canada and Mexico is to stop importing USA hazardous waste.
INTRODUCTION
The United States produces a huge amount of hazardous waste, including toxic chemicals, lead batteries, and industrial leftovers. Disposing of this waste safely and responsibly is challenging. However, a recent investigation uncovered a troubling practice: US companies increasingly ship their toxic waste to other countries, particularly Canada and Mexico. This raises serious questions about environmental justice, public health, and corporations' ethical responsibilities.
THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM
The export of hazardous waste follows a pattern called the "race to the bottom." Companies look for the cheapest places to dispose of their waste, ignoring the environmental risks and the health of people living in those areas. This means that countries with weaker environmental laws and less robust oversight, or governments that want to use the handling as a political opportunity, become the dumping grounds for waste from the USA.
CANADA: E-WASTE AND THE HORNE SMELTER
With its generally strict environmental regulations, Canada still receives significant amounts of hazardous US waste. A particular area of concern is the Horne smelter in Quebec. This smelter processes electronic waste, including materials from Silicon Valley, releasing high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals into the surrounding environment.
Studies have shown residents in the area experience higher rates of cancer, low birth weights, and shorter life expectancies. Children near the smelter have also tested positive for significantly elevated levels of arsenic, all for the economic benefit of a Swiss-owned company generating $500 million annually.
Although the company claims to adhere to local standards, critics argue that exporting hazardous waste from the USA shifts the environmental burden and public health risk to Canada. The USA not only wants us to suffer with excruciating tariffs, but they are already using Canada as their personal dumping ground, and few say anything about it.
A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
The issue is more than just bad companies; it’s a systemic problem rooted in how the US handles its hazardous waste. Existing regulations, designed decades ago, are insufficient to protect the environment and people's health in today's context. And in today’s political environment, should we expect anything different?
The US’s "cradle-to-grave" regulations hold companies responsible for their waste from creation to disposal, but these regulations effectively end at the border. Once the waste crosses international borders, US authorities lack the power to monitor or enforce safety standards, leaving communities in receiving countries to bear the brunt of the pollution.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
In today’s political environment in the US, we have an opportunity to think and act differently. We can look at this as an opportunity to put the screws to the US by stopping the shipments at the border. Why should we take their waste when they want to work to screw us? This is the time to stop this insanity and use this issue as a bargaining tool for a better deal.
It's time to be tough and think outside the box.
CONCLUSION
The issue of exporting toxic waste highlights a fundamental imbalance of power and responsibility. THE US shifts the burden of their environmental problems onto countries with their hands out. This raises vital questions and goes beyond global justice and ethics. Canada has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a more comprehensive approach that prioritizes environmental protection and public health, short-term economic gain and who pays. And it also provides us a bargaining chip in the USA/Canada Tariff debate.
Best wishes ...

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