Since, its inception in 1987 the Swan Hills Treatment Centre has safely processed more than 295,000 metric

tonnes of hazardous  waste and over 2,000 different waste profiles . As a fully integrated world-class waste

treatment facility it is capable of achieving  complete treatment of all wastes with the exceptions of

pathological, explosive and radioactive. A key feature of the Treatment  Centre’s operation is that all wastes

which are accepted by the facility are treated at one location with no need to ship residuals  elsewhere.

The Plant Site was chosen in 1983 with construction and environmental monitoring beginning in 1985. The

Plant Site consists of a  half section (320 acres) of which approximately 80 acres is fenced.

Prior to any waste being shipped to the Treatment Centre, its chemical properties must be determined and a

plan developed for its treatment. Documentation of the movement, treatment, and ultimate disposal of

special waste is essential. Therefore, monitoring and  transportation, treatment and disposal  binds the

various parts of the System together and ensures a successful waste

management program. This "cradle to grave" care  concept is achieved by

the use of various management systems including waste profile sheets,

transportation manifests and waste  "fingerprinting".

Waste is delivered to the facility by bulk truck or in containers with drums.

Incoming loads are weighed and sent to off-loading areas  which

are equipped for waste sampling, drum processing, and tankage. The waste is sampled and a "fingerprint"

analysis is  performed to verify that the waste is representative of that specified by the generator.

The Treatment Centre can refuse to accept  waste which does not match that initially specified by the

generator. Drum wastes received can be temporarily stored in specially designed transport containers or in

storage buildings while awaiting  processing. On site storage compacity is approximately 8,000 units.

The Facility has the capacity to destroy a total of 45,000 tonnes per year, through one of the two process

facilities. The selection of  the technology to be used is dependent upon the contaminant in the waste. An

array of processes are in place to support these two technologies either by preparing the waste for

treatment or by disposing of the treated residue.

•  Incineration – organic waste (in solid, liquid or sludge forms) is destroyed in the incinerator at

temperatures up to 1200º C; acid  gases and particulate matter is scrubbed from the resulting flue gases in

a multi-stage process; bottom ash and flyash are stabilized  and placed in secure on-site landfill cells.

•  Physical/Chemical – inorganic liquids are chemically neutralized and filtered to remove solids. The solid

residue is stabilized into an  inert compound and placed in secure, on-site landfill cells; treated liquid

effluent is injected 1,800 metres below the ground into a  stable geological formation.