Waste Connections Environmental Justice Assessment and Audit

• Company: Waste Connections
• Subject: Environmental Justice Assessment Environmental Justice Audit
• Year: 2022
• Sector: Waste Management
• Lead Filer: Vancity Investment Management Ltd.
• Co-Filer: None
• Outcome: Resolution withdrawn in response to Waste Connections’ commitment to publicly disclose their current EJ work and expand and report on EJ work in Canada.

Whereas:

Environmental Justice (EJ) is the involvement and fair treatment of all communities regardless of race, socioeconomic status or ethnicity in decisions relating to environmental factors.[1] EJ is crucial as high polluting facilities are far more likely to be built near, or in, communities of color.[2] This disproportionately places the burdens of pollution and waste on racialized groups, ultimately leading to health issues and widening socioeconomic disparities.[3] This problem has been further exacerbated since 2020 as poor air quality from high polluting facilities has been linked to increased mortality from COVID-19.[4]

EJ concerns are prevalent throughout the United States and Canada and impact a diverse group of communities. In the United States, people of color were 2.4 times more likely to be exposed to severe pollution than white people, no matter income levels.[5] In Canada, The Assembly of First Nations has highlighted several issues related to landfills near First Nation communities. Water quality impacts can be severe with many communities reliant on well water, which is particularly vulnerable to contamination. Furthermore, burning of landfill waste creates serious air quality concerns for surrounding nations and can lead to negative health impacts. Many Nations do not have the resources to enforce bylaws and rely on the transparency and action of companies operating on or near their land to manage these potential impacts.[6]

As EJ gains notoriety, policy is responding in kind. In 2020, the state of New Jersey introduced a landmark environmental justice policy that requires impacts on overburdened communities to be a deciding factor in permitting, including in the approval of landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities. Furthermore 10 states already have environmental justice laws and another 12 have laws that are pending.[7] The EPA is also prioritizing this by increasing its annual inspections of facilities that pose cause for “potential environmental justice concerns”.  In Canada, pressure to update the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to align it with tenants of EJ is growing.[8]

The waste management industry is particularly exposed to these risks and this requires proactive work to identify exposure and implement solutions. While Waste Connections has taken important steps to support broader racial justice through equity and inclusivity work at the company, it is critical for the company to specifically address its exposure to emerging regulatory, competitive and reputational risks specific to EJ.  An independent EJ centered assessment and audit of operations will help assure shareholders that Waste Connections is managing the company’s heightened exposure to EJ related risks.

Resolved:

Waste Connections, Inc. complete, at reasonable expense and excluding confidential information, by the end of 2022 an environmental justice centered assessment and audit of company operations in Canada and the United States.