Officials in Vancouver seized 50 containers of hazardous garbage bound for China, a portion a what they called a "very large" toxic industry doing business through the port.
The waste from 27 companies across Canada reportedly includes computer monitors containing lead, lead-acid batteries, fluorescent lamps with PCBs and toxic scrap metal. An international treaty bans shipment of toxics to developing countries, which can be cheaper than recycling in Canada.
A Seattle-based activist trying to curb toxic exports told the CBC that Canadians could still ship the materials through ports in the U.S. because it hasn't signed the treaty. A new American law requires exporters to notify the government before shipping hazardous materials but there is little enforcement, according to this recent report.