The Government of Canada is stepping up efforts to eliminate bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, from the national herd by removing cattle
tissues that, if infected are capable of transmitting the disease from animal feed, pet
food and fertilizer.
Beginning July 12, 2007, there will be new regulations for handling, transporting and
disposing of these cattle tissues, known as specified risk material (SRM). The new
regulations will impact the way some waste management workers do their job.
Specified risk material include the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerves attached
to the brain), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia (nerves attached to the
spinal cord) of cattle aged 30 months or older, and the distal ileum (portion of the small
intestine) of cattle of all ages.
Under the enhanced regulations, owners or operators of waste management facilities
choosing to accept SRM in any form must apply for a permit from the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA). Permits will only be issued after the facilitys disposal
procedures are assessed by a CFIA inspector and meet all requirements. Disposal procedures
must prove to either destroy or permanently contain all SRM waste.
In addition to new disposal regulations, a separate permit is required to transport SRM
in any form, including cattle carcasses containing SRM. Slaughterhouses will have to
properly identify SRM prior to pickup for waste disposal. Waste management facilities will
be advised not to accept cattle parts in any form, from anyone who does not possess a
permit.
The duration of the permit depends on the frequency of business. For example, permits
for commercial operations who frequently handle SRM may be valid for up to one year. Other
permits, for isolated SRM disposal needs, may be valid for periods of 30 or 60 days.
The permit application is available online at
www.inspection.gc.ca/bse.
Applications for a permit from the CFIA must be accompanied with:
All relevant municipal and provincial licenses and inspection reports
Detailed site plans
Normal operating procedures and any additional applicable quality assurance programs
pertaining to the containment of SRM landfills
The results of any recent analyses or verifications relevant to SRM containment
Submit copies of these documents with the application to the nearest CFIA office.
To order copies of these materials or to locate your local CFIA office, call
1-800-442-2342. Additional
information about the enhanced feed ban is available online at
www.inspection.gc.ca/bse.
