British Columbia Names Executive Director for Oil Recycling Program

British Columbia’s lubricating oil recycling program has appointed its first executive director.
Ronald J. Driedger, P.Eng. takes over management of the British Columbia Used Oil Management Association (BCUOMA) effective immediately.
The BCUOMA lubricating oil product stewardship program was announced on January 24th by the province’s Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection, the Honourable Joyce Murray and is scheduled for implementation on June 30, 2003.
“Ron brings a wealth of environmental and waste management experience with him,” said Richard Voyer, interim chairman, BCUOMA Board of Directors in announcing the appointment. “In his thirty years with the British Columbia government, Ron developed and implemented many successful post-consumer stewardship programs. So his experience and BCUOMA’s needs are a perfect fit.”
In his career with the Ministry of Environment (currently the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection), Ron has been involved in legislation, regulation, policies and procedures in various sectors covered under the Waste Management Act.
He was responsible for the implementation of BC’s $150 million strategy for dealing with municipal solid waste and managed a financial assistance program that awarded $18 million over five years to local governments and non-profit groups for preparing solid waste management plans, composting, blue box, depot recycling and education programs.
BCUOMA is a not-for-profit organization, managed by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors from manufacturing, retailing, local government, the Province of British Columbia and other non-government organizations.
BCUOMA’s stewardship program is patterned on successful programs operating in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba since 1997, and is part of the Western Canadian Used Oil/Container/Filter Task Force.