Lower Mainland communities hard hit by metal theft are expected to see relief as a result of new regulations effective July 23 for transactions involving high-value metals.
British Columbia’s Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act will build on bylaws long in effect in a dozen Lower Mainland communities, including Surrey, where metal theft remains a public safety concern with a multimillion-dollar tab each year.
The first provincial legislation of its kind in Canada, backed by regulations developed this year, is expected to significantly curb the sale of metals stolen in one community and then sold elsewhere, where no local bylaw exists.
This province-wide approach focuses on metals and objects typically targeted by metal thieves. These include copper wire – the main target in $10 million worth of thefts from TELUS alone in 2011 – as well as aluminum, bronze, brass, lead, nickel, zinc and magnesium.
The regulations also cover specific metal objects, such as metal traffic control lights, signals and signs, sewer grates and manhole covers, and metal grave markers.
Removing the anonymity that allows metal thieves to profit from their activities is a key goal of the new law. Now, those wishing to sell regulated metals must present valid identification.
In turn, scrap dealers and recyclers who buy these metals will share purchase details with their local police. Officers will be able to use this information to compare against reports of stolen metal and seek court orders to obtain further information from dealers when required.
