Video shows waste piling up at Ecco landfill months before stubborn fire, despite owner's assertion
Video obtained by Postmedia appears to show massive amounts of waste material accumulating on the eastern slope of Ecco Recycling’s southeast Calgary landfill in the months before a fire broke out in the same area of the site, calling into question the owner’s claim the site stopped accepting new material in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas confirmed Friday Minister Grant Hunter was advised months before the blaze about a potential fire risk at the facility — a warning that prompted him to order increased inspections at the site.
LiDAR survey imagery from April 28 shows relatively little waste material along the eastern slope of Ecco’s landfill operation.
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Drone footage captured Aug. 11 shows substantial piles of waste now present within the same area, while footage from Sept. 16 shows smoke billowing from the eastern slope of the landfill mound.
Taken together, the imagery suggests large amounts of material were added to the eastern slope of the landfill between late April and August, before fire broke out in that area of the site on Sept. 6 . The footage does not establish the origin of all material deposited on the slope.
Ecco Recycling president Alec McDougall said in a Sept. 11 statement that the site has not accepted any new material since 2024 .
Ecco representatives did not immediately respond this week to questions from Postmedia about the movement of material within the property.
Meanwhile, concerns about the possibility of a fire at the Ecco facility were raised directly with Alberta’s environment minister months before the blaze, Postmedia has learned.
Quarry Park developer Randy Remington said he has long had concerns about Ecco’s operations, including risk of fires and debris blowing into surrounding communities.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on calgaryherald.com — the content belongs to Calgary Herald.
