City seeks injunction to shut down private landfill amid week-long fire
Posted Sep 14, 2026 3:55 pm.
The City of Calgary has been taking legal action against a company whose private landfill is the site of a stubborn fire that has been sending smoke over parts of the city’s southeast for more than a week.
In a Monday social media post, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas outlined recent court findings against ECCO Recycling related to its recycling facility, a separate site from the landfill where the fire is burning.
According to the mayor, the courts ruled last week that ECCO violated its development permit by storing dry waste on the recycling facility property. A judge ordered ECCO to stop storing dry waste there and to immediately remove the material.
Farkas said the city is also pursuing separate legal action tied directly to the landfill site, alleging ECCO continues to accept waste contrary to its development permit. The city is seeking an injunction that would require ECCO to discontinue the dry‑waste landfill and begin decommissioning the site as required under its permit.
The update from the mayor comes as the landfill fire, which first ignited Sept. 6, continues to smoulder and repeatedly reignite in deep debris piles. Smoke has drifted into nearby neighbourhoods for more than a week, prompting growing concern from residents.
Farkas and Ward 11 Coun. Rob Ward co‑signed a letter Friday urging the province to publicly release detailed air‑quality data. Alberta Environment Minister Grant Hunter’s office said Monday the information will be released as soon as possible.
The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) and industrial crews worked over the weekend, applying water, soil and heavy machinery to reach buried hotspots and improve access. Officials warned extinguishment will take time due to mixed debris at the site.
On Friday, smoke from the blaze prompted a health advisory to be issued for downwind communities. Vulnerable residents have been urged to stay indoors, close their windows, reduce outdoor activity, and watch for irritation symptoms.
