Fire at unpermitted Tsuu T’ina landfill causes concerns in Calgary

A fire on the Tsuu T’ina First Nation that had a Calgary alderman host a town hall meeting and issue news releases calling the situation “unacceptable” was at a landfill site that contained demolished buildings from the City of Calgary.

The fire, which broke out Feb. 8 and took the First Nation 48 hours to suppress by coverage, started through spontaneous combustion. High volumes of smoke made its way to the southwest part of neighbouring Calgary.
Ward 13 alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart said in a statement that she had received “hundreds of calls from upset residents…It was so bad in some places you couldn’t see across the street; that is unacceptable.”

Colley-Urquhart hosted a town hall meeting on Feb. 21.

 “A number of significant issues and concerns have been raised which will require considerable work and consultation over the coming weeks,” said Colley-Urquhart, who also said she was going to bring forward an urgent notice of motion to city council to prevent future landfill fires on the nearby reserve.

“That alderman did not make contact with Tsuu T’ina during or after the fire, nor did she return our call offering an update during the fire. As such, I find her claims to be interested in greater communication with Tsuu T’ina surprising,” said Tsuu T’ina Chief Sandford Big Plume in a prepared statement. He also noted he had not been invited to the town hall meeting hosted by Colley-Urquhart.

Big Plume said the landfill site, which did not contain toxic materials, has been temporarily shut down until the First Nation receives environmental reports.

“Tsuu T’ina has proactively contracted the services of a professional environmental engineering and testing firm to inspect the landfill. I hope the City of Calgary is able to find other sites for its waste in the interim,” said Big Plume.

The landfill site originally received a permit from Aboriginal and Northern Affairs under the Indian Reserve Waste Disposal Regulations to operate, but has not had its permit renewed since late 2008.

ANAC has been unable to issue a new permit due to unpaid fees, an incomplete survey and unaddressed environmental audit issues, said Michelle Perron, ANAC spokesperson in an email interview.

“Attempts by the department to obtain the required information from Tsuu T’ina were unsuccessful and the facility continued to operate without a permit,” said Perron.

“The regular and pro forma renewal of that permit was delayed not by substantive problems, but by procedural issues,” said Big Plume, who added Tsuu T’ina officials were working with the department to address those issues and renew the permit.

ANAC is presently reviewing the Indian Reserve Waste Disposal Regulations, said Perron, “to ensure better protection of the health and safety of First Nation members and neighbouring communities.”

Perron said the department is aware of 33 community landfills that are operating without a permit in Alberta.
Under the present regulations, neither garbage dumps nor storage of waste sites can be operated without a permit. Violations under the regulations could result in a fine of up to $100 or no more than three months in jail, or both.

Perron added that First Nations can “devise their own internal policies for matters that impact their members, including land use planning.”