A fire at a Calgary landfill, which started more than a week ago, is continuing to burn and the city’s mayor is looking for clear data on the risks. Jeromy Farkas wrote Sunday that he supports a call from one of his fellow councillors to ask Alberta’s environment minister to step in. “Residents have fair questions. We want to make sure they get clear, verified answers,” Farkas said. “I was glad to join (Ward 11 Coun. Rob Ward) in asking the province to release the air-quality testing results as soon as possible.” On Sept. 6, a fire broke out in a pile of garbage at the Ecco Recycling landfill in southeast Calgary. While the blaze was initially brought under control a day later, the fire flared up again later in the week and has continued to burn, spewing smoke across several residential communities. The province says it is continuing to monitor air quality in the area. Ward’s letter, dated Sept. 13, asks the province to release the results of those tests as soon as possible. “Residents have experienced smoke and odours for several days, and many have reported irritation of their eyes, throats and lungs,” it reads. “They are understandably concerned about the air they have been breathing and whether the exposure could have long-term health implications.” Ward and Farkas are pushing the province for an “urgent response” to the request. In the meantime, the Calgary Fire Department has been engaged with site staff, applying water, using heavy equipment and smothering burning material with soil to extinguish the blaze. Machinery was also used to clear access to the area to better attack the fire.
