ECCO is proposing to reclaim their Construction and Demolition (C&D) Landfill in southeast Calgary, by obtaining municipal approval for three key elements:

Municipal Application Goals

  • Landfill Reclamation

    This is a short-term, ongoing goal of removing and recovering the site’s materials

  • LCF Production

    This is a short-term goal that will see ongoing operations working with the expanded Materials Recovery Facility to produce Low-Carbon Fuel.

  • Site Remediation

    This is a long-term goal to ensure feasible future development

  • TOD Future

    This is a long-term goal to support surrounding communities and develop with the Green Line LRT

Planning Policy Framework

  • Municipal Development Plan

    The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a document that outlines The City’s vision for how Calgary will develop over the next 60 years. The MDP forms an integrated land use and mobility plan that guides Calgary’s planning decision-making. ECCO’s facility is identified within the MDP as part of the Standard Industrial Area.

    Full Document

  • Land Use Bylaw

    The subject site is governed by two Direct Control (DC) land use districts: 104D2009 and 31D2015 (Fig. 3). These bylaws enable the current landfill and recycling activities occurring at the ECCO Facility. In The City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw, the uses occurring on-site are referred to as Dry Waste Disposal and Treatment Facility and Construction and Demolition Materials Recovery Facility. 

    Full Document

  • Southeast Industrial Area Structure Plan

    The Southeast Industrial Area Structure Plan (ASP) is a City of Calgary document that outlines the intended uses and future for the area (Fig. 2). The site is encompassed within the boundary of the plan, however it does not identify a specific land use or future direction for the site. It is currently labeled as “Private Dry Waste Landfill”.

    Full Document

Current Land Use

This image indicates the current land uses and applicable bylaws on the subject site. The red overlay indicates MRF facility, and the purple represents landfill mass area.

Anticipated

Timeline

This image depicts the approximate, estimated timeline for the project.

Future Focused

ECCO’s overarching goal is to protect the environment through implementation of sound environmental practices, adherence to environmental legislation and diversion of materials for reuse into commercial and industrial products. 

High-level and long-term outcomes:

  • Achieve the benefits of Low-Carbon Fuel (LCF) production. LCF reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For instance, at the Exshaw Lafarge Plant, replacing natural gas with the waste upcycled into LCF produced at ECCO’s facility, will dramatically reduce Lafarge’s GHG emissions over the course of the contract term.

  • ECCO and Lafarge have collaborated on developing a sustainable low carbon alternative to help reduce GHG emissions at Lafarge’s Exshaw Facility in Alberta, an innovative industrial solution helping close the resource loop and fostering a greener future.

  • Landfill Reclamation and production of Low-Carbon Fuel facilitates a circular economy. A circular economy is a model of production and consumption which seeks to “regenerate” resources by employing practices such as reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recapturing waste as a resource to create a closed-loop system. A circular economy is widely recognized as a framework to respond to global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. (Government of Canada, 2022, and the Ellen Macarthur Foundation.)

  • The Landfill Reclamation process is expected to take up to 20 years and ECCO intends to commence reclamation as soon as possible. The proposed Development Permit seeks to facilitate landfill reclamation and material recovery along with normal operations until expiry of the existing permit in 2027. This is a not- for-profit endeavour by ECCO, it costs the company money to reclaim the landfill. The opportunity in undertaking this effort is reclaiming the site to AEPA standards and redeveloping the land into more compatible uses in alignment with long term plans for this area.

  • Upon conclusion of Landfill Reclamation, the ECCO site will be ready for development. Given the close proximity to the future Quarry Park Green Line Station, the subject site is an excellent candidate for a vibrant TOD, mixed-use hub, in alignment with the goals in Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan and TOD Guidelines. A TOD on the former landfill lands will complement the existing development in the area and support the Green Line LRT’s vision of a population of 1200 people and 2100 riders within an 800-metre radius by 2048.