This Fall, Alberta plans to table legislation imposing steeper penalties on illegal dumping, including higher fines and the possibility of jail time.
Under the proposed rules, individuals who dump waste illegally could be fined between $10,000 and $100,000. Companies would face even larger penalties ranging from $100,000 up to $1 million.
In addition, people who refuse to comply could receive jail sentences lasting from 30 days to six months.
Illegal dumping burdens communities, private landowners, and taxpayers with cleanup expenses and environmental harm. The tougher measures are meant to discourage the practice.
“Illegal dumping damages our environment, violates private property and leaves Albertans paying for someone else’s mess. Waste must be disposed of responsibly,” Premier Danielle Smith stated in a news release. “We’re cracking down so those who choose to break the law face tougher penalties and serious consequences.”
The same legislation would tighten regulation of higher-risk waste transfer and storage sites. Facilities that handle large volumes of waste or store it for extended periods would need provincial registration and would have to meet extra operating standards.
Currently Municipal governments absorb much of the cost of cleaning up dumped waste. Provincial leaders hope the new framework will cut down on such incidents.
Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams framed the changes as a matter of respect—for property owners, for taxpayers who should not cover other people’s messes, and for residents who work to keep their neighbourhoods clean.
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