Calgary 
People caught illegally dumping garbage in Alberta could soon face fines of up to $100,000 and possible jail time, while corporations could be fined as much as $1 million.
A heap of garbage left in the northeast Calgary community of Saddle Ridge on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. Credit: CTV./Alberta
Alberta says it plans to introduce legislation this fall that would substantially increase penalties for illegal dumping and tighten oversight of higher-risk waste facilities.
If the proposed amendments to the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act pass, fines for individuals would range from $10,000 to $100,000. Currently, the maximum is $50,000.
Courts would also be able to impose jail sentences ranging from a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of six months.
For corporations, the current maximum fine of $500,000 would be replaced by penalties ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.
“Illegal dumping damages our environment, violates private property and leaves Albertans paying for someone else’s mess,” Premier Danielle Smith said. “We’re cracking down so those who choose to break the law face tougher penalties and serious consequences.”
The province points to Calgary as an example of the scale of the problem. In 2025, the city received about 30,000 complaints and almost 9,000 service requests concerning illegal dumping on municipal property. Calgary issued 165 tickets and three fines related to those cases.
The proposed changes would also affect some waste transfer and storage facilities.
Higher-risk operations that handle larger quantities of waste or keep it for longer periods would have to obtain provincial registration and meet additional operating requirements. The government expects the new requirements to cover about 150 of Alberta’s 684 waste transfer and storage sites.
Lower-risk facilities with short retention periods, limited inventories and specific types of waste would continue under the existing notification system.
Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said the changes are intended to provide “stronger oversight of higher-risk waste and storage facilities” alongside tougher dumping penalties.
Albertans who encounter illegal dumping or suspicious waste are asked to report it to their municipality and Alberta’s 24-hour environmental response line at 1-800-222-6514.
