Today in Canada's arctic: Landfill fire could burn for months

[Newsjock]

Source: Nunatsiaq News

The fire at Iqaluit’s landfill could continue to burn for months, the city’s fire chief said Sept. 27 at an emergency city council meeting.

Firefighters and public works staff started fighting the blaze at 2:30 a.m. Sept. 24, but after six hours they had to admit that containment was the best they could do.

Thick, toxic smoke pluming into the pre-dawn darkness made for poor visibility as they fought the blaze, increasing the danger.

... Public works is also moving some of the more potentially toxic garbage out of the landfill, such as tires and the cubed and un-cubed scrap vehicles awaiting to be shipped out by sealift out of Iqaluit.

Read more: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/89780_iqaluit_dump_fire_could_burn_for_months/

[kirby]

1. Sounds like poor planning...

A landfill with no access to water or ability to contain a large fire.

[XemaSab]

2. Recycling is sorted, why not garbage?

At the very least, keep the chemicals and heavy metals out of the landfill, and as a second step get the stuff like wood that can be used as feedstock out of the pile.