LANSING –State Representatives Mike Simpson (D-Jackson) and Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltar) today blasted the Senate for stonewalling a tough plan to crack down on Canadian and out-of-state trash that was passed by the House in the spring of 2007.
"Nearly one year ago, the House passed its plan to crack down on Canadian and out-of-state trash," Simpson said. "As we fight to bring jobs to our state now, we must also protect our communities. It's time for the Senate to take action on our tough anti-trash plan that bans new landfills and increases the dumping charge. By turning bargain-hunting trash trucks around, we will protect our water, air, roads and quality of life."
The House Democrats continue to aggressively push to pass anti-trash measures in light of a February accident in which trash trucks on their way to Michigan landfills overturned in Ontario. The legislation passed in May 2007 by the House bans new landfills and strictly limits the expansion of existing landfills until 2012.
"Trash trucks come to Michigan because it's dirt cheap to dump waste here," Law said. "If we increase the cost of dumping and change the economics of the trash trade, we can force them to find other solutions – outside of Michigan. It's now time for the Senate to act on this plan and put the well-being of our citizens first."
In April 2007, the House passed legislation increasing the state's current paltry dumping charge of 21 cents per ton. With a steeper dumping charge, Canada and other states will be forced to dump their trash elsewhere.
Canadian and out-of-state trash accounts for more than 30 percent of the total waste in Michigan's landfills. Canada and other states dumped 6.3 million tons of trash in our state in 2006, according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
"Banning new landfills in Michigan, in addition to increasing the dumping charge, attacks the trash trade from all angles," Law said. "If we want to attract investments and jobs to our state, we have to make Michigan an attractive place to live. This plan will help do that."
