LANSING – Responding to a report from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality showing that nearly one-third of trash dumped in Michigan comes from Canada and other states, State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville) today called for Senate leaders to take action on a tough anti-trash plan that attacks the economics of the trash trade by increasing Michigan's dumping charge.
"Michigan landfills continue to be flooded with trash from Canada and other states, and we must take action to stop it," Corriveau said. "We need to show our pride in being the Great Lakes State by taking action to ensure that Michigan is not a dumping ground for other people's trash. Heavy trucks that haul trash from Canada and other states to our landfills take their toll on our roads and put our communities at risk. I call on my colleagues in the Senate to pass the anti-trash plan that has been languishing in that chamber for months."
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today released a report stating that trash imports from Canada and other states accounted for 29 percent of all waste disposed of in Michigan landfills in 2007. The DEQ found that the largest importer of trash into Michigan is Canada – accounting for 19 percent of the total amount of trash dumped in Michigan last year.
Overall, the DEQ report found that the amount of waste that made its way into Michigan landfills in 2007 decreased
slightly from 2006. However, trash imports from states including Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin increased by
2.52 million tons. Trash imported into Michigan from Pennsylvania showed the most dramatic increase – an
astounding 771 percent.
Last year, the House passed a plan that will significantly reduce the amount of Canadian and out-of-state trash that is imported into Michigan. The anti-trash plan will:
- Raise Michigan's dumping charge from the lowest in the region, attacking the economics of the trash trade and forcing trash exporters to take their waste elsewhere.
- Ban new landfills and strictly limit the expansion of existing landfills until 2012.
- Crack down on jurisdictions that send prohibited waste to Michigan, and make it easier to prosecute and punish repeat offenders with up to $10,000 in fines.
The House plan is currently stalled in the Senate.
A similar plan worked to slash imports in Pennsylvania after the state raised its dumping charge in 2002. In 2001, Pennsylvania took in 12.6 million tons of imported trash; in 2005, that amount plunged to 9.6 million tons. While Pennsylvania is benefiting from increasing its dumping charge, Michigan is seeing even more trash coming in from the Keystone State.
Michigan residents did their part in 2007, with the DEQ reporting that the amount of trash generated by Michigan residents declined by about 4 percent.
The House is also working on a plan to return money from the increased dumping charge – expected to total up to $147 million in the first year – to local communities to pay for roads, fire and police services, and more recycling programs.
"Our residents are clearly doing their part to keep Michigan from turning into a dumping ground," Corriveau said. "As we fight to protect our land, air and water from other people's trash, we must also work to promote recycling programs that will decrease the amount of trash our own residents toss into landfills. Our fight against Canadian and out-of-state trash is a fight to strengthen the safety and security of our communities. The time for delay is over."