Great Lakes/Out-of-State Trash

LANSING – A Canadian trash truck overturned on I-94 in St. Clair County earlier today and shut down part of the freeway during the morning rush hour, prompting State Representatives Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) and Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltar) to blast the Republican leadership in the Senate for not acting on tough measures that would fight the flood of out-of-state and Canadian garbage.
    "We cannot stand by and allow our state to be exploited by Canadian and out-of-state trash trucks that come to Michigan because it is so cheap to dump their trash here," Ebli said. "When garbage haulers invade our state, our communities pay the price. That's why I urge the Senate to stop stonewalling our tough anti-trash plan that bans new landfills and increases the dumping charge. We must protect our land, air, water and quality of life – the time to act is now."
    Ebli is continuing her aggressive push to pass anti-trash measures. She was the main sponsor of legislation – passed in May by the House and now stalled in the Senate – that bans new landfills and strictly limits the expansion of existing landfills until 2012.
    The Detroit Free Press reported today that a Canadian trash truck overturned on I-94 southeast of Port Huron, and that it was not clear how long it would take emergency crews to clean up and reopen the highway.
    "Canada and other states dump their trash in Michigan because it's cheap – they think it's good business for them," Law said. "We can force them to find other solutions – outside of Michigan – by increasing the cost of dumping in our state and changing the bottom line for these trash haulers. For the well-being of our citizens, I hope the Senate moves quickly on this package."
    The House in April passed Law's legislation attacking the economics of the trash trade by 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. 
    This is not the first time that Canadian trash trucks have caused problems, threatening public safety and draining resources of road and clean-up personnel. In December 2005, a Canadian trash truck traveling westbound on I-69 flipped in Capac, dumping garbage on the highway and closing it for half an hour. In November 2005, a Canadian trash truck struck a car in Huron Township in Wayne County, killing two men. In March 2005, a Canadian truck dumped human sludge in downtown Flat Rock in Wayne County.