LANSING – State Representatives Deb Kennedy (D-Brownstown) and Dian Slavens (D-Canton) today called for decisive action to stop the flow of Canadian and out-of-state trash into Michigan after the DEQ released a report showing that trash imports rose again in 2008, with Canada still the largest exporter of solid waste to the Great Lakes State.
"The heavy trucks that haul Canadian and out-of-state trash into our community are tearing up our roads and putting our residents at risk," said Kennedy, a member of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee. "With Michigan's abundant natural resources, we should be protecting our land rather than selling it off to the lowest bidder. Canada and other states dump in Michigan for one reason – because it's dirt cheap to do so. I will fight to change that and protect our special way of life here in the Great Lakes State."
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality today released its annual trash report for 2008. Overall, the amount of trash dumped in Michigan landfills decreased by over 300,000 tons last year. Michigan residents led the way in this effort, as the amount of Michigan trash that ended up in state landfills dropped by over 1 million cubic yards in 2008. Imports of out-of-state trash increased in 2008, primarily due to dramatic increases of trash imports from states like New Jersey, which dumped over 700,000 tons of trash in Michigan – nearly double the amount of two years ago. Once again, the largest importer of trash into Michigan was Canada, which accounted for nearly 19 percent of the total amount of trash dumped in Michigan last year.
In 2007, the House took action to curb the flood of Canadian and out-of-state trash into Michigan, and passed a sweeping series of reforms that would have raised Michigan's dumping charge from the lowest in the region and forced exporters to take their waste elsewhere.
The plan also would have placed a moratorium on the construction of new landfills and strictly limited the expansion of existing landfills. The Republican-led Senate refused to take action on the House plan for nearly two years before letting the bills die in December. The plan will be reintroduced in the House again this year.
A similar plan worked to slash trash 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. Meanwhile, Michigan is seeing even more trash coming in from the Keystone State every year. In 2008, Michigan saw an 88 percent increase in the amount of trash coming across the border from Pennsylvania.
"Out-of-state and Canadian trash threatens our community and our way of life, and it must be stopped," Slavens said. "Michigan has become a magnet for trash – anyone can see the evidence of it every time they drive down I-275 and see that large mountain of trash. By attacking the economics of the trash trade, we can stop the influx of other people's trash and ensure that our precious natural resources are preserved for our children and our children's children."