LANSING – Oakland County Democrats today introduced anti-trash legislation that would ban new landfills until 2011. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality released a report in February showing Michigan took in 6.2 million tons of Canadian and out-of-state trash in 2005 – a 100,000-ton increase from 2004.
"This clearly is a case of, 'if you build it, they will come,' and Michigan cannot afford to play the Republicans' waiting game," said State Representative Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak). "Canadian and out-of-state trash threatens our communities, our land and water, and our quality of life. Our priority should be protecting Michigan residents and boosting our economy by creating jobs of the future, not giving the waste industry a free pass to trash our state."
The House Democratic plan prevents landfill operations from expanding until 2011. Michigan has an estimated 17 years of landfill space left for citizens in the state – but that space is being gobbled up by garbage from Canada, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Jersey and other states. In addition to having a glut of landfills, Michigan also charges waste companies 21 cents per ton, the lowest dumping charge in the region.
Since 2005, House Republicans have repeatedly refused to pass tough anti-trash measures that attack the economics of the garbage trade. Amid public pressure, Republicans finally announced a so-called trash plan that lets Michigan stop Canadian trash only if Congress gives Michigan such authority – something that has never happened. The Republicans' refusal to act at the state level also allowed a ban on new landfills to lapse on December 31, 2005, meaning landfill operations can expand again in Michigan. At least one operation, Woodlands Meadow in WayneCounty, has asked to expand.
"Other states ship their garbage here because we're cheap and we have ever-expanding landfill space," said State Representative Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington/Farmington Hills). "Michigan doesn't need more landfills. We need action to prevent more out-of-state trash from piling up in our landfills. This is an issue we can't ignore."
According to the DEQ, garbage from Canada and other states made up 29 percent of all the trash in Michigan landfills in 2005, up from 28 percent in 2004. Michigan residents, meanwhile, sent 100,000 tons less trash to the state's landfills in 2005 compared with 2004. More than 400 Canadian trash trucks rumble across Michigan's three border bridges and into the state every day.