Michigan groups oppose trucking in Toronto trash
'Don't Trash Michigan'
Peter Geigen-Miller
London Free Press
02/11/2003
DETROIT -- A coalition of 21 organizations took direct
aim yesterday at the 130 truckloads of trash rolling past
London each day on their way from Toronto to Michigan.
The Don't Trash Michigan campaign was launched by environmental,
civic, community and religious organizations at a news
conference on the Michigan side of the Ambassador Bridge
linking Windsor and Detroit.
"This is a grassroots citizens' campaign to finally stop
Michigan from being used as a dumping ground for Canada,
Ohio, Indiana and virtually the rest of the Midwest,"
declared Michael Garfield of the Ecology Center, a state-wide
environmental organization.
"A lack of action has made the Great Lakes State (Michigan's
motto) into the Great Trash State.
"It's time to fight back."
The trash shipments from across the border and other states
have made Michigan the third leading trash importer among
U.S. states and it's poised to become No. 2, Garfield
said.
Coalition members support a multi-pronged approach to
stopping trash imports.
A law introduced in the state legislature last week would
slap a $3-a-ton state surcharge on all imported trash
dumped in Michigan.
Bethany Renfer of Clean Water Action said the surcharge
would bring Michigan dumping fees into line with fees
in other states, making the state a less attractive dumping
destination.
The coalition also supports legislation introduced by
Democratic Rep. Paul Gieleghem requiring imported trash
to meet Michigan environmental standards.
If it didn't, the proposed law would allow trash trucks
to be inspected and turned back at the border, Gieleghem
said.
If the trucks are turned away, London's trash headache
could get much worse.
Ontario's environment minister has warned if Michigan
shuts its borders to Toronto's trash, landfill sites in
Southwestern Ontario would have to take it.
But environmental activists conceded stopping the trash
flow to Michigan won't be easy because of federal trade
law.
Garfield cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states
can only block garbage imports if health and safety standards
are at stake.
If Toronto trash meets Michigan health and safety standards
-- and dump operators say it does -- there's little Michigan
can do, he said.
Garfield said the Don't Trash Michigan campaign should
be considered a call for Michigan to solve its own problems
rather than be seen as an attack on Canada.
One of the state's problems is too much landfill capacity,
he said.
"This excess capacity is virtually inviting other states
to dump on us."
Jeff Surfer of No Waste of Michigan said the state has
encouraged landfill expansion by providing lavish tax-free
incentives to waste management companies to expand.
The incentives have totalled $100 million in the past
decade, he said.
Curbing incentives and improving recycling programs must
be part of a made-in-Michigan solution to the trash problem,
Garfield said.
"Until we solve our own problems, we can't look at Toronto
and other out-of-state dumpers in the eye and tell them
not to trash Michigan."
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