Waste companies to pay $7.50 per ton; municipalities that dump banned, dangerous items will have certification revoked
The state of Michigan House Democrats announced a plan to stem the tide of trash surging into Michigan from Canada and elsewhere. The crux of their plan: slapping waste companies with the nation's highest dumping charge, revoking certification for a year if out-of-state jurisdictions send banned and dangerous items to Michigan landfills, strengthening enforcement and banning landfill expansions until 2010.
"We need to strengthen our current laws and keep fighting until we stop the flow of garbage into Michigan from Canada and elsewhere," said Rep. Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltar), a leader in the Legislature's battle against out-of-state trash. "As long as Michigan remains the cheapest place to dump, Michigan will always be the trash heap of the neighborhood."
The Democratic plan involves the following:
Companies must pay $7.50 per ton of solid waste entering landfills. They now pay virtually nothing. Democrats pointed to Pennsylvania's success at slashing out-of-state trash by 14 percent, or 1.5 million tons, in the second year after it began charging waste companies $7.25 per ton.
Out-of-state jurisdictions (cities and states) that send banned items such as car batteries and motor oil to a Michigan landfill three times in a year will have their certification revoked. Those caught sending dangerous items, such as radioactive medical waste and blood, just once will be banned for a year from dumping in Michigan.
Toughening current laws by extending the ban on landfill expansion that is set to end Jan. 1, 2006. The Democratic plan will extend the ban by four years, to 2010, and apply a stringent permit approval process for counties and regions seeking exemptions from the ban.
Applying tougher and more flexible enforcement tools, by establishing non-criminal civil infractions for solid waste violations. The plan calls for civil fines of up to $5,000 for most transport and disposal violations. The fine is $10,000 for repeat offenders. Those who knowingly deliver or dispose returnable containers or tires will face a fine of up to $500. Democratic authors of the plan say it will speed punishing violators.
The money the dumping charge generates will be sent back to local governments, said Rep. John Espinoza (D-Croswell). But he cautioned that Michigan should not be in the business of pegging its financial fortunes to out-of-state-trash.
"As long as we have federal trade agreements that allow out-of-state trash, we need to give communities like Port Huron that are most affected by out-of-state trash the resources they need for enforcement and recycling," he said. "We need good-paying jobs, not mountains of trash."