CLIO – State Representatives Brenda Clack (D-Flint), Paula Zelenko (D-Burton), Lee Gonzales (D-Flint Township), John J. Gleason (D-Flushing) and Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) today announced a plan to let the public vote on a plan to stop out-of-state trash from flooding into Michigan by raising the state's dumping charge and enacting a moratorium on landfills in the state.
The announcement came after months of resistance by the Republican-controlled legislature. Republicans have blocked for nearly a year House Democratic legislation to attack the economics of the trash trade, including raising the dumping charge from 21 cents – the lowest in the region – to $7.50 a ton and banning new landfills until 2010. The majority allowed an already existing ban on new landfills to expire at the end of December.
"Republicans are putting the interests of the garbage lobbyists above the people of Michigan," Clack said. "They've dragged their feet for a year. Enough is enough. If the Republicans won't vote on our plan, they should let the people do so."
More than 400 trucks enter Michigan from Canada each day, tearing up the state's roads and highways and endangering communities. In March 2005, a truck from Canada spewed enough human waste to cover two city blocks of Telegraph Road in Flat Rock with nearly a foot of sludge.
After intense public pressure, Republicans in September introduced a so-called trash "plan" against Canadian trash. However, the plan kicks in only if Congress passes legislation allowing Michigan to block foreign trash, something that has never happened.
"Opening up more landfill space will only mean rolling out the welcome mat for more trash," Zelenko said. "Republicans blocked our efforts to extend Michigan's ban on landfills, opening our state to more out-of-state trash. We need more jobs in Michigan, not more landfills."
The proposed legislation will ban new landfills until 2010.
"Our residents want to put an end to this threat to our land, to our communities and to our way of life," Gonzales said. "If Republicans won't protect the people of Michigan, then give the people the chance to protect themselves."
The vote to put the measure on the ballot in November 2006 would require simple majorities in the House and Senate.
With more than 20 million tons of solid waste entering Michigan landfills in 2004, the $7.50- per-ton dumping charge is expected to generate an estimated $170 million a year.
The money from the dumping charge will help put an end to the trashing of Michigan, said Gleason, whose district contains the Brent Run landfill.
"Other states dump their trash in our land for one simple reason: because we're cheap," he said. "A higher dumping charge will protect Michigan and our way of life. We need to put an end to trash trucks destroying our roads and to garbage heaps soiling our air, land and water. It's time to give the people a voice."
Michigan is the third largest U.S. importer of trash behind Pennsylvania and Virginia. In 2005, more than 6 million tons came into the state. For more information, visit www.trash-o-meter.com.
"We don't need more trash in Michigan, we need more jobs," Sheltrown said. "We must protect our air, land and water. Let's let the people decide whether to put a stop to Canadian and out-of-state trash once and for all."