[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7373-S7374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEVIN:
  S. 2792. A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out 
certain authorities relating to the importation of municipal solid 
waste under the Agreement Concerning the Transboundary Movement of 
Hazardous Waste between the United

[[Page S7374]]

States and Canada; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I am introducing legislation today with 
Congressman Dingell that will give a voice to the people of Michigan 
with regard to the importation of Canadian municipal waste.
  Over the past two years, imports from Canada have risen 152 percent 
and now constitute about half of the imported waste received at 
Michigan landfills. Currently, approximately 110-130 truckloads of 
waste come in to Michigan each day from Canada. And this problem isn't 
going to get any better. These shipments of waste are expected to 
continue as Toronto and other Ontario sources phase out local disposal 
sites. On December 4, 2001, the Toronto City Council voted 38-2 to 
approve a new solid waste disposal contract that would ship an 
additional 700,000 tons of waste per year to the Carleton Farms 
landfill in Wayne County, MI, in the near future. In addition, two 
other Ontario communities that generate hundreds of thousands of tons 
of waste annually have signed contracts to ship their waste to Carleton 
Farms.
  Based on current usage statistics, the Michigan Department of 
Environmental Quality estimates that Michigan has capacity for 15-17 
years of disposal in landfills. However, with the proposed dramatic 
increase in the importation of waste, this capacity is less than 10 
years. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality estimates that, 
for every five years of disposal of Canadian waste at the current usage 
volume, Michigan is losing a full year of landfill capacity.
  We have protections contained in an international agreement with 
Canada. In 1986, the U.S. and Canada entered into an agreement allowing 
the shipment of hazardous waste across the U.S./Canadian border for 
treatment, storage or disposal. In 1992, the two countries decided to 
add municipal solid waste to the agreement. However, although the 
Agreement requires notification to the importing country and also 
allows the importing country to reject shipments, its provisions have 
not been enforced.
  Further, the EPA has said that it would not object to municipal waste 
shipments. We believe that in order to protect the health and welfare 
of the citizens of Michigan and their environment, the impact of the 
importation on State and local recycling efforts, landfill capacity, 
air emissions and road deterioration resulting from increased vehicular 
traffic and public health and the environment should all be considered. 
The shipments should be rejected by the EPA.
  Canada could not export waste to Michigan without the Agreement, but 
the U.S. refuses to implement the provisions that would protect the 
people of Michigan. We believe that the EPA has the authority to 
enforce this Agreement, but this legislation would put additional 
pressure on the EPA to enforce it.
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