The Wasting of Michigan
In 1986, a waste treaty between Canada and the U.S.signed by American lawmakers
concerning the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste. Under the terms of this treaty,
the EPA is to receive notification of these shipments, and then would have 30 days to consent or
object to the shipment. Since 1986 Canada has shipped its garbage to Michigan to be dumped
into landfills and the provisions of this treaty have never been enforced. But now is the time for
them to be enforced and stop the importing of Canada's garbage.
As of January 1, 2003, the Canadian city of Toronto, Ontario started to ship one hundred
percent of its garbage into the landfills of Michigan. In 2003, Toronto exported garbage at a rate
of 7.2 tons per minute. Garbage trucks from Toronto run seven days a week twenty-four hours a
day, so at the rate of 7.2 tons per minute it works out to be that Michigan imports 10,368 tons of
Toronto's garbage per day. But it wasn't always like this, Governor John Engler and his
administration turned garbage into a growth industry. The state lowered the liability standards
for landfill owners and also provided tax-free financing for new facilities. The result of these
changes lead to too many landfills and not enough garbage to fill them. So the landfill owners
lowered their prices and searched even harder for garbage. Today, Michigan's private landfills
charge ten to fifteen dollars per ton to dump while other landfill owners in neighboring states
charge twenty five to fifty dollars per ton. Toronto did the math and realized that it is cheaper to
haul its garbage 300 miles and dump it in Michigan then it is to dump it close to home. And on
top of that, Michigan has eliminated funds for recycling initiatives and is now the third largest
importer of trash. Toronto's trash isn't being dumped in a remote part of the state either.
Carleton Farms Landfill in Sumpter Township in southwest Wayne County, where the
population is 11,856, receives one hundred percent of Toronto's garbage. Our laws that
Michigan implies on our garbage do not imply on Toronto's garbage. Our laws prohibit us from
discarding bottles and cans but allow Toronto and others from out of state to do it. Another
problem with importing trash is the havoc it wreaks on our roads. Toronto does not pay so
much as a nickel for repairing the roads that it destroys. The constant flow of trucks creates both
noise and air pollution and also lowers property values. Although American lawmakers have
decided to enforce the treaty from 1986, politicians in Lansing, Michigan and Washington still
have not found a way to ban imported waste that doesn't violate the international treaty or does
not unconstitutionally restrain trade.
Inspections of the garbage trucks, however, have been stepped-up since January 1, 2003.
The Department of Environmental Quality conducts inspections at the border, which include
radioactive detecting equipment, and follows the trucks to the dump to ensure proper disposal.
Since September 2003 seven trucks have been turned back because equipment detected
radioactive material in the waste. One truck, which was dripping blood, was found to be
illegally taking medical waste to Carleton Farms Landfill. The Drug Enforcement Agency
reported one of the largest drug busts in Michigan in September 2003. A garbage truck was
discovered to be smuggling substance, including one ton of illegal drugs valued at nine million
dollars, from Toronto to Michigan. Also, in September 2003, the Asian Long-Horned beetle was
found in Woodbridge, Ontario. The beetle is extremely destructive to hardwood trees,
particularly maple, poplar, and willow trees. The Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality found that more than twenty-five percent of trash being imported from Toronto
contained yard waste. The Asian Long-Horned beetle could present a serious threat to Michigan
and the tourist business if let free to roam in the wilderness of Michigan. Citizens all around
Michigan have joined in the battle to stop the importing of trash. Over 165,000 Michigan
residents from all of the 83 counties have signed the online petition to stop Toronto's trash. In
Sumpter Township, residents have started a group called REACT- Residents Enraged Against
Canadian & out-of-state Trash. REACT have asked Governor Granholm with urgent appeal for
a few things to start: a posted and enforced 35 mph on the road leading to the Carleton Farms
Landfill; a posted and enforced no passing zone; and an increased enforcement on the weight
limits of the trucks.
While there are numerous arguments in opposition towards importing garbage from
Canada, there are arguments that support it also. The import/export of garbage is a two-way
street. Michigan imports garbage from Canada and in return we export our hazardous waste to
Canada. In 2001, Michigan exported 53,000 tons of hazardous waste to Canada. Some
politicians say that we need to be careful in what we ask for because we may just get it. Another
argument is that the recently increased inspections of the trucks importing garbage from Toronto
have indicated that Canada's garbage is cleaner than the garbage generated by Michigan
residents. Canada's garbage contained less prohibited hazardous wastes and had a lowered rate
of recyclable materials. Ontario has a more efficient way of sorting out garbage for recyclable
materials than Michigan. These inspections demonstrate that the landfills filled with Canada's
garbage are generally less contaminated. Importing garbage from Canada is wrong. A country
that makes the garbage should also be responsible for the disposal of that garbage. The U.S., and
especially Michigan, should not be responsible for disposing of Canada's garbage at our
expense. The taxpayers are repairing the roads that are being prematurely destroyed by trucks
hauling garbage that is not ours. It is our water and air that is being polluted by the hundreds of
Canada's garbage trucks and millions of tons of Canada's garbage. We will soon no longer need
Canada to dispose of hazardous waste due to the proposition of using the Yucca Mountains in
Nevada as a dump site. And as for saying that Canada's garbage is cleaner than ours, who cares
it is still garbage. The U.S. needs now more than ever to enforce the treaty that was signed in
1986. Since January 1, 2001, there has been a 40% increase in the amount of garbage that is
being imported from Toronto. Michigan should not be the dumpsite for another countries
garbage. Michigan's air and water are being polluted by garbage that is not ours. American
lawmakers need to stop the two-way street that is destroying the Great Lakes state.