NEWS RELEASE
Committee on Energy and Commerce Democrats
Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member

Dingell, Levin and Stabenow Join Forces
to Keep Unwanted Canadian Garbage in Canada

Washington, D.C. –– Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both D-Mich., will introduce legislation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement and enforce the bilateral agreement with Canada that governs the importation of municipal solid waste. In fiscal year 2001, Canadian trash imports into Michigan grew to 1.96 million tons –– an increase of 40 percent over the previous year.

"Congress must act to help stem the ever increasing tide of noxious waste from Canada into our state," Dingell said. "Each and every garbage truck adds to our already congested highways, pollutes our air, diminishes our landfill capacity, and undermines support for recycling programs."

The bilateral agreement, first entered into in 1986 and then amended in 1992, requires government-to-government notification of exports of municipal solid waste from Canada to the United States. The introduced legislation would ensure that the notice and consent provisions of the treaty are implemented, taking into consideration the State concerns. It also provides penalties for those who violate its provisions.

Despite the notice and consent provisions of the bilateral treaty and the explicit requirements of the treaty (Article 5) requiring the parties to "make best efforts to provide notification" in the case of insufficient regulatory authority, Canada has failed to notify the U.S. of trash shipments. The U.S. has not protested Canada’s failure to notify, and has not objected to any shipments of Canadian trash.

"The U.S. government has abdicated its responsibility under the agreement, leaving Michigan the dumping ground for ever-increasing amounts of Canadian trash," said Dingell.

"Over the past two years, imports of waste from Canada have risen 152 percent and now constitute about half of the imported waste received at Michigan landfills. And the problem isn't getting any better," Levin said. "The legislation that Congressman Dingell, Senator Stabenow and I are introducing will give a voice to the people of Michigan with regard to the importation of Canadian municipal waste."

"This legislation will give Michigan residents the protection they are entitled to under this bilateral treaty," Stabenow said. "These waste shipments should no longer be accepted without a thorough examination of how it will affect the health and welfare of Michigan families. Michigan needs to be heard loud and clear in this ongoing battle."

Congressman Dingell and Senators Levin and Stabenow call on President Bush and the Republican led Congress to implement the bilateral treaty and act promptly on this legislation to protect the citizens of Michigan from unwanted imports of out of state trash.

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