Statement on Canadian Trash Agreement

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., made this statement regarding the agreement he and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., made with Canadian officials to reduce the trash that Ontario currently dumps in Michigan:

"I am pleased that under the agreement we announced yesterday, 2.78 million tons of Ontario's garbage that would have been shipped to Michigan between now and 2010 will now not come into our state.

"I am also pleased that after 2010 no shipments of garbage collected by the municipalities of Ontario will be shipped into our state, amounting to stopping 1.34 million tons of municipally managed solid waste from coming into Michigan.

"I also look forward to working with colleagues to address the non-municipally managed waste coming into Michigan, which amounts to 2.2 million tons per year.

"This agreement represents the first - and so far only -- successful reduction in Canadian garbage shipped into our state, and for that reason I believe the agreement is in the best interests of the people of Michigan."