March 8, 2005

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality today announced a joint initiative with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, to monitor the disposal of Canadian, inter-state, and intra-state municipal solid waste in Michigan landfills for compliance with Michigan’s environmental laws and regulations and the Transboundary Agreement between the United States and Canada. This project was made possible by direction and funding provided by the United States Congress in 2004, largely due to the efforts of Michigan Congressman John D. Dingell.

"The state should be commended for all of their efforts to curb the flow of garbage from Canada. I know the Governor and my colleagues in the state Legislature are working hard to prevent our beautiful state from becoming an international dumping ground, " said Congressman Dingell.

The goal of this initiative is to ensure safe management of transboundary waste shipments for the protection of human health and the environment. The project will build on inspections conducted in 2003 at several Michigan landfills to evaluate incoming loads of Canadian waste for compliance with state and federal laws. It will begin with contract inspectors who will characterize waste delivered to eight landfills in southeast Michigan currently receiving Canadian waste. The agencies will work together on all phases of planning, implementation, and follow up pertaining to the inspections.

“The joint project between the MDEQ and U.S. EPA is an important part of our efforts to ensure that prohibited waste items are not placed in Michigan landfills,” said MDEQ Director Steven E. Chester.

The inspection activities are designed to accomplish the following goals:

• Conduct random inspections of incoming loads to ensure that
  prohibited items are not placed in the landfills;

• Ensure that out-of-state shipments meet Michigan’s environmental
  standards and have all appropriate documentation;

• Sample suspicious loads for hazardous characteristics;

• Report problems or suspicious loads to appropriate authorities for
  investigation and follow up;

• Test the effectiveness of controls established under the 2004
  amendments to Michigan’s solid waste laws to keep certain prohibited
  wastes out of Michigan landfills; and

• Evaluate the difference, if any, between the quality of Canadian
  waste collected by local governments, such as Toronto, and Canadian
  waste collected by private haulers throughout Ontario.

“It is a great opportunity to work jointly with MDEQ to ensure that waste being disposed of in Michigan landfills meets environmental and public health standards,” said Barat Mathur, Acting U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator.”

Based on findings from the inspections, the MDEQ and U.S. EPA will provide technical assistance to landfill facilities and state inspectors regarding improved methods of screening for prohibited materials and management of imported waste. As appropriate, outreach materials will be developed and distributed to raise public awareness of general waste management issues as well as issues associated with improper management of prohibited materials in landfills. The DEQ will take appropriate actions to address violations of state law that are discovered as a result of inspections.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised March 9, 2005 by Alice Stimpson