February 3, 2006

Solid waste imported into Michigan made up 29 percent of all waste disposed of in Michigan landfills in Fiscal Year 2005, according to The Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan released today by the Department of Environmental Quality. Michigan landfills disposed of 63,927,564 cubic yards of solid waste in FY05, and while waste disposed of by Michigan residents decreased by 343,420 cubic yards, about 1 percent, to 45,437,244 cubic yards, waste imported from other states and Canada increased 354,018 cubic yards, about 2 percent, to 18,490,320 cubic yards. The largest source of waste imports into Michigan continues to be from Canada, with total imports of 11,878,091 cubic yards, up 3 percent from FY04.

“It is discouraging to see the amount of waste being brought into Michigan from outside of our borders continue to increase,” said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. “This fact must call attention to the need for real action on solid waste issues in the Legislature.”

The DEQ proposed a comprehensive solid waste strategy in 2005 to address solid waste issues that included raising the cost of using Michigan’s landfills in order to provide funding to local communities to increase recycling, expanding the Bottle Bill to control litter and reduce the amount of recyclable material going to landfills, and ensuring disposal capacity for waste generated in Michigan while reducing excess capacity attractive to out-of-state waste generators.

While no action was taken on these initiatives, recent research conducted in Wisconsin has demonstrated the benefits of such programs. Wisconsin added a $3 per ton recycling surcharge to landfill tipping fees in 2002, providing funding support for Wisconsin’s state recycling program and resulting in a decrease in waste imports by approximately 17 percent from 2001. The report also noted that an increase in Wisconsin’s surcharge of $7 per ton could provide a 50 percent reduction in out-of-state waste disposal in Wisconsin while also providing increased revenue to fund a comprehensive state recycling program. Pennsylvania, which increased its surcharge to $7.25 per ton, has also experienced a reduction in solid waste imports.

Based on the capacity used during FY05, it is estimated that Michigan landfills have approximately 17 years of remaining disposal capacity.

The data released today appears in the Annual Report, the tenth Annual Report prepared by the DEQ. Submittal of this information to the DEQ is required of all Michigan landfills.

The specific amounts of waste generated by the various jurisdictions are:

Waste Generation Origin                    Waste Volume (Cubic Yards)
                                                              FY 2004                  FY 2005

CANADA                                             11,558,899              11,878,091
CONNECTICUT                                         147,025                  223,541
FLORIDA                                                           0                        280
ILLINOIS                                                1,769,209               1,249,614
INDIANA                                                1,965,948               2,193,915
MAINE                                                         1,130                     3,265
MARYLAND                                                       0                     5,640
MASSACHUSETTS                                   200,411                   55,137
MICHIGAN                                           46,150,953             45,437,244
NEW HAMPSHIRE                                     52,615                   45,808
NEW JERSEY                                          389,800                 686,576
NEW YORK                                              212,750                192,860
OHIO                                                     1,298,048              1,213,777
PENNSYLVANIA                                             200                          0
RHODE ISLAND                                         73,210                   96,302
WISCONSIN                                             467,057                 645,514

To receive a copy of the Annual Report, please contact the DEQ, Waste and Hazardous Materials Division, Storage Tank and Solid Waste Section, P.O. Box 30241, Lansing, Michigan 48909 7741, at (517) 241-2924; or download the Annual Report from the DEQ Web site and click on “Waste” and “Solid Waste” and under “Information” click on “Annual Reports of Solid Waste Landfilled” and then on the link for the fiscal year report desired.

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

Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised February 3, 2006 by Pat Watson