January 31, 2007

Solid waste imported into Michigan made up 31 percent of all waste disposed of in Michigan landfills in Fiscal Year 2006 according to the Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan released today by the Department of Environmental Quality. A total of 61,877,245 cubic yards of solid waste was disposed of in Michigan landfills in FY 2006. The waste disposed of by Michigan residents decreased by 2,368,509 cubic yards, about 6 percent, to 42,841,713 cubic yards, however, waste imported from other states and Canada increased 545,212 cubic yards, about 3 percent, to 19,035,532 cubic yards. The largest source of waste imports into Michigan continues to be from Canada, with total imports of 12,084,907 cubic yards, up 2 percent from FY 2005.

In August 2006, Michigan U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin reached an agreement with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment under which Ontario promised to end shipment of all municipally managed solid waste to Michigan by 2010. This agreement covers approximately 37 percent of the solid waste Canada currently sends to Michigan.

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.

Based on the capacity used during FY 2006, it is estimated that Michigan landfills have approximately 18 years of remaining disposal capacity.

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

WASTE GENERATION ORIGIN                          WASTE VOLUME
                                                                        (CUBIC YARDS)
                                                             FY 2005                      FY 2006
CANADA                                            11,878,091                  12,084,907
CONNECTICUT                                       223,541                       226,961
FLORIDA                                                      280                        20,440
ILLINOIS                                              1,249,614                   1,588,424
INDIANA                                              2,193,915                   2,196,909
LOUISIANA                                                       0                             24
MAINE                                                       3,265                            595
MARYLAND                                               5,640                        47,250
MASSACHUSETTS                                   55,137                        14,745
MICHIGAN                                          45,210,222                 42,841,713
NEW HAMPSHIRE                                    45,808                       47,720
NEW JERSEY                                         686,576                  1,074,429
NEW YORK                                             192,860                     151,071
OHIO                                                    1,213,777                  1,136,322
PENNSYLVANIA                                                0                            40
RHODE ISLAND                                         96,302                      18,820
WISCONSIN                                             645,514                    426,875

The data released today appears in the 11th Annual Report prepared by the DEQ. Submittal of this information to the DEQ is required of all Michigan landfills. 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 at http://www.michigan.gov/deq  (click on "Waste," "Solid Waste," and under the "Information" tab, 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"