Ending the export of municipal (residential) waste to Michigan by 2010
Courtesy of the Ontario Waste Management Association (www.owma.org)
This is a notice of an important announcement that was made at 10:30 a.m. this morning from Michigan. An agreement has been reached with Michigan and Ontario municipalities to end the export of municipal (residential) waste to Michigan by 2010. MOE facilitated the agreement which will see the U.S. Senators in Michigan drop all legislative initiatives to stop waste import. The plan calls for Ontario municipalities to reduce export by 20% in each of the next two years with the balance to end by 2010.
The agreement does not address IC&I waste however the legislative initiatives in the US to be dropped will potentially remove the immediate threat to IC&I export.
The press conference to announce this agreement is being made in Michigan by US Senators Levin and Stabenow and US Representative Dingell.
Letters detailing the agreement will be exchanged between the Michigan Senators and the Minister of the Environment.
More details are to come and we will be watching closely for the IC&I issue to be mentioned. There are a number of scenarios that could play out relative to IC&I waste over the coming months.
This approach by the MOE is exactly what OWMA has promoted over the past two years as a key part of the OWMA Communications Plan.
Attached is a media release and will update you when we receive the official information.
Rob Cook
President
——————————-
NEWS RELEASE
August 31st, 2006
OWMA Encouraged by Waste Export Agreement with Michigan
The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) is supportive and encouraged by the announcement today that the trucking of municipal residential solid waste and biosolids waste to the State of Michigan will end by 2010. The plan to progressively reduce and ultimately eliminate the export of residential waste from Ontario municipalities will address a major political issue in the State of Michigan that has affected Canada-U.S. relations and fostered U.S.-based legislative initiatives with far-reaching consequences to Canada-U.S. trade.
“We congratulate Ontario municipalities that export waste to Michigan and U.S. senators from Michigan for reaching an agreement on this controversial issue through dialogue and compromise” says Rob Cook, President of the OWMA. “Most importantly, OWMA recognizes and commends the leadership exhibited by the Minister of the Environment, Laurel Broten in facilitating this agreement.”
The agreement by Michigan senators to end legislative initiatives in the U.S. to stop waste export from Ontario is an important step in removing uncertainty and providing Ontario with the time to create a ‘Made in Ontario’ solution. “It is critical at this time to continue with the waste management regulatory and Environmental Assessment Act reforms that will allow Ontario municipalities and industry to manage waste within our province,” says Mr. Cook
The agreement reinforces the principle that waste export to other jurisdictions is not sustainable and Ontario is best served by an integrated waste management system with sufficient domestic capacity to manage the waste generated by Ontario residents, industry, business and institutions.
- 30 -
For more information, please contact Mr. Rob Cook, President, Ontario Waste Management Association, 905-791-9500.
—————————–
Stabenow, Levin Announce Historic Agreement to Stop Canadian Trash
DETROIT, August 31, 2006 — U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today announced an agreement with Ontario officials to stop shipments of municipal solid waste to Michigan over the next four years. Under the terms of the Stabenow-Levin agreement, there will be an immediate 20 percent reduction of Canadian trash within the first year, a 40 percent reduction within two years and a complete end to these shipments within four years. The Senators were joined in the announcement by Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) who has led bipartisan efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation addressing the issue of Canadian trash.
“We finally have a clear plan of action to stop the trash from Canada,” Stabenow said. “Since 2003, more than 175,000 Michigan citizens have signed my petition to stop these trash shipments – today’s agreement is a great victory for them and for every Michigan citizen. I want to thank the government of Ontario for coming to the table and working with us on this commitment to end the trash once and for all.”
“Ontario has been a great neighbor to Michigan, with one inexcusable exception: every day Ontario dumps its trash in our state,” Levin said. “This agreement is not only great news for Michigan’s environment and security, but it removes this unnecessary burden from an otherwise superb relationship.”
“I commend Senators Stabenow and Levin for their leadership on stopping the municipal solid waste coming to our great state,” said Dingell. “The Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress have had many years and numerous opportunities to address this problem both through legislation and by implementing a Bilateral Agreement between the US and Canada already on the books from 1992, and they have done nothing. Senators Stabenow and Levin took the matter into their own hands and have worked out a commitment that is good for the people of Michigan and their success is without doubt much better than any other actions so far. I am proud of their hard work.”
Stabenow and Levin received a commitment from Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, Laurel Broten, that shipments of Canadian municipal solid waste will be phased out over a four year schedule. The plan has the full support of the City of Toronto and other key regions currently shipping their trash to Michigan. Ontario’s municipalities have also agreed to find alternative waste management options in Canada and not to renew their existing contracts with Michigan landfills beyond 2010. As long as the Canadians meet the terms of this commitment, Stabenow and Levin have agreed they will not pursue passage of the amendments they included in this year’s Homeland Security appropriations bill.
Every day, approximately 350 trucks carrying municipal solid waste cross the border from Canada on their way to Michigan landfills. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Canadian trash made up 19 percent of all trash dumped in Michigan landfills last year. The Stabenow-Levin agreement will stop over 2.78 million metric tons of Canadian trash from coming into Michigan over the next four years.
This is a notice of an important announcement that was made at 10:30 a.m. this morning from Michigan. An agreement has been reached with Michigan and Ontario municipalities to end the export of municipal (residential) waste to Michigan by 2010. MOE facilitated the agreement which will see the U.S. Senators in Michigan drop all legislative initiatives to stop waste import. The plan calls for Ontario municipalities to reduce export by 20% in each of the next two years with the balance to end by 2010.
The agreement does not address IC&I waste however the legislative initiatives in the US to be dropped will potentially remove the immediate threat to IC&I export.
The press conference to announce this agreement is being made in Michigan by US Senators Levin and Stabenow and US Representative Dingell.
Letters detailing the agreement will be exchanged between the Michigan Senators and the Minister of the Environment.
More details are to come and we will be watching closely for the IC&I issue to be mentioned. There are a number of scenarios that could play out relative to IC&I waste over the coming months.
This approach by the MOE is exactly what OWMA has promoted over the past two years as a key part of the OWMA Communications Plan.
Attached is a media release and will update you when we receive the official information.
Rob Cook
President
——————————-
NEWS RELEASE
August 31st, 2006
OWMA Encouraged by Waste Export Agreement with Michigan
The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) is supportive and encouraged by the announcement today that the trucking of municipal residential solid waste and biosolids waste to the State of Michigan will end by 2010. The plan to progressively reduce and ultimately eliminate the export of residential waste from Ontario municipalities will address a major political issue in the State of Michigan that has affected Canada-U.S. relations and fostered U.S.-based legislative initiatives with far-reaching consequences to Canada-U.S. trade.
“We congratulate Ontario municipalities that export waste to Michigan and U.S. senators from Michigan for reaching an agreement on this controversial issue through dialogue and compromise” says Rob Cook, President of the OWMA. “Most importantly, OWMA recognizes and commends the leadership exhibited by the Minister of the Environment, Laurel Broten in facilitating this agreement.”
The agreement by Michigan senators to end legislative initiatives in the U.S. to stop waste export from Ontario is an important step in removing uncertainty and providing Ontario with the time to create a ‘Made in Ontario’ solution. “It is critical at this time to continue with the waste management regulatory and Environmental Assessment Act reforms that will allow Ontario municipalities and industry to manage waste within our province,” says Mr. Cook
The agreement reinforces the principle that waste export to other jurisdictions is not sustainable and Ontario is best served by an integrated waste management system with sufficient domestic capacity to manage the waste generated by Ontario residents, industry, business and institutions.
- 30 -
For more information, please contact Mr. Rob Cook, President, Ontario Waste Management Association, 905-791-9500.
—————————–
Stabenow, Levin Announce Historic Agreement to Stop Canadian Trash
DETROIT, August 31, 2006 — U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today announced an agreement with Ontario officials to stop shipments of municipal solid waste to Michigan over the next four years. Under the terms of the Stabenow-Levin agreement, there will be an immediate 20 percent reduction of Canadian trash within the first year, a 40 percent reduction within two years and a complete end to these shipments within four years. The Senators were joined in the announcement by Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) who has led bipartisan efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation addressing the issue of Canadian trash.
“We finally have a clear plan of action to stop the trash from Canada,” Stabenow said. “Since 2003, more than 175,000 Michigan citizens have signed my petition to stop these trash shipments – today’s agreement is a great victory for them and for every Michigan citizen. I want to thank the government of Ontario for coming to the table and working with us on this commitment to end the trash once and for all.”
“Ontario has been a great neighbor to Michigan, with one inexcusable exception: every day Ontario dumps its trash in our state,” Levin said. “This agreement is not only great news for Michigan’s environment and security, but it removes this unnecessary burden from an otherwise superb relationship.”
“I commend Senators Stabenow and Levin for their leadership on stopping the municipal solid waste coming to our great state,” said Dingell. “The Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress have had many years and numerous opportunities to address this problem both through legislation and by implementing a Bilateral Agreement between the US and Canada already on the books from 1992, and they have done nothing. Senators Stabenow and Levin took the matter into their own hands and have worked out a commitment that is good for the people of Michigan and their success is without doubt much better than any other actions so far. I am proud of their hard work.”
Stabenow and Levin received a commitment from Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, Laurel Broten, that shipments of Canadian municipal solid waste will be phased out over a four year schedule. The plan has the full support of the City of Toronto and other key regions currently shipping their trash to Michigan. Ontario’s municipalities have also agreed to find alternative waste management options in Canada and not to renew their existing contracts with Michigan landfills beyond 2010. As long as the Canadians meet the terms of this commitment, Stabenow and Levin have agreed they will not pursue passage of the amendments they included in this year’s Homeland Security appropriations bill.
Every day, approximately 350 trucks carrying municipal solid waste cross the border from Canada on their way to Michigan landfills. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Canadian trash made up 19 percent of all trash dumped in Michigan landfills last year. The Stabenow-Levin agreement will stop over 2.78 million metric tons of Canadian trash from coming into Michigan over the next four years.
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