Some Michiganders are asking Toronto not to export one of its most plentiful goods - trash. A bill to ban waste from being imported into Michigan from other states and countries was passed by the Michigan State Senate's National Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee yesterday. Some local residents are concerned about a deal between Toronto officials and the Arbor Hills landfill in Salem Twp. that would allow Toronto to send about 500,000 tons of garbage to the landfill per year beginning in 1998.
Nobody wants a landfill in their backyard.
Some said the the Canadian city is looking to export its waste because of landfill fees. Many legislators are angered by other states and countries taking advantage of Michigan's low disposal prices. It's a shame. Fourteen percent of Michigan's landfills are comprised of waste from outside of the state. The state's department of environmental quality has been supportive of Bennett's bill.