(MICHIGAN) A Michigan House committee has helped the state take a large step forward in slowing the flow of Canadian waste into Michigan with the approval of bills that impose new restrictions on the state's landfills. Both parties have supported the legislation, which mirrors a bill that passed the Senate earlier this fall.

The bill would ban most car batteries, tires, beverage containers, motor oil, and yard waste from Michigan landfills, and would require inspections of any trucks from states or provinces that do not have similar restrictions.

"Michigan's extra landfill capacity has been an open invitation to outsiders to dump their waste in our state. Enough is enough," said Rep. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly), who chairs the committee on Land Use and the Environment, in a statement.

Last year, approximately 20 percent of the waste dumped in Michigan landfills was from outside the state, and came primarily from Ontario. Residents near landfills have long complained of unwanted traffic and environmental effects, but haulers note that the trash is a protected commodity governed by international treaty and the U.S. Constitution.

Supporters of the legislation believe it will survive the anticipated court challenges, since it imposes the same requirements for waste generated both inside and outside the state. However, a similar law in Wisconsin that established recycling requirements on all waste dumped in state landfills was recently struck down.

The House committee added provisions to ban television sets and computer monitors from landfills and incinerators, noting that those products account for 40 percent of the lead going into state landfills. That ban would be phased in over the course of several years.

The committee also voted to repeal a longstanding provision of a state law that requires every county either to permit enough landfill space to handle future needs, or negotiate agreements for landfill space in other counties. House members said the law resulted in the current glut of landfill space, and had the unintended consequence of providing too much space for waste from out of state.

For more information, contact the office of Michigan Rep. Ruth Johnson, (517) 373-1798.