For Immediate Release                            Contacts: Courtney Johnson (Dingell) 202/225-3641
July 26, 2002                                                             Tara Andringa (Levin)         202/224-6221

 DINGELL AND LEVIN INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO KEEP
UNWANTED CANADIAN GARBAGE IN CANADA

            Washington, D.C. –  Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI) and Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) today introduced legislation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement and enforce the bilateral agreement with Canada that governs the importation of municipal solid waste.   In FY 2001, Canadian trash imports into Michigan grew to 1.96 million tons – an increase of 40 percent over the previous year.

            "Canada has plenty of room to dispose of its own unwanted trash," Dingell said.  "And each and every garbage truck adds to our already congested highways, pollutes our air, diminishes our landfill capacity, and undermines support for recycling programs."

            The bilateral agreement, first entered into in 1986 and then amended in 1992, requires government-to-government notification of exports of municipal solid waste from Canada to the United States.   The introduced legislation would ensure that the notice and consent provisions of the treaty are implemented, taking into consideration the State concerns.  It also provides penalties for those who violate its provisions.

            Despite the notice and consent provisions of the bilateral treaty and the explicit requirements of the treaty (Article 5) requiring the parties to "make best efforts to provide notification" in the case of insufficient regulatory authority, Canada has failed to notify the U.S. of trash shipments.  The U.S. has not protested Canada’s failure to notify, and has not objected to any shipments of Canadian trash.

            "The U.S. government has abdicated its responsibility under the agreement, leaving Michigan the dumping ground for ever-increasing amounts of Canadian trash," said Dingell.

"Over the past two years, imports of waste from Canada have risen 152 percent and now constitute about half of the imported waste received at Michigan landfills.  And the problem isn't getting any better," Levin said.  "The legislation that Congressman Dingell and I are introducing will give a voice to the people of Michigan with regard to the importation of Canadian municipal waste."