International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007

The International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007 (H.R.518) would amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize states to restrict receipt of foreign municipal solid waste.

House
On April 24, the House considered and passed the bill by a voice vote. It declared that in the absence of regulations and an enforced U.S./Canada agreement governing hazardous waste moving into the U.S. from Canada, individual states would be authorized to enact laws or issue regulations restricting the receipt and disposal of the waste within their border. The EPA Administrator would be the designated authority in such waste matters and would need to consult with the affected states regarding recycling, landfill capacity, air emissions, homeland security, public and environmental health and road deterioration before consenting to final agreements on importing the waste.

 Prior to the bill, several U.S. states on the Northern Border, Michigan in particular, received substantial loads of municipal solid waste from Canada--Ontario Province in particular (400 trucks a day is the estimate). Over time, the deliveries taxed recycling programs, caused a reduction in landfill capacity, and brought wear to the state’s natural and physical resources.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who sponsored the bill along with Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), stated “We love our Canadian neighbors. We love their trade…But you don't throw your trash in your neighbor's yard.”

External resources

 * TheWeekInCongress