Senators Birkholz, Goschka, Sanborn, Hardiman, Switalski and Cassis offered the following concurrent resolution:

            Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7.

            A concurrent resolution to urge Toronto city officials to go forward with their efforts to develop an alternative to sending trash to landfills in Michigan and to work with Michigan officials to promote a Great Lakes basin-wide response to solid waste issues.

            Whereas, As a result of several factors on both sides of our shared border, the city of Toronto, Ontario, along with other Canadian municipalities, sends its solid waste to Michigan for disposal.  This situation has drawn the ire of citizens and groups in both Ontario and Michigan, including communities living along the route the 130 trash-filled trucks take each day; and

            Whereas, With Michigan landfill space offering far more capacity, costs for dumping trash here are far lower than across the Detroit River or in many other states.  However, the impact of all this imported solid waste goes far beyond money alone.  The environmental impact of solid waste management that relies too heavily on landfills must be addressed, both in Michigan and in Ontario; and

            Whereas, Clearly, there is a strong common interest throughout the Great Lakes basin in practices that safeguard our water and land from long-term problems associated with landfills.  Sound planning, monitoring, and recycling are keys to finding the best solution possible to this challenge; and

            Whereas, Adopting a basin-wide approach on environmental issues has proven to be wise.  This is documented through the record of several joint Canadian-United States organizations and programs dedicated to protecting the Great Lakes.  Expanding this strategy to deal with the handling of solid waste may offer similar benefits; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we urge Toronto city officials to go forward with their efforts to develop an alternative to sending trash to landfills in Michigan and to work with Michigan officials to promote a Great Lakes basin-wide response to solid waste issues; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the mayor and the city council of Toronto and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.