Reps. Byrnes, Hopgood, Condino, Accavitti, Wojno, Kathleen Law, Gillard, Gonzales, Kehrl, Espinoza, Spade, Clemente, Angerer, Plakas, Miller, Sheltrown, Donigan, Mayes, Alma Smith, Brown, Adamini, Anderson, Williams, Phillips, Polidori, Waters, Jones, Meisner, Murphy, Hood, Virgil Smith, Gleason, Lipsey, Sak, Acciavatti, Ball, Bieda, Clack, Farrah, Kahn, Kolb, Lemmons, III, Mortimer, Nofs, Tobocman, Vagnozzi and Zelenko offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 99.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2005 or other laws to permit states to prohibit or limit the importation of foreign and out-of-state solid waste.

            Whereas, The United States Supreme Court has ruled that state authority to control the importation of solid waste is limited. Every year, the amount of solid waste imported into Michigan from other states and Canada increases significantly, more than doubling since 1996. The over 18 million cubic yards of solid waste now annually shipped from Canada and other states comprises 28 percent of all trash deposited in Michigan landfills; and

            Whereas, Several measures have been considered by Congress to address the issue of extending authority to states to regulate or ban out-of-state solid waste. The International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2005, to allow states more control over foreign waste imports, has been reported by the United States House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environmental and Hazardous Waste. Under this bill, H.R. 2491, states would be granted authority to impose restrictions on the importation of foreign municipal waste. In addition, the United States Environmental Protection Agency would be required to enforce the 1986 Agreement Concerning the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste between the United States and Canada and give considerable deference to the desire of state governments to allow or restrict importation of foreign solid waste; and

            Whereas, The disposal of unlimited volumes of trash from Canada and other states subverts a state's ability to plan effectively for its own waste disposal needs and undermines local recycling efforts. The obligation to monitor sites to protect human health and the environment will continue for many years after any disposal contract has expired. The imposition on public infrastructure, state and local public safety agencies, and the quality of life for Michigan residents is significant. Clearly, any state accepting these long-term costs and risks should be able to regulate out-of-state waste; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2005 or other laws to permit states to prohibit or limit the importation of foreign and out-of-state solid waste; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.