LANSING – Macomb County's Democratic state representatives today lambasted the GOP-controlled Legislature for allowing the Carleton Farms Landfill in Sumpter Township to expand because Republicans allowed a ban on landfill expansions to expire in December. Since the ban expired, Carleton Farms joins at least five other operations seeking to expand landfills or build new ones, including one in Lennox Township in Macomb County.
"More landfills mean more trash and more trash trucks surging into Macomb County, threatening our roads, our water and our quality of life," said Rep. Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens). "The Republican-controlled Legislature puts the trash lobby ahead of our working families and that's simply unacceptable. We've got to put a stop to business-as-usual, change the status quo and protect our neighborhoods from other people's garbage."
Miller is a lead sponsor of a House Democratic anti-trash plan that attacks the economics of the garbage trade. The plan includes banning new landfills until 2011. Republicans have repeatedly refused to act on the plan to fight Canadian and out-of-state trash.
Pine Tree Acres took in nearly 1.8 million tons of Canadian trash in 2005 – a 300,000-ton increase from 2004, according to Department of Environmental Quality reports.
"These landfills are growing for one simple reason: To take in more and more Canadian and out-of-state trash, and that's wrong," said Rep. Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe). "Enough is enough. We've got to put a lid on landfill expansions."
The DEQ has asked the Legislature to reinstate the ban, which would have given the department legal authority to prevent any landfill expansion. The Republican-led Legislature refused and its inaction caused the ban to be lifted on Jan. 1, 2006. Other operations expanding or requesting permission to expand include Woodland Meadows in Wayne County, Southeast Berrien County Landfill near Niles, Whitefeather Landfill in Bay County and a proposed new landfill in Allegan County.
"Michigan is the Great Lakes State, not the Great Waste State, and that's why we've got to stop these landfills from growing," said Rep. Steve Bieda (D-Warren). "We call on the Republicans in the Legislature to stop the stonewalling and act now to protect communities in Macomb County and across Michigan from other people's trash."
"The hundreds of trash trucks rumbling into Michigan ruin our roads, threaten our motorists and endanger communities living on the routes to landfills," said Rep. Lisa Wojno (D-Warren). "We've got a plan to effectively fight the flood of Canadian and out-of-state trash, and the Legislature must act on it quickly. Our citizens deserve action now, not more foot-dragging that protects the status quo and the trash lobby."
Michigan has an estimated 17 years of landfill space left for citizens in the state – but that space is being gobbled up by garbage from Canada, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Jersey and other states.