Agreement Reached to End Municipal Trash from Canada by 2010

An agreement reached by U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Detroit) and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) and the Ontario Minister of Environment to begin phasing out shipmanet of municipal waste from Canada into Michigan was hailed generally as a victory for the state and by Democrats as a victory for their party, Thursday. Under the agreement, Ontario communities shipping trash to Michigan would have to reduce those shipments beginning in 2007 and would have to end shipments of municipal trash by 2010. Under the agreement, municipal waste shipments into Michigan will be reduced by 20 percent in 2007, by 40 percent in 2008, 60 percent in 2009 and then end in 2010.  The agreement only affects municipal waste. Shipments of commercial and industrial waste, which toals nearly 3 million tons a year, are unaffected by the agreement. (Source: Gongwer News Service, Inc.)