By Staff
LANSING – Solid waste imported into Michigan made up 31 percent of all waste disposed of in state landfills in Fiscal Year 2006, according to the Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan released Wednesday by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Michigan imported waste in 2006 from Canada, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
Louisiana and Pennsylvania joined the list of waste generators for Michigan landfills in 2006.
A total of 61,877,245 cubic yards of solid waste was disposed in Michigan landfills in FY 2006.
Waste disposed of by Michigan residents decreased by 2,368,509 cubic yards – about 6 percent – to 42,841,713 cubic yards.
However, waste imported from other states and Canada increased 545,212 cubic yards – about 3 percent – to 19,035,532 cubic yards.
The largest source of waste imports into Michigan continues to be from Canada, with total imports of 12,084,907 cubic yards – up 2 percent from FY 2005.
Last August Michigan's U.S. senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, reached an agreement with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment under which Ontario promised to end shipment of all municipally managed solid waste to Michigan by 2010.
This agreement covers approximately 37 percent of the solid waste Canada currently sends to Michigan, according to the DEQ.
Based on capacity used during FY 2006, it is estimated Michigan landfills have approximately 18 years of remaining disposal capacity.
Data released Jan. 31 appears in the 11th annual report prepared by the DEQ.