2003 Articles and Press Releases

Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec.

Jan. 23, 2004: Congress passes "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004" (Public Law 108-199). A section direct the U.S. Environment Protection Agency to enforce a 1992 trash notification treaty (Library of Congress; bill text not available as of 03-03-2004)
Jan. 27, 2004: Governor Granholm urges legislature "to ensure that any trash shipped to our landfills meets our
high Michigan standards"(State of Michigan)
Feb. 2, 2004: Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality reports that solid waste imports from other states and Canada increased by 35% in 2003. (Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality)
Feb. 3, 2004: U.S. District Court of Eastern Michigan throws out Wayne County ordinance restricting the importation of out-of-state trash (303 F.Supp.2d 835) (U.S. District Court. Eastern District of Michigan)
Feb. 5, 2004: Michgan House passes the following bills dealing with trash : HB-4098; HB-4099; SB-57; SB-497; SB-498; SB-499; SB-500; SB-715 (Michigan Legislature)
Feb. 5, 2004: Court ruling snarls trash bill (Detroit News)
Feb. 6, 2004: Presidential Candidate John Kerry says it's "silly to accept trash as a commodity" (Scholastic)
Feb. 6, 2004: House OKs trash legislation (Detroit Free Press)
Feb. 10, 2004: Use of Mich. as landfill might end (State News)
Feb. 11, 2004: Trash land: It's stinky, Canadian, comes in truckloads, but imported trash does have tangible benefits (State News opinion piece)
Mar. 2, 2004: Michgan Senate passes the following bills dealing with trash and sent to the Governor: SB-57; SB-497; SB-498; SB-499; SB-500; SB-502; SB-557; SB-715 (Michigan Legislature)
Mar. 3, 2004: First Big Step for Out-of-State Trash Reform Package of Laws Advance Don't Trash Michigan Campaign (Ecology Center)
Mar. 16, 2004: Bonior leads anti-trash push (Detroit News)
Mar. 26, 2004: Dingell wants trash law upheld (Detroit News)
Mar. 26, 2004: Governor Granholm Signs New Laws to Reduce Trash into Michigan Landfills (State of Michigan)
Apr. 5, 2004: Ontario Liberals bury Adams Mine landfill plan (CBC Toronto)
Apr. 5, 2004: Bill Would Prohibit Adams Mine Landfill: New Waste Diversion Initiatives To Protect Environment And Communities (Ontario Ministry of the Environment)
Apr. 5, 2004: Canadian trash triples estimates at Waters landfill: 11,000 cubic yards expected; 34,370 arrives (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Apr. 12, 2004: National Solid Wastes Management Association files suit in Federal court to block the newly passed Michigan laws (National Solid Wastes Management Association)
May, 14, 2004: Stabenow: EPA Acknowledges Problems with Canadian Trash (Senator Debbie Stabenow)
June 19, 2004: Taking trash talk to Toronto (Monroe News)
June 19, 2004: State representative to speak about trash at Toronto council meeting (Detroit Free Press)
July 20, 2004: Canadian Trash Anniversary Approaches Without Any Answers: Dingell and Stupak ask White House to live up to promises from July 2003 (Congressman John Dingell)

• Aug 2: Garbage woes have long, smelly history: With all of the clean, affordable ways for cities to dispose of their waste, why is it still such a hot-button issue here?
• Aug. 3: Old-style landfills linger like a bad smell: But modern sites have undergone a technological revolution
• Aug. 4: The question: to burn or not to burn: Modern incinerators like the one in Brampton are infinitely cleaner than their predecessors
• Aug. 5: Aiming to make garbage a thing of the past: Toronto hopes an ambitious recycling plan will divert 60 per cent of its waste from landfill by 2006
  

Aug. 24, 2004: Toronto's ripe for a garbage crisis (Globe & Mail)
Aug. 25, 2004: Doing what's right (Globe & Mail)
Sept. 7, 2004: Vice presidential hopeful Edwards blasts Bush on Canadian trash issue (Detroit Free Press)
Sept. 8, 2004: Kerry dumps on Canada's trash (CBC)
Sept. 8, 2004: Toronto has 'plan B' if Michigan blocks trash (Toronto Star)
Sept. 9, 2004: John Kerry is talking trash (Globe & Mail)
Sept. 9, 2004: Kerry's talk on trash betrays local battles (Globe & Mail)
Sept. 9, 2004: NAFTA's flaws (Globe & Mail)
Sept. 10, 2004: Tempest in a midden heap (Globe & Mail)
Sept. 11, 2004: Stabenow wants to close Michigan border to Toronto's trash (MLive.com)
Sept. 27, 2004: TRASH BILL: State deserves right to regulate imported garbage (Detroit Free Press)
Sept. 28, 2004: Ontario To Ban Untreated Hazardous Waste (Premier of Ontario)
Sept. 30, 2004: Toronto garbage shipments receive approval from Michigan (City of Toronto)
Oct. 18, 2004: In Michigan, environment is a hot political topic Bush, Kerry learn their policies matter in a green-minded state (see section on "Canadian and out-of-state trash) (Detroit Free Press)
Oct. 19, 2004: Toronto launches its Green Bin Organics Collection in large areas of the municipality
Nov. 1, 2004: Judge denies injunction on new trash law, allows it to take effect (Associated Press via Brockville Recorder & Times)
Nov. 2, 2004: New rules start, but trash from Canada still coming (Detroit Free Press)
Nov. 15, 2004: Number of Canadian Trash Trucks Entering Michigan Doubles in One Year (Senator Carl Levin)
Dec. 8, 2004: Levin, Stabenow and Dingell Ask President Bush for Timeline in Stopping Trash Shipments into Michigan (Senator Carl Levin)
Dec. 20, 2004: Imported trash piles up in Michigan (Detroit News)
Dec. 28, 2004: Canadian National Railways begins shipping New Jersey demolition debris to Michigan landfill (Detroit News)

2005 Articles and Press Releases