{
  "id": "RL33720",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33720",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 348377,
      "date": "2008-02-04",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:42:18.113489",
      "title": "Imports of Canadian Waste",
      "summary": "Private waste haulers and Canadian cities\u2014including the city of Toronto\u2014ship large quantities of waste to the United States. About four million tons (as many as 400 truckloads a day) have been shipped annually since 2004, according to receiving states. Nearly three-quarters of this waste has gone to two large landfills near Detroit.\nThe influx of waste has been highly controversial, in part because the ability of state and local governments to restrict it is limited. Under court rulings concerning the U.S. Constitution\u2019s Commerce Clause, only Congress can authorize restrictions that discriminate against foreign waste. Thus, for several years, the state of Michigan and the Michigan congressional delegation have pressed Congress for action. Legislation to provide limited authority to restrict waste imports, H.R. 518, was introduced early in the 110th Congress by Representative Dingell, with the co-sponsorship of the entire Michigan delegation. The bill was reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee March 29, and passed the House, by voice vote, April 24, 2007.\nCongress began to focus on this issue in the summer of 2006. In July of that year, in the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), the Senate approved the establishment of an inspection program for waste imports that might have added more than $400 in fees to the cost of importing a truckload of waste. In early September, the House passed legislation similar to H.R. 518 (H.R. 2491 in the 109th Congress), which would have given states limited authority to restrict waste imports. In between these actions, an agreement was reached between Michigan\u2019s two Senators and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, under which Ontario will eliminate shipments of municipally managed waste to Michigan by the end of 2010.\nThe steps taken by Congress in beginning to move legislation, as well as separate legislation enacted by the state of Michigan, clearly played a role in bringing about the voluntary agreement between Michigan\u2019s two Senators and Ontario. But large issues remain. The agreement is not a treaty or an international agreement, so it does not formally bind the United States or Canada or the parties shipping and receiving the waste. Assuming that its provisions are adhered to by Ontario\u2019s waste managers, it still would not address two-thirds of the waste being shipped to Michigan (i.e., the waste being managed by private waste management firms), and it would not affect waste shipments to states other than Michigan.\nThis report provides background information on the history of Canadian waste imports, reviews congressional developments, and discusses issues raised by the voluntary agreement and legislation.",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc811560/",
      "id": "RL33720_2007Mar16",
      "date": "2007-03-16",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Imports of Canadian Waste",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc847497/",
      "id": "RL33720_2006Nov08",
      "date": "2006-11-08",
      "retrieved": "2016-06-02T05:26:07",
      "title": "Imports of Canadian Waste",
      "summary": "This report provides background information on the history of Canadian waste imports, reviews recent developments, and discusses issues raised by the voluntary agreement and proposed legislation.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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          "filename": "files/20061108_RL33720_4a115b67f8aae260c3aab58c65c6df41c01c3514.html"
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      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Waste management",
          "name": "Waste management"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Waste products",
          "name": "Waste products"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Waste disposal in the ground",
          "name": "Waste disposal in the ground"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations"
  ]
}