Calls for banning shipment of Canadian garbage into U.S.
Hundreds of trucks every day haul garbage from Canada for burial in Michigan landfills; the trouble is that these trucks are not thoroughly searched, and two senators now say this is too risky to be allowed to continue
Senators Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) called for halting shipments of Canadian garbage into Michigan for burial because inadequate screening of the trash poses a security risk. The two senators’ recommendation was included in a Senate homeland security subcommittee report on security flaws at U.S. ports. A separate report by DHS’s Office of Inspector General found customs officials do not have an effective method to screen and inspect Canadian trash containers crossing the border. Levin, other U.S. legislators from Michigan, and state legislators have long complained that trucks frequently carry medical waste and illegal drugs. About 350 truckloads of Canadian trash enter the U.S. daily at Detroit and Port Huron on their way to Michigan landfills.
