U.S. SENATE Bill would let states limit imported trash

Local solid waste directors say the proposed bill won't have much effect on reducing out-of-state waste coming to Ohio.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Talking trash is not limited to the basketball court.
The U.S. Senate Environment Public Works Committee recently had a hearing on legislation introduced by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, that would give states the power to limit the amount of imported waste from other states.
The bill's provisions allow local governments to ban out-of-state shipments to landfills that did not receive the shipments before 1993. States could trim the amount of waste from out of state to 65 percent of 1993 levels by 2006.
Expects rise: Mohammed Chawdhury, director of solid waste management for Carroll, Columbiana and Harrison counties, said the amount of out-of-state trash should escalate in the tri-county area. Harrison County is opening a landfill in Cadiz later this year.
"I'm not in favor of bringing out-of-state waste in, but there's nothing we can do about it as long as federal law allows it," Chawdhury said. "Trash is a commodity that crosses state lines like anything else. "
In 2000, Ohio received 1.77 million tons of trash from four states. Pennsylvania and New York brought in 50 percent of Ohio's imported waste.
The Voinovich bill would allow states to charge up to $3 per ton for out-of-state trash.
Voinovich's bill provides permit caps for new facilities, allowing states to set percentages for the amount of out-of-state waste coming into new facilities.
In Mahoning: Mahoning County's three landfills operate under host community agreements, which restrict trash imports outside a 150-mile radius. Tim Berlekamp, Mahoning County director of solid waste management, said the changes would not have a large impact.
"I do not see it changing the conditions in Ohio other than strengthening the community agreements in Ohio," he said. "I have not seen any radical changes it would bring."
Another provision of the proposed bill would reinstitute limited flow control -- giving local governments the ability to control the final stop for waste streams generated in their jurisdictions.
Robert Villers, director of solid waste management for Geauga and Trumbull counties, said controlling interstate trash hampers the border counties' ability to dump in other states.
"Control could help, but Ohio exports quite a bit of waste to neighboring states in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky along the border," he said. "The bill can also affect what we're shipping out."
Supporters: The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio supports the bill.
Harold J. Anderson, chief counsel for SWACO, testified for the bill, and Sen. Evan Bayh, former governor of Indiana, joined Voinovich in proposing the legislation.
Berlekamp said further measures could be taken to control interstate waste. He said other states should emulate Ohio's system before unloading their trash.
"Ohio is very sophisticated for the most part in waste export and import," Berlekamp said. "No state should be able to dump that doesn't have recycling or landfill requirements."