Political Quotes

“today I offer an amendment cosponsored by Senator Levin and Senator Baucus that will require U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to charge inspection fees to Canadian shippers who export municipal solid waste into Michigan in order to pay for truck inspections. My amendment would impose approximately a $420 fee on every trash truck that crosses into Michigan. In 2003, the city of Toronto started shipping 100 percent of its trash to Michigan. The result? Every day, 350 trucks carrying trash from Toronto enter Michigan on their way to Michigan landfills. But they don't just carry trash. In recent years we have found illegal medical waste, including radioactive materials, and illegal drugs and currency. There is no limit to what could be smuggled in these trucks. In February, the Department of Homeland Security inspector general released a report that I requested with Senator Levin and Congressman Dingell. The inspector general found that trash trucks are extremely difficult to inspect and carry dangerous waste. The report also points out that trash trucks are difficult to screen with traditional x-ray equipment and must be physically inspected to verify their contents. Finally, the report states that it is virtually impossible to find dangerous items because of limited resources for conducting time- intensive physical inspections. The people of Michigan know exactly what kinds of dangerous materials are in these trash trucks.…”