INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE IMPORTATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2007
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Mr. WYNN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 518, the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007.
This legislation is a culmination of efforts that began with the introduction of the international waste bill in the 104th Congress and has been introduced by our committee chairman, Mr. Dingell; and sponsored by all the members of the Michigan delegation, including Mr. Rogers, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Upton, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Levin, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Kildee, Mrs. Miller, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Camp, Mr. Knollenberg, Mr. Hoekstra, and Mr. Walberg. I want to thank and congratulate all these Members for their tireless efforts to move this legislation to the floor.
In March this legislation was reported out of the subcommittee which I chair, the Subcommittee on the Environment and Hazardous Materials, and out of the full Committee on Energy and Commerce.
This legislation, which has a long history of bipartisan support, is long overdue in providing States and localities control over the amount of international municipal solid waste that they are forced to accept.
The extent of this problem is exemplified by the millions of tons of solid waste that is trucked into this country at the rate of approximately 350 truckloads per day. The volume of the international solid waste that comes into this country on a daily basis places an undue burden on the States' and localities' landfill capacities, as well as their roads and infrastructure, solely at the expense of the States and localities.
This legislation seeks to address these concerns by providing the States with the authority to place limits on the amounts of international municipal solid waste that they will accept. It will give the States and the EPA clear authority to safely manage solid waste disposal and to control waste volumes in the best interests of the States and the Nation as a whole.
In addition, H.R. 518 provides the necessary legal authority for the United States, through the Environmental Protection Agency, to fully implement the 1986 Trans-Boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes Agreement between the United States and Canada. These are simple steps that will provide the legislative authority to the Federal and State governments, and are also consistent with the powers enumerated in the United States Constitution and our international trade obligations and agreement. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this very important and bipartisan bill.
Madam Speaker, I would reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. WYNN. Likewise, Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers. Again, I would like to commend Chairman Dingell and the Michigan delegation for their leadership on this issue.
I yield back the balance of my time as well.
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