Interstate Shipment of Municipal Solid Waste: 2004 Update (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Sept. 9, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RL32570 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
James E. McCarthy, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
This report, which replaces CRS Report RL31651(pdf) , provides updated information on interstate
shipment of municipal solid waste (MSW). Since the late 1980s, Congress has considered, but not
enacted, numerous bills that would allow states to impose restrictions on interstate waste shipments,
a step the Constitution prohibits in the absence of congressional authorization. Over this period,
there has been a continuing interest in knowing how much waste is being shipped across state lines
for disposal, and what states might be affected by proposed legislation. This report provides data
useful in addressing these questions.
Total interstate waste shipments continue to rise due to the closure of older local landfills and
the consolidation of the waste management industry. Slightly more than 39 million tons of
municipal solid waste crossed state lines for disposal in 2003, an increase of 11% over 2001. Waste
imports have grown significantly since CRS began tracking them in the early 1990s, and now
represent 24.2% of the municipal solid waste disposed at landfills and waste combustion facilities.
In the last 10 years, reported imports have increased 170%.
Pennsylvania remains, by far, the largest waste importer. The state received more than 9.1
million tons of MSW and 1.4 million tons of other non-hazardous waste from out of state in 2003.
Most of this waste came from New York and New Jersey. Pennsylvania's waste imports represented
23% of the national total. Virginia, the second-largest importer, received 5.5 million tons in 2003,
40% less than the amount received by Pennsylvania. Michigan, the third-largest importer, received
4.5 million tons of MSW from out of state.
Imports to both Virginia and Michigan increased substantially in the last year -- up about 1
million tons in each case. Nearly two-thirds of Michigan's total imports (about 2.8 million tons)
came from the Canadian province of Ontario. These imports grew as the Toronto area closed its last
remaining landfill. Other states showing major increases were Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas. In all, 28 states had increased imports in the
current report, and 10 states reported imports that exceeded 1 million tons.
While waste imports increased overall, several states (including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa,
and New York) reported sharp declines in imports in the current survey. Pennsylvania's imports fell
for the second year in a row: about 1.5 million fewer tons of imports were received at Pennsylvania
landfills in 2003 than in 2001. Factors causing this decline included the imposition of an additional
$5.00 per ton state fee on waste disposal and the absence of rail service at Pennsylvania landfills.
New York remains the largest exporter of waste, with New Jersey in second place.
These two
states account for 37% of all municipal solid waste crossing state lines for disposal. Six other states
(Missouri, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Washington), the District of Columbia, and
the Canadian province of Ontario also exported more than 1 million tons each.
