NSWMA Files Lawsuit Against Michigan's Wayne County

Patricia-Anne Tom

Washington, D.C. -- The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and Republic Services of Michigan filed a complaint today against Wayne County and its executive. According to the NSWMA, Wayne County has created an ordinance that is '"explicitly aimed at impeding the disposal of out-of-state and Canadian-generated municipal waste in Wayne County landfills," because the ordinance says no landfill in Wayne County can receive waste generated from a jurisdiction outside the county that does not have a beverage container deposit law consistent with Michigan's law. According to Bruce Parker, NSWMA president, the ordinance violates several provisions of the U.S. Constitution, including the Commerce Clause, which authorizes Congress to "regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states."