LANSING - A truck from Canada disgorged human waste on Telegraph Road in Flat Rock early Wednesday, leading state Rep. Gino H. Polidori (D-Dearborn) to urge the Legislature to crack down immediately on imported trash.
"This is another reminder that trucks hauling waste from Canada are a real danger to all of us in Michigan," Rep. Polidori said. "Today, this unfortunate disaster in Flat Rock shows us the cost of imported trash. A major road was affected. A neighborhood is threatened. Local agencies in cash-strapped communities are stretched thin trying to contain this disaster."
Flat Rock police said the truck from Canada discharged treated human waste on Telegraph and East Huron River Drive early Wednesday on its way to the Carleton Farms landfill in Sumpter Township. Police said a block of Telegraph was covered in waste.
"Trucks bringing in trash from Canada and other states are a disaster waiting to happen," Rep. Polidori said. "Today, it's Flat Rock. Tomorrow, it could be anywhere in Michigan. We must stop imported trash and avoid this from happening again."
Trash trucks from Canada have been involved in previous high-profile incidents:
* In 2002 and 2003, several trucks were caught carrying radioactive medical waste.
* In 2003, a truck was caught with a ton of marijuana hidden in garbage.
* A Sumpter Township woman was struck by two trucks making runs to the Carleton Farms landfill in one day in 2003.
In February, House Democrats unveiled a sweeping plan that included a $7.50-per-ton dumping charge on trash headed to Michigan landfills. More than 400 trash trucks enter Michigan from Canada each day.