Why Canada Gets to Dump Its Trash in Michigan
Michigan is a cheap place to dump and Nafta made waste not subject to tariffs
By Charlie LeDuff @Charlieleduff
It’s the Canadians, again.
They’re literally dumping on us. Millions of tons of industrial waste pour into Michigan’s landfills every year from Canada. Enough to build two Empire State Buildings of garbage.
We can’t stop it. And it’s all the fault of Nafta and the U.S. Constitution.
That notorious trade deal provided the legal framework that prevents Michigan from stopping Toronto’s detritus from passing through Detroit. Under the compact, solid waste is legally classified as a “commodity.” And because that commodity—garbage—is entirely “manufactured” in North America, it avoids a tariff.
Man in shirt points at Canadian garbage truck highlighting cross-border waste disposal issues
Michigan’s dumping fees are cheap—about half the cost of Ontario’s. It’s so cheap neighboring states also dump on us. We’re surrounded by more garbage per person than any state in the Union.
New York recently tried hauling in nuclear waste from the World War II-era Manhattan Project. Ohio attempted to truck in toxic phosgene dregs from the East Palestine train disaster. Phosgene is a substance so deadly that it’s banned by the Geneva Convention. Intense local opposition stopped both Ohio and New York’s poison from being buried here, but their highways, byways, and baby diapers still pour in every day and there’s not much we can do about it.
But then there’s Canada: a nation of environmental moralizers who live in a vast expanse but can’t seem to find a place to put their garbage besides their neighbor’s lawn.
Person waves at passing truck near stop sign as Canadian waste haulers transport garbage to Michigan landfills
The Constitution’s commerce clause forbids Michigan from charging out-of-state and international garbage haulers a higher price than we pay ourselves. That can only be done by an act of Congress. And you know Michigan’s unserious Congressional delegation.
So we in the Great Lakes State are stuck with mountains of foreign shit, the stench of methane and rot, and hundreds of Canadian trucks busting up our roads each day.
There is too much division in Michigan between the red-hatters and the green-thumbers. But I’ve got an idea I think we can all agree upon.
Tariff their garbage. Big beautiful tariffs. The best tariffs probably in the history of the world. The president has sweeping executive powers. Put a 100% tariff on Canadian garbage, and we can stop the flow altogether.
And after that, maybe we can talk about opening the new bridge.
No BS Newshour Episode #416
“I Got the Dirt on Duggan”
(31:57) Real estate mogul and former Duggan-backer backtracks. Herb Strather promises to take the “little guy” out.
If Duggan goes low, he’ll go lower.
Duggan told him: “I hope you have a good lawyer.”
Strather responds: Bring it on. “If you ain’t found something to die for, you’re gonna die for nothing.”
(0:04) The Detroit News sells what’s left of its soul
(56:58) PLUS- Our new segment See You Next Tuesday.
MI State Senator Mallory McMorrow’s too dumb to move.
(1:04:30) But not the guy without the shirt. Watch him steal the car that hit him
Medicaid fraud in Michigan is a straight-up scam, and the pattern is impossible to miss.
Democrats take over the legislature, change the billing codes… and BOOM––Medicaid spending explodes within months using those exact new codes.
This isn’t just Michigan. It’s happening in state after state. Michigan was simply next on my list.
$356 million in new billing within weeks of the change.
Some of these outfits were quietly test-billing for six months, then the second the new rules dropped they jumped to $200,000+ a month. Someone is tipping these fraudsters off the exact moment to strike.
Who?
I dug deeper and found over 21 businesses that are completely dissolved… still billing Michigan taxpayers $218 million.
Who the hell is supposed to be watching this?
This is your money. Your tax dollars getting stolen.
I care. Michigan taxpayers should care.
But the Democrats are more concerned with what President Trump is saying on Truth Social everyday than where your tax dollars are going.
Remember that come election day. 🇺🇸