It looks as if a fee increase is keeping out-of-state garbage out of Wisconsin landfills. That from state Representative Spencer Black, the Madison Democrat who succeeded in pushing through a fee of $13 a ton, an increase of $7.10, in the last year. “For years Wisconsin was looking like turning into the dumping ground, the trash can of the Midwest,” said Black.
Black said that, according to data from Department of Natural Resources records, out-of-state solid waste dumped in landfills here is down thirty-six percent in one year. “They were sending their garbage here, simply put, because it was cheap. Our fees were too low.” Black said landfill operators “are not thrilled” with the law, but it will extend the life of Wisconsin landfills.
