Harry Reid legislation would let Nevada reject California’s trash

By Stephanie Tavares

Thursday, March 4, 2010 | 5 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today announced he will introduce legislation that would allow state and local governments to refuse waste shipments from other states.

California cities for years have been sending their trash across the Donner Pass and into Nevada's desert.

Many Nevadans oppose recent plans by the Golden State to send even more trash to Northern and Eastern Nevada.

Federal law prevents Nevada or its various counties from refusing to accept the trash, but that might be about to change.

“I am a vigorous defender of interstate commerce, but communities must be responsible for their own garbage,”  Reid said in a statement. “Nevada is a beautiful place and should not be treated as a dumping ground for other states. It is only fair that state and local governments be given the ability to say ‘no’ to out-of-state trash.”

The Trash Regulation and State Health Act (TRASH Act) would provide governors and local governments: veto power on dump proposals beginning March 15, the power to freeze waste import levels at existing dumps, the power to demand up to 5 percent annual reduction in the tonnage of out-of-state waste received in any landfill that has been 'frozen' for at least a year, to rescind dump permits if banned substances are found in out-of-state shipments, and allow railroads to refuse to ship waste between states.

It would also implement new disclosure and reporting requirements for out-of-state trash sites.

The draft legislation can be accessed here.