News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Trash cans line the curb in Alpena, waiting to be picked up by a hauling company on Wednesday. A budget proposal made by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could increase tipping fees at landfills.

ALPENA — A proposed increase in the state’s tipping fees or surcharge at landfills could cost trash hauling companies and their customers more money.

It could also encourage more people to recycle, extend the life of existing landfills, and reduce the flow of trash pouring out of Canada and into landfills in Michigan.

In her budget request to the Michigan Legislator, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed increasing the state’s tipping fee from $0.36 per ton of trash to $5 per ton.

The move would generate an additional $80 million in revenue to be used to help pay for environmental initiatives in Michigan.

Trucking companies already pay for a tipping fee established by the landfills and the state tacks on its own fee. A significant increase on the haulers would likely force the additional expenses on customers.

A message seeking comment on Whitmer’s proposal was left with GFL Environmental, the largest trash-hauling company in the area. The company said it was crafting a statement, but it was not received by The News before press time.

In order for Whitmer’s proposal to become a part of the budget, the legislator must sign off on the proposed increase.

State Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, said he has major concerns about the governor’s proposal because it will directly impact the bottom line for businesses and residents. He said he believes it will also have a negative impact on the state’s natural resources.

“I’m concerned about the impact these tipping fees will have on everyone in Michigan who pays for trash pickup,” Cavitt said. “Increased fees will mean more people throwing their trash on public lands. As things get more expensive, people will find more ways to avoid those fees by dumping their trash where it doesn’t belong. As chair of the committee responsible for the fee increase proposal, I’m committed to fairly considering every idea before my committee. However, the governor should know that these drastic increases are not a good-faith way to begin negotiations.”

Alpena Mayor Cindy Johnson, chairwoman for the Northeast Michigan Material Management Authority, said the tipping fee or surcharge in Michigan has been low for a while. She said the added fees could motivate people to utilize recycling, which would improve the environment and increase the life of landfills.

“The proposed tipping fee increases could provide a stronger economic push for more widespread recycling, which benefits both the environment and the economy by reducing waste, saving landfill space, and conserving resources,” Johnson said.

State Sen. Michelle Hoitenga, R-Manton, said the expansion of landfills is a concern, but so are fees on businesses and consumers. She said people are already struggling to make ends meet, especially in rural areas like Northeast Michigan, and added expenses only make financial decisions more difficult for them.

“This is just another fee increase that will further burden families in Michigan,” Hoitenga said. “Our landfills filling up is an issue that needs to be addressed, but our default response should not be to make things more expensive.”

The Michigan Waste and Recycling Association, which represents some large hauling companies including GFL Environmental, said in a statement it is reviewing the governor’s proposal. The association said the fee increase would directly impact the bottom line of trucking companies and force them to pass on the additional expenses to their residential and business customers.

“An increase of this magnitude would add costs to virtually every resident in the state as well as local governments, hospitals, public safety organizations, and school districts,” the statement says.

The proposal on increasing the state’s tipping fee isn’t the only fee increase Whitmer proposed. She also laid out her plan for a significant price hike for hunting and fishing licenses, as well as a tax on vaping pens that would be similar to the one on cigarettes.

The state government needs to have its budget adopted before Oct. 1 and there will be much debate in both the state House and Senate on the governor’s requests, as well as other budget matters in the coming weeks.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.