Advocacy News – Aug. 28, 2025
What happened: This week, the Michigan Senate Democrats voted out two bills that would significantly add costs to the everyday operations of businesses throughout the state. The bills passed along party lines within the Democratically controlled chamber.
- Republicans publicly rejecting the bills as unsound policy solutions in search of a problem, with Senator Joe Bellino calling the bills a ‘233% trash tax hike’.
Why it matters: Senate Bills 246 and 247 would create a number of restrictions and added costs to businesses ability to dispose of waste including:
- Put restrictions on the disposal of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM)
- Effectively banning the construction and expansion of necessary disposal facilities and deep injection wells.
- Prohibit the construction, expansion, installation, and any increase of capacity of Class I and Class IV injection wells. Deep injection wells are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and are viewed as a safe and responsible method for managing waste.
- Raise rates on nonhazardous landfill dumping from 36 cents per ton to $1.20 per ton and on hazardous waste deposits from $10 per ton or cubic yard to $25, with adjustments to account for inflation every five years thereafter.
The bottom line: This legislation threatens to have significant negative impacts on Michigan communities and the ability to dispose of waste in a safe and effective manner. It will also disproportionately impact Michigan’s manufacturers and add cost to dispose of waste product, which could lead to added costs being passed on to businesses and consumers.
- Under the present law, injection wells are heavily regulated and monitored with permit applications needed from both EGLE and the U.S. EPA. No aspect of well installation, operation or closure is without regulatory oversight, and regulators can shut down an injection well at any time if permit issues occur.
- Permit approval currently requires that detailed reports of all well construction and testing be submitted for additional review and validation, as well as establishment of financial assurance. The well construction reports include test results that document the well was properly constructed without defects and demonstrate that the well can be safely operated while meeting all regulations and permit conditions.
What’s next: Although the bills have a low likelihood of seeing movement in the Republican dominated House, the MI Chamber will continue to monitor them and educated lawmakers on the negative unintended consequences should they ever become law.
For questions or more information, contact Mike Alaimo.