Reps. Espinoza, McDowell, Lipsey, Alma Smith, Plakas, Acciavatti, Gleason, Bieda, Condino, Angerer, Lemmons, III, Accavitti, Anderson, Brandenburg, Brown, Byrum, Cheeks, Clack, Cushingberry, Donigan, Farrah, Gillard, Gonzales, Green, Hopgood, Kolb, Lemmons, Jr., Mayes, Meisner, Miller, Murphy, Polidori, Sak, Spade, Stewart, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Waters, Wojno, Zelenko, Byrnes, Leland and Sheltrown offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 223.

            A resolution to urge the Department of Homeland Security to make public the findings of a recent Inspector General report that outlined the security threat posed by Canadian waste shipments.

            Whereas, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a summary "Audit of Screening Trucks Carrying Canadian Municipal Solid Waste" in January 2006 assessing the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection's process for screening trucks carrying Canadian municipal solid waste; and

            Whereas, The volume of waste imported into Michigan from Canada has increased by 347% since 1996, and some shipments have already been found to contain medical waste, illegal drugs, and illegal currency.  In addition, other serious safety concerns have arisen as a result of several trucks hauling Canadian waste being involved in traffic accidents, including at least two incidents within the last year where loads have spilled onto public roads in Michigan; and

            Whereas, The OIG has concluded in its report that improvements are needed in the port inspection process in order to better protect American citizens.  The OIG recommended that a risk analysis be conducted and a more uniform inspection process be created, which would include minimum requirements for selecting and inspecting trucks carrying Canadian waste.  However, these suggested reforms cannot be properly debated and implemented until the findings of the unclassified OIG report are made public.  We are greatly troubled by the refusal of DHS to release the report of this investigation, and we find no basis for not releasing the entire report publicly; now therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Department of Homeland Security to make public the findings of a recent Inspector General report that outlined the security threat posed by Canadian waste shipments; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Department of Homeland Security.