Erin Spinka

Richmond, Va. -- The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality recently announced that of the 25,169,722 tons of waste landfilled in the state in 2003, 6,593,743 tons came from out of state. The report says that more than 90 percent of out-of-state waste came from Maryland, New York, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. The amount shows a 21.7 percent increase compared to the amount of out-of-state waste landfilled in Virginia in 2002; the total amount of solid waste landfilled in the state also increased by 21.6 percent in 2003.

State officials reportedly are at odds over the increasing rate of imported trash, some applauding it as a revenue source for the state and others raising environmental concerns.