By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics editor
At the end of three hours of public testimony today in the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, with organizations both supporting and opposing New Jersey’s newest attempt to ban various forms of plastics and paper, it boiled down to this. No one objected to not getting a plastic straw with their drink unless asking for it.
That was the extent of agreement. Everything else was up for debate. Whether the definition of what constitutes a plastic bag used in other state’s bans was superior or inferior to what New Jersey lawmakers propose in S864; whether foam cups, trays, and clamshell containers are poisoning our streams, or whether paper shopping bags should be in the legislation at all (New Jersey would be the only state to ban them).
Let’s review them, one by one
Wave goodbye to single-use plastic bags. They were a goner from the day the first picture of a dead, plastic-filled whale washed up onto our news feeds. The public wants them banned and the legislature will deliver.
Foam container lobbyists could win a full pardon as the bill advances to the Senate floor and then moves on for committee and floor votes in the Assembly. Or a stay of execution in the form of a multi-year period in which to demonstrate that their products can be effectively recycled. Or they might fail in both escape attempts and be forced to make their case to the governor if the bill ever reaches him. This one (like this weekend’s Superbowl) is too close to call.
Paper bags? Quick, name the last whale beached by an A&P shopping bag. No, this add-on has nothing to do with ocean life. It’s an attempt by well-meaning environmentalists to move New Jersey closer to a zero-waste state. But it’s classic over-reaching and surely will doom the bill if it isn’t excised.
The committee released the bill after changing its effective date from 24 months to 18 months after enactment. The two Republicans on the five-member committee abstained.
Twitter users: See our coverage of today’s hearing at:
@enviropolitics and @frankbrill.
Editor’s note: Tomorrow’s edition of our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics, will contain all the stories by conventional media on the bag ban legislation. Not yet a subscriber? Sign up for tomorrow’s issue–and a full month’s more–by clicking here. No charge, no commitment. Just tons of valuable information, including weekly reports on energy and environment legislation in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
