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| Bags, bags and more bags. Photo: John/Flickr/Creative Commons License |
Please call committee members and urge them to vote YES for this good
bill! Be sure to thank Chairman Dean for
putting the bill on the agenda.
Senate Environmental
Preservation and Conservation 2015
Sen. Charles Dean, Chair 850-487-5005 dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Wilton Simpson, V. Chair 850-487-5018 simpson.wilton.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Thad Altman 850-487-5016 altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Greg Evers 850-487-5002 evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Alan Hays 850-487-5011 hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Travis Hutson 850-487-5006 hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. David Simmons 850-487-5010 simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Christopher Smith 850-487-5031 smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Darren Soto 850-487-5014 soto.darren.web@flsenate.gov
dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov,
simpson.wilton.web@flsenate.gov, altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov,
evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov, hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov,
hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov, simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov,
smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov, soto.darren.web@flsenate.gov, What
the bill does
SB 306
authorizes coastal municipalities with a population under 100,000 to establish
a pilot program to regulate or ban plastic bags. The municipality would have to pass an
ordinance establishing the pilot program by the end of this year that would
start no earlier than Jan. 1, 2017 and would expire on June 30, 2019 (2 ½
years.) During the pilot program the
municipality would have to collect data relating to the impact of the
regulation or ban, submit a report to the governing body of the municipality at
a public hearing by April 1, 2019, and provide a copy of the report to DEP.
Talking
points
- Plastic bags create unsightly litter that can block stormwater drains. Both of these problems cause unnecessary expense for local governments and taxpayer
- They end up in water bodies where they foul the environment for wildlife. Bags or pieces of bags are mistaken for food, especially when they are brightly colored and moving in water. When they are ingested by animals they can choke them or cause blockages that can be fatal.
- Plastic bags contribute to the plastic gyres in the world’s oceans and pose threats to ocean life.
- They are made from non-renewable sources such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal, and their manufacture creates greenhouse gases
- They do not biodegrade because polyethylene is not recognized by microbes as food. However, they do break down in sunlight into smaller and smaller synthetic granules that will remain in the environment (and interfere with the food web) for a long, long time.
- Bringing your own bag is simple and inexpensive. It’s the responsible thing to do!
