News
Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance Set For Public Hearing Aug. 25
By John Burton
RED BANK - For one borough council member a plastic bag ban law delayed is a ban denied.
The borough council at Monday's meeting introduced an ordinance that would in effect ban the use of plastic bags, whether the small kind given to shoppers in shops and supermarkets, or even larger ones used for trash in many homes, if they are not recyclable or compostable. But its introduction was opposed at this point by one council member while another objected to any additional delay in bringing the matter up for a vote.
The proposed bag ban was formally introduced at the borough council meeting last Monday and is scheduled for public hearing and a final vote on Aug. 25. If approved at that meeting, the ban would go into effect as of Jan. 1.
Councilwoman Mary-Grace Cangemi, a Republican, expressed some reservations about the proposed ordinance. Her primary concern, she said, related to the definition of compostable and recyclable plastic bags as outlined in the ordinance, and whether the ban should be enacted as law or remain a voluntary process, as it currently stands.
"It's really a matter of definition." She stressed, and, "What facility do we have to compost these bags?"
Cangemi argued the ordinance should be tabled to work out some of the minor points before it is offered for introduction.
Councilman Michael R DuPont, a Democrat who has been a strong proponent of instituting an outright ban of the bags for some time now, strenuously objected to any additional delay and pushed forward with the introduction.
"This ordinance has been bantered around for more than a year," DuPont responded, "I think it's time to take a big step."
Initially, DuPont had first raised the idea of a borough-wide prohibition of the non-biodegradable plastic bags commonly used by retail operations. He said it was the council's obligation to take the lead on such environmental issues and considered the bags an environmental ban.
During the preceding months, there was some opposition to the proposal, most notably from now former Republican Councilman John Curley, who said it would place an undue burden on small businesses and wouldn't be terribly effective if the borough did it and other communities or the state didn't follow suit.
Earlier this year, Joseph Azzolina Jr., vice president for Food Circus, which operates the Broad Street Super Foodtown, voiced similar objections to the prohibition.
In the interim, DuPont and Councilwoman Kathy Horgan along with Cangemi, who is council liaison for the borough's environmental commission, had collaborated on the measure. The council previously approved an ordinance that required some retail outlets and borough locations, such as at the Department of Public Works facility, to provide bins to collect polyurethane plastic grocery bags for recycling.
Council members have also worked with the local public schools to heighten public awareness for alternatives to the plastic bags and even promoted having residents trade in a number of the bags for a reusable cloth grocery sack.
There was even talk of instituting a tax for the bags. However, state authorities informed borough officials that would not be permitted.
In my mind," Cangemi said at Monday's borough council meeting, "before you legislate something, you educate people."
The borough ordinance is modeled after the legislation adopted by San Francisco last year curtailing the use of plastic bags. San Francisco's law is considered the most far-reaching in the country. Now other cities and states are looking at similar laws and some nations have adopted countrywide bans on the bags.
This ordinance would impose penalties for failing to adhere to the prohibition, starting at $100 for the first offense, up to $500 for more than two offenses within the same year. Any fines collected would be allocated for borough-sponsored environmental programs and initiatives, according to the ordinance. The permissible check-out bags also must have the words compostable and reusable, "in a highly visible manner on the outside of the bag," according to the ordinance.
DuPont said he has had discussions with local business leaders, including a representative from Super Foodtown, on the issue and said they were amenable to the ordinance. RiverCenter's executive board is scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss the ordinance and formulate a position on the ordinance, Adams said.
