ALBANY, New York, December 15, 2008 (ENS) – New York Governor David Paterson Saturday signed legislation to increase the collection and recycling of plastic carryout bags from large stores and retail or grocery chain stores across the state.

Originally passed by the State Legislature in June, the bill was held up by a potential conflict between the state law and a more expansive bag recycling law passed by the City of New York in January.

With a comprehensive plastic recycling law in place at the state level, local governments are pre-empted from adopting their own laws on this issue.

The state legislation initially threatened to preempt New York City’s law, and would have reduced the number of city stores required to accept bags from consumers for recycling.

However, Governor Paterson Saturday announced an agreement on legislation that “grandparents” in the city’s plastic bag law, so as to allow it to remain in full force and effect.

Plastic bag caught in a New York City tree
(Photo by Andrea Demers)

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, “Today marks a great victory for environmental responsibility in New York City and throughout the state. Thanks to the efforts of the City Council and a host of environmental advocates, the legislation signed by Governor Paterson has been altered to preserve the city’s landmark plastic bag recycling law.”

The state’s compromise measure met with the approval of state agency officials, environmentalists, entertainer Bette Midler, who founded the New York Restoration Project, even the American Chemistry Council.

The new state law takes effect on January 1, 2009. It covers retail stores with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space, or those that are part of a chain with more than five stores, each with more than 5,000 square feet of retail space.

These stores must provide bins for the collection of used plastic carryout bags, recycle the returned bags, and keep records for three years describing the amount of plastic bags collected and recycled.

“Even during difficult times we must be protective stewards of our environment, and continue to find ways to keep our daily routines from negatively impacting the long-term health of the planet,” said Governor Paterson, announcing the new law. “By making changes in our daily lives and business practices, we can conserve natural resources, save energy and reduce our ecological footprint.”

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis said, “Governor Paterson has delivered a significant win for the environment. This new law will help boost recycling and reduce waste goals all New Yorkers share.”

Senator Carl Marcellino, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee and co-author of the bill, said, “This bill will make it convenient and easy for residents across the state to recycle plastic bags. Their efforts will save landfill space, reduce litter and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. It is small steps like these that green our world.”

Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, the bill’s other co-author, said, “This is the strongest state plastic bag recycle law in the country. New York consumers and environmentalists can be proud that our state is taking strong action to reduce the amount of loose plastic bags that would otherwise end up in our delicate ecosystem. This law will also cut down the amount of petroleum used to produce these bags.”

Midler commended Governor Paterson for recognizing the need for New York City to have a more stringent program for recycling plastic bags. “Americans use over 84 billion plastic bags annually, about one billion of them in New York City,” she said. “This is an important step toward building a comprehensive solid waste management regime, and on behalf of all of us in New York City, I thank you for your understanding of the severity of the problem and your cooperation in finding a solution.”

Eric Goldstein, New York Urban Program Director at the Natural Resource Defense Council, said, “The billions of plastic bags that are used in New York State every year impose a mounting environmental burden. They litter our streets, sidewalks, highways and parks. They get into waterways and endanger marine life. They end up in landfills, where it can take up to 1,000 years for them to decompose. Substituting throw-away plastic bags with reusable sacks is a small lifestyle change that can make a big difference over time.”

“This is a significant victory for New York’s citizens and the environment,” said Sharon Kneiss, vice president of the Products Divisions of the American Chemistry Council, a chemicals industry association. “The new law creates one consistent standard statewide that all municipalities can follow, while allowing existing programs to continue uninterrupted.”

“The two states with the largest populations on each coast now have statewide plastic bag recycling programs,” Kneiss said, referring to recently enacted similar legislation in California. “Clearly, lawmakers recognize that plastics are a valuable material that should be recycled.”

The American Chemistry Council’s latest statistics show that the recycling of plastic bags and wraps increased 24 percent nationwide in 2006. Legislation in New York, California and numerous large cities is expected to increase the amount of plastic bags and wraps that are diverted from landfills and turned into new consumer products, such as durable decking, fencing, railings, shopping carts and new bags.

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WASHINGTON, DC, October 15, 2008 (ENS) – A bill introduced by Senator Barack Obama that will help protect Americans and people around the world from mercury poisoning by banning the export of elemental mercury from the United States, was signed into law last night by President George W. Bush.

Senator Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, said, “The president’s approval of this bipartisan bill is an important victory for millions of the world’s most vulnerable citizens who are exposed to the harmful effects of mercury every day.”

“Exposure to mercury leads to serious developmental problems in children as well as problems affecting vision, motor skills, blood pressure, and fertility in adults,” said Obama. “Despite our country’s improved efforts to contain and collect mercury over the years, we remain one of the world’s leading exporters of this dangerous product, so I am proud this bill will finally ban mercury exports.”

S. 906, the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, prohibits the transfer of elemental mercury by federal agencies, bans U.S. export of elemental mercury by 2013, and requires the Department of Energy to designate and manage an elemental mercury long-term disposal facility.

The Mercury Export Ban Act won support from a wide spectrum of interests, from environmentalists to the American Chemistry Council.

“Today we have won a momentous victory for public health that will save lives both here and abroad,” said Susan Keane, a scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Banning the export of mercury will substantially reduce mercury contamination in fish, prevent the contamination of our water, and shield our children from a dangerous chemical.”

Don’t try this at home. Exposure to elemental
mercury is dangerous. (Photo credit unknown)

“Those involved overcame a difficult political climate to enact bipartisan legislation that will benefit millions of people around the globe,” said Keane. “This is no small feat, and I commend them for their hard work.”

American Chemistry Council President and CEO Cal Dooley said, “What makes this legislation unique is that it not only reflects support of both Democrats and Republicans, it also reflects what is possible when a broad-based coalition of stakeholder interests comes together. The American Chemistry Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Council of the States, the Chlorine Institute, Inc., and the National Mining Association successfully worked together for many months to help enact this legislation to ban exports of elemental mercury from the United States by January 1, 2013.”

The Mercury Export Ban Act puts an end to a vicious cycle of poison, Keane explained. While this dangerous neurotoxin is being phased out by industry and the government here in the United States, surplus mercury is shipped overseas to developing countries, where it is released from highly polluting industries, she said.

“Not only is the air and water in those importing countries contaminated with concentrations of mercury that would not be tolerated in the United States, the mercury can also travel for thousands of miles and can settle right back here in the United States, poisoning Americans mainly through consumption of contaminated fish,” Keane said.

The law, signed by President Bush and passed by the House and Senate with overwhelming majorities, now requires that all mercury in the United States remain here, where it can be managed according to U.S. laws.

It prohibits the departments of Defense and Energy from exporting their huge accumulated stockpiles of mercury.

The bill also directs the Department of Energy to begin operating a long-term storage and management facility for excess mercury.

“I am pleased that President Bush has signed this important legislation which will slow needless mercury emissions, especially in the developing world,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican. who joined Obama in introducing the bill.

“Given our expanding knowledge about the health impacts of elemental mercury when it enters the atmosphere, it only makes sense to take reasonable steps now to safeguard the environment from the release of mercury that can affect fish and potentially those who eat fish,” she said.

“Mercury is a potent neurotoxin hazardous to human health, especially for infants, children, and women who are pregnant or nursing,” said Congressman Tom Allen, a Maine Democrat, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

“Maine people should be able to eat the fish they purchase in the supermarkets,” he said. “We still have much to do to end mercury pollution, and I will continue to fight for passage of my legislation to establish a nationwide mercury pollution monitoring system and the legislation I support requiring utilities to reduce their mercury emissions.”

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