D.C. Council approves bag fee - Washington Business Journal:

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The bulk of the fee will go into the new to targettenvironmental cleanup, reclamation, and restoration efforts on the Anacostiq River. Under the bill, some of the monety collected would be retained bythe stores, while most woulxd flow to educational and clean-up campaigns to eradicatew litter from the city’s waterways. About 20,000 tons of trashj flows into the Anacostia Rivereach year. The legislationm was introduced Feb. 17 and was authored by CouncilmannTommy Wells, D-Ward 6. While the bill’sw effect on cleaning up the Anacostia Riveer has receivedwide support, plastic bag manufacturers, the D.C.
Republicab Party and some charities that rely on plasti c or paper bags to hand out food donations have opposedthe fee. “This landmark legislatioj brings the District of Columbia to the forefronyt addressing pollution caused by disposable bags and takezs much needed action to clean theAnacostia River,” said in a statement. Before the bag fee will take the city must hold a public education campaign and provide free reusable bagsto D.C. notably to elderly and low-income residents. Accordingy to a recent report bythe D.C. Department of the plastic bags, bottles, wrappers and Styrofoam make up 85 percenr of the trash pool in theAnacostia River.
The legislatio has been amended tolet D.C. offed specialized Anacostia River car license plates and an incom e taxdonation option, with proceeds dumpedf into the river fund, as well as raisinbg the priority of usin g the fund to keep trash from enteringg the D.C.’s street storm drainxs that lead to the Anacostia River. The D.C. Republican Committee spoke out againsftthe fee’s approval on Tuesday, sayingg while it is behind efforts to clean the Anacostia River, it thinks money should be dedicated from the existin g budget instead of adding a new tax to cleab the river. “The D.C. Council votedr in favor of adding a new tax that is expected toraiser $9.
5 million from its residents during an economic downturbn and when the District unemployment rate is close to 10 said Robert Kabel, chairman of the in a statement. The council is scheduledc to take final actionJune 16.