Missoula County opposes HB 407: Establish a statewide uniformity for auxiliary container regulations, up for second reading this afternoon. If passed, this bill would prohibit local governments from enacting any restriction or fee on food packaging or containers, including single-use plastic items such as plastic grocery bags. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that single-use plastics have disastrous environmental consequences. Plastics don’t decompose but rather break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, which make their way into oceans, rivers, and lakes, altering the behavior and metabolism of fish and working their way up the food chain to humans. These impacts have led a number of states and local governments across the country to impose restrictions and/or fees on single-use plastics such as grocery bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) food containers in order to reduce the volume of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics have been found throughout Montana’s waterways, and Montana local governments should not be prevented from taking such actions if they are determined to be necessary to protect the health and safety of their residents.
Senators,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes HB 407: Establish a statewide uniformity for auxiliary container regulations, up for second reading this afternoon. If passed, this bill would prohibit local governments from enacting any restriction or fee on food packaging or containers, including single-use plastic items such as plastic grocery bags. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that single-use plastics have disastrous environmental consequences. Plastics don’t decompose but rather break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, which make their way into oceans, rivers, and lakes, altering the behavior and metabolism of fish and working their way up the food chain to humans. These impacts have led a number of states and local governments across the country to impose restrictions and/or fees on single-use plastics such as grocery bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) food containers in order to reduce the volume of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics have been found throughout Montana’s waterways, and Montana local governments should not be prevented from taking such actions if they are determined to be necessary to protect the health and safety of their residents.
Please oppose HB 407.