Vitali: Bill prevents municipalities from addressing plastic bag problems
Specifically, under the bill, H.B. 1280, municipalities would be prohibited from imposing a ban, fee, surcharge or tax on a single-use plastic bag provided by a retail establishment such as a supermarket.
The bill is scheduled to be considered by the Pennsylvania House on final passage on Monday, so Vitali urges concerned residents to contact their state representative and tell them to vote “no” on the bill.
Vitali, the Democratic chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said this is a bad environmental bill because municipalities should be able to develop strategies to address the plastic bag issue.
Plastic bags are a significant environmental problem, Vitali said, noting that they negatively impact oceans, rivers and lakes; stress landfills and clog stormwater drains.