Container and Packaging Recycling Update - Volume XV No. 1 - Spring 2007
State Updates
West Virginia : Adopt-A-Highway volunteers tired
of picking up litter, say “no” to annual spring cleanup
CHARLESTON — In January, West Virginia Citizen Action Group (WVCAG) mailed surveys to the state’s 941 Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) volunteers and a whopping 50% of them returned the survey. Of those responding, 80% said they support the WV Bottle Bill, and over 60% believe that beverage containers make up 40-80% of the state’s litter. To show their frustration at the lack of legislative support for the bill, many are participating in a work stoppage, and will not be conducting their annual spring clean-ups.
“Of those responding, 80% said they support the WV Bottle Bill, and over 60% believe that beverage
containers make up 40-80% of the state’s litter.”
This year’s legislative highlight was Bottle Bill Lobby Day on February 8th, which included a press conference in the governor’s reception room. WVCAG presented Governor Manchin with petitions signed by thousands of WV citizens, along with the results of our AAH survey.
Plans are already underway to keep the Bottle Bill in the news and to build statewide support. On Earth Day the chief House sponsor, Delegate Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia), led a litter pickup event that included a press conference. There will be Adopt-A-Highway volunteers from Mononogalia and surrounding counties, as well as other activists and WVU students.
We had the maximum number of House sponsors this year: Also, House Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster (D-Kanawha) helped us tremendously throughout the session as we changed course and focused our lobbying efforts in the House this year.
Linda Frame, West Virginia Citizen Action Group,
linda@wvcag.org,
www.wvbottlebill.org
Tennessee:
Consensus approach being considered
NASHVILLE — Tennessee's 2007 bottle bill (HB 1829 and SB 1408) continues to gain ground and viability, with two new lead sponsors (Rep. Mike Turner, D-Old Hickory, and Sen. Doug Jackson, D-Dickson), bipartisan support from at least seven additional cosponsors, and a growing reputation as a significant "jobs bill."
Part of that reappraisal comes from the fact that while the bill makes the redemption process entirely voluntary, its 3-cent handling fee will support at least 800 new small businesses across the state.
Supporters are already recruiting potential redemption-center owners, and not just individuals but homeless shelters, county governments and existing convenience stores willing to erect a separate counting shed in return for increased revenue.
The bill has also won a new look from rural legislators because it expands the existing “greenbelt law”— an anti-sprawl measure that offers farmers and other landowners a lower tax rate on undeveloped land.
At the same time, the bill compensates local governments for any resulting revenue losses, by allotting $5 million of the unclaimed deposits. (Under the bill, unclaimed deposits are retained by the program, where they will be used for litter control and other related purposes in addition to land preservation.)
As the bill heads toward anticipated hearings in April, Scenic Tennessee continues to coordinate media coverage and grassroots organizing, while the Sierra Club and Tennessee Conservation Voters provide professional lobbying.
Marge Davis, Ph.D., is Coordinator of Pride of Place/Tennessee Bottle Bill Project, margedavis@comcast.net,
www.tnbottlebill.org
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