BILL ISN'T POLS' BAG
The New York Post By DAVID SEIFMAN
Last updated: 8:11
am
June 26, 2008
Angry City Council leaders called on Gov. Paterson
yesterday to veto a bill they charged was passed "in the dead of
night" in Albany to supersede a city law on plastic-bag recycling set to
take effect in two weeks.
"I fail to understand why the state Legislature
wants to make New York
City a less green city, and we urge the governor to stop them from doing
that," declared Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Queens).
The city law would have forced stores 5,000 square
feet or larger, as well as branches of all chains with more than five locations
in the city, to recycle plastic bags they hand out to customers.
The state bill increases the square footage to 10,000
for individual stores, but retains the 5,000-foot floor for the chains, such as
Duane Reade.
The city's law also imposes higher fines and includes
more plastics, such as those used by dry cleaners.
Kendall Christiansen