Previous Story
Public hearing tomorrow on planned ban on Styrofoam, single-use plastics
|
Posted on Feb 27 2020
Members of the community who have an opinion on the single-use plastic ban and the proposed 2022 Styrofoam ban are invited to voice their concerns at the public hearing tomorrow, Feb 27, Thursday, at the House of Representatives chamber on Capital Hill.
Authored by Sen. Vinnie Sablan (Ind-Saipan), the Plastic Bag Bill, Senate Bill 21-37, seeks to prohibit the importation and production of single-use plastic bags in the CNMI four months after its enactment.
Several island communities have already banned or implemented restrictions on the use of single-use plastics, including Hawaii, Guam, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
Another bill, the Styrofoam Ban Bill, House Bill 21-89, which was introduced by Rep. Ivan A. Blanco (R-Saipan), intends to prohibit the use of certain disposable food service containers made of expanded polystyrene, more commonly known as Styrofoam, beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
EPS has been considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “possible human carcinogen,” meaning it is a possible cause of cancer among humans.
The Styrofoam ban bill aims to protect the public from this possible effect of EPS. Included in the bill are service ware for to-go food, packaged meat, bakery products, and leftovers from partially consumed meal prepared by food vendors. Polystyrene foam coolers or ice chests used for the processing or shipping of seafood are not part of the proposed ban.
Food service and catering companies, including businesses who sell or use single-use plastic bags, have been asked to provide written testimonies prior to the public hearing.
The timeframe for both bills is set to allow affected establishments to adjust and exhaust their existing inventory, and then seek alternatives that are safer for the environment.
