Mayor Signs Anacostia River Clean-Up & Protection Act
- by Brandon Fuller on Tuesday, July 7, 2009
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Today, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the historic “Anacostia River Clean-Up & Protection Act.” The legislation was originally filed by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells and was passed unanimously by the DC Council on June 16.
One of the most significant portions of the law is the creation of a plastic bag ban that will be used to fund the Anacostia River Clean-Up and Protection Fund. Shoppers using plastic bags at grocery and liquor stores will be charged a small fee, which will then be split between the store and the DC government. The District Department of the Environment will administer this fund, with proceeds going to distribution of reusable bags, public environmental education and clean-up projects.
The bag ban takes effect January 1, 2010 and is the fee program is the first of its kind in the nation. In addition to helping raise funds for the environment and reducing the usage of plastic (which is made from petroleum), the bag ban will also help keep one of the most common forms of litter out of trees and waterways.
You can read a more thorough exploration of the law on THIS previous CityRenewed blog post.
Photo Credit: Flickr CC User LilySusie
Sphere: Related ContentAbout the Author
Brandon Fuller has written 178 stories on this site.
Brandon Fuller works at the intersection of environmental policy and communications. Currently, he publishes a blog on environmental issues and green living that has been featured in the Washington Post Express, Washingtonian.com, GreenPlanet.com and more. He is also a member of the advisory committee for CarbonFreeDC, a grassroots initiative dedicated to mobilizing DC-area residents to dramatically reduce local carbon emissions. He recently earned a law degree in environmental law and policy and has served as both a Law Clerk and Legislative Assistant for the State of Florida.
