Another push is under way to convince the General Assembly to double the state’s nickel bottle deposit and expand recycling efforts.
Other Green legislation likely to be introduced during the legislative session that begins next month includes setting strict water quality standards for PFAS chemicals — dangerous compounds found in firefighting foam and everyday products.
“The bottle bill is going to be big,” said Lou Burch, program director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Leah Schmaltz, program director for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound, predicted a busy legislative session for activists.
“We support the work around toxics and the bottle bill,” Schmaltz said. “And when people try to roll back core requirements, we have to protect those.”
Other issues include mandating the state take coastal resiliency and climate change into account when using public funding for projects along the shoreline and other waterways.
Bills will likely also seek to establish storm water authorities that can fund separatiion of municipal sewer and storm systems, require sellers to disclose dams on their property, ban styrofoam packaging and beef up pesticide regulation.
Bottles and PFAS
Some of the planned legislation — doubling the bottle deposit and banning styrofoam — has been introduced before but failed to pass both the House and Senate.
Backers say they remain determined to move the controversial issues through the Legislature.
“The coalition of groups has grown pretty significantly,” Burch said. “As we work to recycle more, the bottle bill is an obvious measure.”
The proposed bill would double the current nickel deposit to 10 cents, which is returned when the customer brings the battle back for recycling.
The deposit would also be expanded to “brown bottles” that contain liquor, along with nips, wine bottles, aluminum containers and sports drinks.
One problem is the recycling industry is struggling and much of Connecticut’s glass bottles now end up as cover for landfills, the result of low prices and a lack of markets. Supporters say increasing the volume of containers recycled will help grow the industry and expand markets.
“An updated container deposit law would help increase recycling of single-serve beverage containers in Connecticut and improve the efficiency of the state’s recycling infrastructure,” CCE said.
State Rep. Joe Gresko, D-Stratford and vice chairman of the environment committee, said it’s doubtful a 10 cent deposit could pass, citing continued opposition from manufacturers and distributors.
But Gresko said expanding what’s recycled — including sports drinks and ice tea, for example — has traction.
“Maintaining the nickel is something we have looked at,” Gresko said, adding increasing processing fees is a more attractive alternative that helps satisfy industry concerns and expands recycling.
Activists also want to regulate PFAS chemicals and bypass Trump administration resistance. Ideas include setting a two parts per trillion maximum containment level for drinking water.
The proposed bill is in line with recommendations from a task force formed last year by Gov. Ned Lamont after foam leaked from Bradley Airport and contaminated portions of the Farmington River.
The cancer-causing chemicals have also been found in drinking water across the state, including in Nowalk.
Called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down after entering the environment, PFAS compounds are not just in firefighting foam. They can be found in pizza delivery boxes, stain proof materials and non-stick cooking pans.
Gresko said regulating PFAS will come up given the Farmington River spill. He said there is support for setting new standards.
“It’s a you strike while the iron is hot kind of thing,” Gresko said. “I think that will be entertained.”
Climate protection
Schmaltz said her organization plans to work on forcing the state to build bridges, infrastructure and other state funded projects in ways that make them resistant to floods, severe storms and other forces associated with climate change.
“We need to be prepared for the next big storm,” Schmaltz said.
“We can’t go with the slow planning we have been doing and we need a more sustainable pot of money,” Schmaltz added.
“We have to incorporate resiliency into ongoing plans, such as storm retention and future sea level rise,” she said.
Schmaltz said other bills would create new polices to boost electric car use.
“It would center around incentives for EVs so low income people can access them as well and offer incentives to make transfers from more polluting vehicles,” Schmaltz said.
bcummings@ctpost.com
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Activists pushing to double and expand bottle deposit, control PFAS - CT Insider
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