Philadelphia and Pittsburgh move ahead with plastic bag bans as Pennsylvania's preemption nears its
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh move ahead with plastic bag bans as Pennsylvanias preemption nears its end
HARRISBURG Cities and townships hoping to ban plastic bags within their borders may finally have the legal authority to do so in Pennsylvania.
When the Republican-controlled legislature passed the state budget last week, it didnt renew a statewide preemption on single-use plastics, opening the door for cities and municipalities to approve new prohibitions or enforce existing bans.
Officials and activists from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh hailed the decision as a win for curbing the environmental impact of plastic. Philadelphia and some of its surrounding townships had filed suit to challenge the states preemption, asserting it was unconstitutionally slipped into a budget-related bill.
I wouldnt be surprised if we see a bunch of municipalities moving swiftly to try and get their own policies on the book, said David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment and a supporter of the ban.
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https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2021/06/pa-plastic-bag-ban-preemption-philadelphia-pittsburgh/