REP. HOVEY: ‘BOTTLE BILL’ PROVISIONS SHORT-SIGHTED
State Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R-Monroe, Newtown ) today said provisions that place deposit fees on bottled water in the recently approved deficit reduction package are short-sighted. Governor M. Jodi Rell signed the package into law on Tuesday, March 3.
Since 1979, state law has placed deposit fees on soda and beer. House Bill 6602 expands the law to include bottled water. The ‘bottle’ bill provision is expected to generate $13 million a year in revenue from customers who do not return bottles for the deposit fee.
Rep. Hovey said that the state should also establish deposit fees for juice bottles and sports drinks, which have seen significant sales increases in recent years. She said the state finally needs to also establish ‘single stream,’ curbside recycling, which would both spare end users the burden of sorting recycling, while creating ‘blue collar’ jobs at sorting facilities.
“I believe there will be proposals this year to make common sense expansion of the ‘bottle bill’ and I look forward to supporting them,” said Rep. Hovey. “It’s clear that single stream is the most effective way to implement recycling throughout the state and it is becoming long overdue in Connecticut .”
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One Response to “REP. HOVEY: ‘BOTTLE BILL’ PROVISIONS SHORT-SIGHTED”
Hello Rep. Hovey,
I just wanted to comment that I absolutely agree with your stance on the ‘Bottle Bill’. My daughter & I pick up roadside garbage around Oxford/Middlebury/Naugatuck & IT’S ALL BEVERAGE CONTAINERS!!! (Drives us nuts!!)
I also would like to thank you for your recent support in blocking SB 264 (Privately funded businesses skipping Environment studies at State Airports). Again, as a girl scout leader & mother, it saddens me that businesspeople would rather choose to save a few bucks & step all over nature. As John Muir once wrote, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world”.
Peace & love,
Elaine & Ava McKinney
ps. My 16-girl Jr. Scout troop (4th graders) is currently in the planning stages of a nice trip to Hartford to learn all about lawmaking. Hope to see you there!!
Comment made on March 19th, 2009 at 10:26 amLeave a Comment