>>> SHEER A STATISTIC THAT MIGHT

STARTLE YOU.

NEW YORKERS USE 23 BILLION, WITH

A B, PLASTIC BAGS EVERY YEAR.

MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE SENT TO

LANDFILLS, SOME LEFT ON THE

STREET SOME END UP GETTING STUCK

IN THE TREES.

THE GOVERNOR PROPOSED TO BAN

SINGLE PLASTIC USE BAGS BY NEXT

YEAR.

HOW WILL THAT AFFECT RESIDENTS?

THE GOVERNOR LACKS TO PLACE A 10

CENT FEE ON ALL CARRYOUT BAGS.

THE GROCERY STORE KEEPS SOME TO

COVE COSTS AND AS PART PUBLIC

MEDIA INITIATIVE PERRING AND

PROMISE, THE PROMISE OF CLIMATE

CHANGE WE LOOK AT THE PROS AND

CONS OF THIS PROPOSAL AND 20 DO

THAT WE'RE JOINED WITH POLITICS

REPORTER FOR THE OBSERVER

MEDINAH TORRE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> TALK ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL AND

SOME IN THE PAST TO COMPARE

THEM.

ONE FAIRLY RECENTLY PASSED THAT

DIDN'T GET PAST THE GOVERNOR.

WHAT WAS THAT JUN WHAT WERE THE

TERMS OF THAT ONE AND WHY DID

THE GOVERNOR HAVE A PROBLEM WITH

THAT?

>> A VERY LONG HISTORY TO THIS

ISSUE.

IN 2016 THE NEW YORK CITY

COUNCIL PASS ED A BILL REQUIRESA

FIVE CENT FEE FOR PLASTIC OR

PAPER BAGS.

THE FEE, MONEY FROM THE FEE

WOULD GO TO STORE OWNERS.

CONTENTIOUS ISSUE AT THE TILME.

THE BILL NARROWLY PASSED 2307

F.

20 FOR IF.

20 AGAINST.

HOW IT COULD IMPACT LOWER PAID

NEW YORKERS, SENIORS AND FIXED

INCOMES AND THE GOVERNOR LAST

YEAR ENDED UP VETOING THAT BILL.

>> AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NEW

ONE.

HOW THEY'RE DIFFERENT WHEN ONES

IN THE PAST?

>> SO NOW IN MARCH AS I

MENTIONED, TWO MANHATTAN STATE

SENATORS INTRODUCED A BILL THAT

WOULD BAN PLASTIC CAREOUT

BASTION AND ISSUED A 10 CENT FEE

FOR OTHER PLASTIC BAGS.

>> TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING?

RIGHT?

ANY PAPER BAG, EVERYTHING?

>> RIGHT.

THEN 20% OF THE FEE WOULD BE, GO

TO STORES AND THEN THE REST OF

THE 80% OF THE MONEY FROM THAT

FEE WOULD GO TOWARDS A STATE

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND

WHICH WOULD FUND LOCALE TIS,

CLEAN UP, REASONABLE BAG

DISTRIBUTION WITH ISSUES FOR LOW

INCOME, NEW YORKERS ON FIXED

INCOME AND S.N.A.P. RECIPIENTS

EXEMPT.

VARIOUS EXEMPTIONS.

>> LET ME ASK ABOUT THAT.

YOU AND I TALKEDALITIES BEFORE

A LITTLE BEFORE WE STARTED.

I DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY BUT

FOLLOWED THIS.

LOOKING AT THE LIST OF

EXEMPTIONS.

SEEMED TO BE AN AWFUL LOT OF

XPEM

EXEMPTIONS.

WHAT BAG WOS NOT BE BANNED?

>> BRINGING US UP TO SPEED, THE

GOVERNOR INTRODUCED HIS OWN

VERSION OF THE BILL AT THE END

OF APRIL WHICH IS THE MOST

RECENT VERSION AND UNDER THAT IT

WOULD BE BAN ON ALL PLASTIC BAGS

AT POINT OF FAIL.

THE EXEMPTIONS UNDER THAT ARE

IN-STORE PLASTIC BAGS FOR

PRODUCE.

VEGETABLES, FRUITS, BAGS FOR

NEWSPAPER DELIVERY.

GARMENT BAGS, TRASH BAGS,

RESTAURANTS HAVE THEM.

A RANGE OF EXEMPTIONS HERE.

>> IT SEEMS LIKE, AGAIN, LOOKING

FROM THE OUTSIDE, THAT FOR THE

MOST PART, AND TELL ME IF THIS

MAKES SENSE TO YOU, BECAUSE

YOU'VE COVERED THIS.

SEEMS FOR THE MOST PART PEOPLE

WATCHING US HAVING THIS

CONVERSATION WOULD SAY, WELL,

KIND OF ALL THE ONES I WOULD USE

ON DAILY BASIS WILL BE EXEMPT.

IS THAT A FAIR CALCULUS OF THIS?

>> YEAH, YEAH.

ACTUALLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S

BEEN A POINT OF CONCERN FOR A

LOT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS

PUSHING FOR A PLASTIC BAG BAN

FOR A LONG TIME.

THEY FEEL, JUST OUTRIGHT BANNING

PLASTIC BAGS AND HAVING

EXEMPTIONS ISN'T GOING TO REDUCE

PLASTIC BAG USE, AND THERE'S A

QUESTION OF, WELL, PEOPLE ARE

STILL GOING TO USE PAPER BAGS.

STILL GOING TO USE OTHER TYPES

OF BAGS.

THEY POINT TO PLACES LIKE

CALIFORNIA, AND CHICAGO, THAT

CHARGE FEES FOR PLASTIC OR PAPER

BAGS.

THEY ADVOCATE FOR MORE

SOPHISTICATED FORMS OF A BAN.

>> TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROS

AND CONS.

FOR THIS.

START WITH THE PROS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT

PEOPLE ARE POINTING TO IN

SUPPORT OF THIS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE THING

PEOPLE POINT TO IS, WE CAN START

WITH NEW YORK CITY ALONE.

NEW YORK CITY COULD STAND TO

SAVES $S 12.5 MILLION IN

DISPOSE'S COSTING.

LITTER COLLECTION PROGRAMS,

BEACH CLEANUP EFFORTS.

NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS USE

SOMETHING LIKE 9.37 BILLION

DISPOSABLE BAG AS YEAR.

THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF

SANITATION COLLECTS AN AVERAGE'S

1,700 TONS.

>> NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING.

>> THERE'S A FINANCIAL IMPACT.

THAT $12.5 MILLION FIGURE

ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNOR'S

OFFICE AND MANY OTHERS THAT

DOESN'T INCLUDE THE COST OF

LOCAL CLEANUP EFFORTS AND ALSO

THE FACT OF THE RAW MATERIALS

AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT

ARE USED TO MAKE PLASTIC BAGS.

THERE'S, ALSO WE TALKED ABOUT

THE ISSUE HERE OF PLASTIC BAGS

GETTING STUCK IN TREES,

WATERWAYS CLOGGED.

NEIGHBORHOODS BEING LITTERED.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL

BENEFITS.

>> HOW ABOUT THE OTHER JID WHAT

ARE FOLKS OBJECTED TO THIS

SAYING IN TERMS OF REASONS WHY

IT SHOULD NOT BE PASSED?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I DID POINT

TO ONE FORM OF OPPOSITION WHICH

IS THAT THIS DOESN'T GO FAR

ENOUGH.

IN THAT WHILE, YOU KNOW, BANNING

PLASTIC BAGS ALONE DOESN'T MEAN

PEOPLE WILL STOP USING THEM,

THERE NEEDS TO BE STRONGER

ENFORCEMENT.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, THE

FINANCIAL IMPACT.

THERE ARE STILL -- ELECTED

OFFICIALS, AND YOU KNOW, NEW

YORKERS WERE SAYING I DON'T WANT

TO HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL FEE.

>> WELL, AS ALWAYS, AS NEW YORK

POLITICS, THERE'S A LOT GOING

ON.

BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU SPENDING

TIME WITH US.

HOPE YOU'LL COME BACK AND TALK

MORE ABOUT THIS AS IT MOVES

FORWARD.

>> DEFINITELY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> THANKS FOR JOINING US.

TAKE CARE, NOW.