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Suffolk County may ban single-use plastic bags

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO | Jane Richards picking up garbage at Mashomack in a year ago as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. More than 180 plastic pieces were collected, many from plastic bags.
BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO | Jane Richards picking up garbage at Mashomack in November 2014 as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. More than 180 plastic pieces were collected, many from plastic bags.

BY AMBROSE CLANCY AND JOE WERKMEISTER

The debate over whether Shelter Island should ban single-use plastic bags may soon be over.

Suffolk County legislators introduced a bill March 1 that would prohibit the free bags given away at retail stores across the county. Legislator William Spencer (D-Centerport) sponsored the bill. In an interview last week, Dr. Spencer, a physician, said it’s the right time to confront an ongoing issue.

“We know plastic has put a major burden on the earth,” Dr.. Spencer said. “For the most part we use it for a very short period of time, but that plastic bag is around for thousands of years after that.”

Supervisor Jim Dougherty said Monday that on the Island there’s been “a sentiment that the time has come for this kind of move.”

Mr. Dougherty met March 4 in his office with the Island’s representative to the County Legislature, Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), and in a memo to the town’s Green Options Advisory Committee, suggested coordinating “lobbying efforts” with Dr. Spencer.

Most of Ms. Fleming’s district is on the South Fork where there are already bans on single-use plastic bags in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton.

Southold and Riverhead towns, along with Shelter Island, do not have a ban, although there have been efforts to pressure town officials to enact one.

Ms. Fleming, a former Southampton Town Board member, said she’s eager to share her experience about banning the bags and will be visiting communities to listen to residents’ opinions on a county-wide ban.

Justin Meyers, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, said last week that Mr. Bellone would need more information before commenting on the proposed legislation.

“It’s an issue we want to take a good, hard look at before coming to a final determination,” Mr.  Meyers said.

Dr. Spencer said he’s optimistic the bill could become law because the Legislature is doing its homework on the topic and approaching it “in a responsible manner” that’s “business friendly.”

“I know it’ll be a hotly contested debate,” he said. “I’m not going to say I’m confident that this is a done deal because my colleagues have to make their own decision. I’ll be working to make sure they have all the information and I think there’s a good chance we can get this done.”

The support won’t be unanimous. Shortly after the March 1 Legislature meeting, Legislator Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) issued a press release in opposition.

Mr. Cilmi, a former business owner and chamber of commerce president, said the ban is “wrong on so many levels.”

He said the ban is akin to a tax on businesses and consumers, leading to “less competition, fewer jobs and higher prices for consumers.” He proposed an incentive-based program where consumers with reusable bags can receive a sales tax deduction.

Dr. Spencer said the goal is to change consumers’ habits to using more reusable bags. Paper bags, for now, would still be allowed, he said, and could be sold for 10 cents.

“If we change behavior to where people are using reusable bags, it’s going to save businesses money because now they’re not going to incur the cost of paying for the plastic bags,” he said. “But can you put a price on preserving the earth?”

Efforts in the past to get a movement started on the Island to ban bags has never gained traction. Recently, the Green Options Advisory committee put together a questionnaire to poll Islanders’ opinions on the subject.

“The intro to the poll states that our committee announced a reuseable bag campaign last year,” said Tim Purtell, chairman of the committee. He described the poll as a “fact finding  extension of that campaign to learn what Islanders think about several issues connected to single use bags — recycling, reusable bag use and bans.”

The poll can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/SIReporter.

Mr. Purtell said the survey does not collect any personal information, including names, phone numbers, street or email addresses.

Two public hearings on the issue will be held by the county Legislature, the first on March 22 and the second near Earth Day in late April.