Posts by Julie Lawson — Contributor
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The data proves the DC bag fee is working
DC’s bag fee has been a success, despite the insinuations and inaccuracies in a recent Washington Post “expose.” Plenty of numbers say we’re using fewer bags because of the fee. The article’s authors point to a handful of data points to make the case that the five-cent fee on plastic bags isn’t cutting bag usage in the District. But they… Keep reading…
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The sound of children playing bothers some Columbia Heights residents
Some condo residents in Columbia Heights want to dismantle the playground for the preschool in their building because, they say, the children make too much noise. The board of the Lofts of Columbia Heights, at 14th and Girard Street NW, made plans to dismantle the playground behind the building that serves the AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School, the Washington Post… Keep reading…
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A sunken gas station sculpture sends the wrong message about the Anacostia River
Update: The DC Department of the Environment has decided not to allow the sculpture in the Anacostia due to environmental concerns. Would a sunken gas station in the Anacostia, a piece of public art, spark discussion around climate change or hinder other environmental restoration in DC? A coalition of Anacostia River advocates is opposing installation of this sculpture in… Keep reading…
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The plastics industry says trash is not a problem in the Anacostia River. DC councilmembers disagree.
The DC Council could vote to ban foam food containers on Monday. The plastics industry is hoping otherwise. The plastics lobby descended on the Wilson building this week to make a last-ditch push to block a proposed polystyrene ban, up for a final vote on Monday. The bill passed the council unanimously on June 24. Led by Dart Container and the American Chemistry Council, the… Keep reading…
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Barry: “Have courage” and pass the Maryland bag fee
Yesterday morning, DC Councilmembers Marion Barry and Tommy Wells went to Annapolis together to brief the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus on the success of DC’s 5¢ disposable bag fee, and ask them to support a similar proposal currently before the Maryland General Assembly. The Community Cleanup and Greening Act (HB1086/SB576) would mirror the District’s… Keep reading…
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Montgomery County underestimated plastic bag use
Last week brought a wave of news stories looking back at the first year of the Montgomery County bag fee. Some of them (particularly the Washington Post) concluded the bag fee is ineffective at changing behavior, as shoppers did not appear to be switching from disposable bags to reusable ones as intended. This conclusion is incorrect. And it’s all because of one number. Montgomery… Keep reading…
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Thousands eating contaminated Anacostia River fish
At least 17,000 people in the lower Anacostia watershed eat fish from the river every year. These fish spend years swimming in polluted water and resting and feeding amidst sediment contaminated with toxic chemicals. This contamination is very likely ending up on people’s dinner plates. In many cases, the people eating this fish have limited resources and few alternatives… Keep reading…
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What killed the Prince George’s County bag bill?
On Saturday, the Environmental Matters committee of the Maryland House of Delegates voted down a measure that would have let Prince George’s County create a 5¢ bag fee, similar to those in Montgomery and DC. Just a couple of weeks ago, the bill narrowly passed a vote by the county delegation, and advocates thought they had cleared the biggest hurdle. Local bills with… Keep reading…
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Prince George’s bag fee wins key vote in Maryland House
This morning, delegates that represent Prince George’s County in the Maryland House of Delegates voted 12 to 9 in support of HB895, which would let let the county enact a 5¢ fee on disposable plastic and paper bags. This was the most significant hurdle, and the bill now has a very high chance of becoming law. The bill now moves to the Environmental Matters Committee of… Keep reading…
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It’s time for a statewide bag fee in Maryland
DC’s 5¢ bag fee is now 2 years old, and it has unquestionably achieved its goals. Shoppers have overwhelmingly switched to using reusable bags to carry their purchases, and fewer plastic bags are polluting the Anacostia River. But we all live downstream of somewhere, and bags and other trash continue to come in from Maryland and tarnish DC’s waters. Montgomery… Keep reading…