News article: Concerns about adequacy of $100 million dust cleanup

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

I Expansion of ttle-deposit law sought fl The legislation The bill would also redirect up 22 percent of the beverage con- Michael Vacek, president of the funds that the industry now gets to tainers sold in the state. state Beer Wholesalers Associa- would make New keep when returnable bottles ppanklin executive director unredeemed deposit York’s law one of aren’t returned. The money, at container Recycling Insti- funds were meant to offset the least $84 million a year, would go tute, said expanding New York’s costs of the program to the indus- the most £0 municipal recycling programs bill is “the logical next step.” try. Taking the money away comprehensive in instead. “would amount to nothing more The existing law, meant to en- the growth sector in the industry,” ® “ooen tax on beer and soft the nation courage recycling and reduce lit- she said. The current law is recov- drinks, he said. ter, “has been a phenomenal sue- ering containers at rates as high Spitzer said unclaimed deposits By JIM FITZGERALD cess at keeping billions of as 70 percent, she said. amount to a “windfall” for the ASsoqiATED PRESS ■.___________ Containers out of our landfills and qj 10 states with bottle-de- beverage industry that would be —■. ... . ? ~ off our streets,” Spitzer said be- - - . Maine and Cali- )osit law?) only better used in local recycling pro­ fornia tiay^ already updated theirs grams. He said that Massachu­ water, energy liSfe and fruit 'However, tte bott e bill can M f-'to includBjnon-carbonated bever- setts and Michigan, two other juices that now come in non-re- made even better if we update it gggg states with bottle-deposit laws, re- SmUIhesStticSUn -iSSS5Sf5SiS!SSSS , The teverage Industry which quire that unclaimed deposit, be laX^er a biu S^^ and fruit juices - that barely fought the original law lined up returned to the state. day by Attorney General Eliot existed in the marketplace when Assemblyman Thomas DiNa- Ihelawwaseuactedmim.- Sal’SS WaSr A^Sn, poll. D-Nassau, chairman of the The legislation would make Currently, the bottle-deposit said his group opposes any expan- Environmental Conservation New York’s law one of the most law applies only to beer and soda sion of the bottle-deposit program. Committee, is supporting the bill. comprehensive in the nation. Op- containers. The bill adds non-ear- which he said “is not a system that He said it would also prohibit th? position came quickly from the bonated beverages in bottles and works.” Instead, he said, the Indus/• dumping of recyclables at land beverage industry. cans, which Spitzer said now make try supports curbside recycling. fills and incinerators. ..

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