March 21, 2007
Lawmakers Debate Beverage Container Deposit
By John Lyon
LITTLE ROCK — Proponents of a proposed statewide beverage container deposit program told lawmakers Tuesday the program would encourage recycling and reduce litter, but opponents said the program would place unfair burdens on the beverage industry and consumers.
The House Rules Committee heard testimony but took no action on House Bill 2771 by Rep. Johnnie Roebuck, D-Arkadelphia. Roebuck’s bill would require beverage sellers to collect a deposit of 5 cents per container and remit the money to the Department of Finance and Administration, along with a handling fee of 11/2 cents per container.
Consumers would be able to take returnable containers to redemption centers and collect a return on the deposit. Containers would have to be labeled or embossed with the word “Arkansas” or “AR” to be returnable.
The bill would set fines for sellers who violate the rules and for people who attempt to return containers that they know were not purchased in Arkansas.
Money collected from beverage sellers and through fines would go into a Beverage Container Litter Reduction Grant Fund, which would be operated by the state Department of Environmental Quality. The fund would be used to reimburse redemption centers at the rate of 6 cents per returned container and the DEQ at the rate of one-half cent per returned container.
At the end of each fiscal year, unallocated money in the fund would go to the state Department of Education to provide grants to school districts for construction of environmentally efficient buildings.
http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2007/03/21/news/news11.txt
