May 17, 2007
Plan To Expand Bottle Bill Fails
Mark Pazniokas
A legislative committee voted Wednesday to kill a bill expanding the bottle-deposit law to water bottles, but the measure is expected to be resurrected.
The Senate last week approved the bill, 26-7, but the House referred the measure Tuesday to the general law committee, where it died.
Jessie Stratton, an environmental lobbyist, said proponents intend to revive the measure as an amendment on a bill that already has cleared general law.
Rep. Chris Stone, D-East Hartford, the co-chairman of the general law panel, said the expanded bottle bill would be too burdensome on retailers.
Stone's district is home to a water bottling plant. The bottling industry opposes the expansion.
The bill would expand the bottle deposit law to noncarbonated, nonalcoholic and nondairy beverages in glass, aluminum and so-called PET plastic containers smaller than 20 ounces.
As a consolation to retailers, it would increase the handling fee paid to grocers and redemption centers from 2 to 3 cents for redeemed containers.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctbottles0517.artmay17,0,2350396.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics-state
