February 6, 2008
Bottle bill debate continues
By Courier Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES --- Rich Leopold, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told a Senate committee Tuesday that his agency will continue to push for an expansion of the containers covered by the bottle deposit law.
However, he seemed to dismiss a proposal to raise the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents.
"Whether it's a dime or it's a nickel, I don't think that matters," Leopold said, speaking to the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
Right now, the deposit law covers alcoholic and carbonated beverages. The expansion proposal would add bottled water, fruit juices and energy drinks, among others.
Gov. Chet Culver proposed a major revision of the deposit law in mid-January. Last week, he dropped the most controversial part of the plan, which would have said the state gets to keep 2 cents from a 10-cent deposit.
The 2 cents would have been used for several purposes, including funding for the Resource Enhancement and Protection program, or REAP.
Leopold said Tuesday that REAP funding remains a top priority, even if the money doesn't come from the bottle deposit.
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