March 11, 2009
Fresh bottle bill lowers deposit from 10 to 5 cents
CHARLESTON — Hoping to win over the skeptical, backers of the so-called bottle bill in West Virginia are cutting the proposed deposit on beverage containers in half — down to 5 cents.
In the past six years, the bill consistently sought a totally refundable deposit of 10 cents, in a move to inspire better environmental habits among West Virginia residents.
At the Capitol today, Gov. Joe Manchin is hosting an early afternoon meeting in his reception room, inviting all stakeholders to take part in a discussion of the bottle legislation.
Three bills have been offered so far in this session.
Latest to make the list is the one put in Tuesday by Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, which sets the deposit at 5 cents.
The idea is to encourage increased pickup of litter along highways while motivating motorists not to discard containers, since they are redeemable.
“We looked at what other states are doing, and there’s only one state with a 10-cent deposit, and that’s Michigan,” explained Linda Frame, program director for West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
WV-CAG has been in the forefront of pushing the legislation, which perennially attracts heavy fire from the bottling, recycling and retail industries.
Frame said a decision was made to lower the deposit to 5 cents out of concern by some over fraud.
And, she said, there was the matter of driving consumers across the state line to avoid paying the deposit, in turn, hurting stores inside West Virginia’s border.
“We thought if we brought it down to a nickel, it might take care of some of those fears,” Frame said.
“Michigan has some fraud. Every state has a little bit of fraud. There is some fear out there. We thought this (lower deposit) might take care of it. We’re hoping to get a little traction now.”
Fleischauer’s bill contains 11 sponsors — the maximum allowed in the House — and includes one Republican, Bill Hamilton of Upshur County.
http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_070223531.html
