California bill regulating ocean trash dies in Assembly without a vote

Ways to Subscribe

The wind blows a plastic bag around the beach near the Manhattan Beach Pier on August 21, 2008 in the Los Angeles area city of Manhattan Beach, California. A group of about 10 plastic manufacturers and retailers calling themselves the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition has filed suit against the city of Manhattan Beach over a ban on plastic bags given out by stores. Ironically, the group is asking a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to block the ban on grounds that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not fully analyzing the environmental effects of such a ban. The ban comes on the heels of a policy recently approved by the Los Angeles City Council to ban plastic bags in their city by 2010 if the state does not impose a 25-cent fee on shoppers who request plastics carrying bags. — The wind blows a plastic bag around the beach near the Manhattan Beach Pier on August 21, 2008 in the Los Angeles area city of Manhattan Beach, California.

Assembly Bill 521, which would have required manufacturers to be responsible for keeping most common plastic junk out of state waterways, died Friday in the state Assembly without even a vote.

If part of your memorial day plans include a trip to the beach, please make sure not to leave any trash behind. Thousands of pounds of garbage wind up in the Pacific ocean every week, and things often get worse on holidays.

Assembly Bill 521, which would have required manufacturers to be responsible for keeping most common plastic junk out of state waterways, died Friday in the state Assembly without even a vote.

Liz Crosson, executive director of LA Waterkeeper, joins the show with more.