SB 118-PLASTIC BAG FEE; ESTABLISH LITTER FUND  1:50:05 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 118 to be up for consideration. PAULA CADIENTE, staff to Senator Elton, sponsor of SB 118, said they look forward to working with the committee over the interim on this issue. 1:52:01 PM HILDEGARD REGELE, Ph.D., Affiliate Assistant Professor of Literature, University of Alaska Southeast, said she was representing "Turning the Tides." She said the Juneau Empire published a couple of letters to the editor regarding the "idiocy" of SB 118. The arguments put forth circled around the question of paper or plastic, but they only proved the writers' thorough internalization of the stock phrase one hears in checking out of a grocery store - "Paper or plastic?" Which one is better is not an either or question in terms of convenience and environmental impact, she said. SB 118 doesn't even mention paper. People have been conditioned to think in terms of paper or plastic, but there are other options like bringing your own canvas bag. The bill seeks to reduce the often mindless and wasteful use of plastic bags without condoning the often mindless wasteful use of paper bags, the manufacturing of which involves cutting down trees and polluting the environment. MS. REGELE said plastic bags are not truly recyclable. According to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, only 3 to 5 percent of plastic is currently recycled. Recycling plastic is different from recycling other products like glass or aluminum that can be made back into the products they were before. In the recycling process which involves heat, plastics molecular composition changes; its quality degrades and the range of its usefulness shrinks. In addition, virgin plastic is cheaper to use than recycled plastic; so most manufacturers opt for the virgin materials. Most recycled plastics become clothing or carpet that goes to the landfill once the second use is finished. Some of the lower quality plastic that has been recycled is actually shipped to Asia where it goes into landfills. She emphasized, "Non-biodegradable plastic bags are a persistent source of pollution and a danger to the environment in general and to marine animals in particular and an unjustifiable waste of resources." MS. REGELE concluded her testimony saying the solution to this serious problem is to cut back on the use of the bags before they become lethal litter. A fee on plastic bags will help hinder further mindless and wasteful use of these bags and inspire us all to carry reusable cloth bags or other non- disposable containers into the store with us in which to carry home our still over-packaged grocery items. RAYMOND PADDOCK III, Environmental Specialist, Tlingit Haida Central Counsel, supported SB 118. He said he manages a website called Solid Waste Alaska Network (SWAN) that is geared toward providing environmental information to Alaskans in all regions. The website has a page that shows tribes and communities how to create ordinances on banning plastic bags. Thirty communities have created have already created ordinances because of the environmental mess plastic bags create and to protect animal habitat. Like most citizens, he said, he is not in favor of a tax, but he supported one that would encourage people to reduce the use of plastic bags. DR. CHRIS KRENZ said he works for Oceana and is the North Pacific Project Manager. Oceana is an international organization that works to protect the world's oceans. He said he was testifying on behalf of Jim Ayers who could not be here today. Oceana strongly supports SB 118 and its concept that a fee will reduce the number of plastic bags that end up going into the oceans. The money generated from the fee could be used in the Marine Debris and Recycling Fund that could further reduce the pollution making our coasts more vibrant by making it a clean place to live. Among the reasons to reduce the use of plastic bags is that they mimic jelly fish, which other animals eat - such as sea turtles whose numbers are seriously declining worldwide. Plastic bags also don't break down; instead they break up into smaller and smaller pieces thus allowing smaller animals to accidentally eat them. Plastics absorb and concentrate pollutants and they end up accumulating throughout the food chain down to the smallest organisms. 1:59:19 PM DAN STICKEL, Economist, Department of Revenue, said he had prepared an overview of the fiscal note and would answer questions. There were no questions. BOB SYLVESTER, representing himself, said he is from Juneau and strongly supported SB 118 for all the previously stated reasons and more. BILL ZENTER, representing himself, said he has lived in Juneau since 1980 and is a diver, sailor and kayaker. He has seen many plastic bags floating on the surface of the ocean, littering the shore and drifting across the bottom. He agreed with previous testimony about how plastic breaks down, becomes toxic and gets consumed by all living creatures. He thought the sea lion decline could be attributed to plastic bags in the ocean. He mentioned that whales consume them also and that makes their population decline, too. This would affect our economic bases here in Juneau and Alaska. The tax will help educate people as to alternatives and provide cleanup funds. CHAIR ELLIS said SB 118 would be held over. SENATOR BUNDE suggested this should be a local issue since most of the written backup was from Juneau. If plastic bags are as bad as people say, putting a tax on them is going to be an inconvenient nuisance. People still drive SUVs and are willing to pay the price. "If you really want to get rid of these, then you have to have a bill that bans them, not just taxes."