BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Los Alamos County Councilors, meeting in regular session Tuesday evening heard back from the County’s Environmental Sustainability Board members in a memo read by Board Chair David Hampton that presented their recommendation to Council on the proposed Single-Use Plastic Bag Ordinance.

Watch the full discussion of this agenda item in this link: https://losalamos.granicus.com/player/clip/4856?meta_id=327355

At the end of the agenda item, Councilor Suzie Havemann made a motion that included a long list of proposed changes to the draft ordinance that was seconded by Council Vice Chair Ryn Herrmann and supported by Councilor Theresa Cull. Council Chair Randall Ryti along with Councilors David Reagor and Beverly Neal-Clinton voted no. Councilor Melanee Hand was absent. A majority of votes in favor of Havemann’s motion would have been needed to pass the measure.

The ESB’s recommendation, which may have come as a surprise to some Councilors, was not to support the ordinance. In fact, following extensive deliberation, the vote was unanimously 6-0 to recommend against adoption of the proposed ordinance.

Instead the ESB recommended that the County continue to promote reductions in single-use
plastic consumption “through education, voluntary behavior change, expanded recycling opportunities, and other sustainability initiatives that may achieve broader and more measurable environmental outcomes”. The ESB memo stated that members welcome the opportunity to assist the County in developing and implementing a comprehensive public education and outreach program focused on waste reduction, litter prevention, responsible plastic use, and sustainable consumer practices”.

The ESB memo explained all the work the board had engaged in after the County Council had asked them to review the draft ordinance and come back with a recommendation. The ESB also reviewed the historical background, research and public comments received throughout the public engagement process. Public comment to Council through email, Cognito Forms and Facebook indicated that 66 percent of commenters opposed the proposed ban, with 28 percent supporting it. The ESB even reviewed public input going back to a survey conducted in 2015 following a citizen petition that also resulted in the ESB recommending education rather than legislation to ban the bags.

The ESB memo revealed that its recommendation to Council was not taken lightly and that it had identified the following considerations during its discussions:

Members noted that, based on the information reviewed, they did not identify evidence demonstrating that single-use plastic bag bans have a disproportionate adverse economic impact on small businesses, while acknowledging that businesses may experience implementation-related adjustments.

Members emphasized that evaluating the environmental impacts of bags requires consideration of the full life cycle of both single-use plastic bags and reusable alternatives, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, reuse rates, end-of-life management, and impacts associated with microplastic pollution.

Members supported providing residents with opportunities and resources to voluntarily reduce plastic consumption through education, outreach, and community engagement rather than regulatory measures.

Members noted that the estimated direct costs associated with plastic bags in the County’s recycling system are relatively limited and questioned whether the anticipated environmental benefits of the proposed ordinance would be proportional to the effort and resources required for implementation.

Members expressed the view that the County has other environmental sustainability priorities that may provide greater measurable environmental benefits and suggested prioritizing initiatives that align more directly with the County’s sustainability and climate action goals.

Members discussed the importance of clearly identifying the primary objective of the ordinance. Whether the intent is litter reduction, greenhouse gas reduction, or another environmental outcome, members suggested prioritizing strategies that most effectively address those specific objectives.

Members expressed concern that adoption of the ordinance could create division within the community and emphasized the importance of pursuing sustainable initiatives that encourage broad public participation and support.

Members noted that public engagement, both historically and during the current process, demonstrated considerable interest in education and voluntary behavior change. Members discussed the need to develop a comprehensive education and outreach campaign focused on reducing plastic consumption, preventing litter, promoting waste reduction, and encouraging sustainable consumer practices.

Members also suggested evaluating opportunities to expand convenient plastic bag collection and recycling options throughout the community.

The entire agenda item may be viewed at the link below:

https://losalamos.granicus.com/player/clip/4856?meta_id=327355

This in includes online and in-person public comments, as well as Councilors’ comments in response to the recommendation of the ESB.