The Albany County Legislature passed an unenforceable law in Local Law A. It bans polystyrene foam containers, known by the brand name Styrofoam, in food businesses that have 15 or more national establishments. While municipalities across the nation are finding recycling options for Styrofoam, Albany County has chosen an outright ban.
Written and oral testimony identified Styrofoam as one of the few food industry materials that can be effectively recycled. To dispute unsupported health claims, a memorandum was also provided by the Albany County Board of Health stating, "In its deliberations, the board finds there are no specific potential adverse public health effects that result from the use of Styrofoam products."
A New York City "Waste Basket Study" identified Styrofoam as only a half of 1 percent of garbage waste.
Yet this law was passed by a vote of 24-12.
What does this mean for Albany County? Our business owners will lose a competitive edge that will adversely affect their employees. I also don't believe conformance is feasible based on the law's wording, since affordable Styrofoam alternatives don't appear to exist.
What Albany County should do is focus on promoting new recycling options rather than imposing an outright ban with negative consequences.
If sued, county taxpayers will be paying to defend a law that was improperly adopted because the Legislature once again failed to adopt the mandated State Environmental Quality Review determination. This makes me question the Democratic majority's intent to even enforce this law.
The writer is an Albany County legislator from Colonie.
