March 26, 2018
Citing Need for Additional Community Engagement and Public Input
PROVIDENCE, RI – Today, Mayor Jorge Elorza, vetoed an ordinance amending Chapter 12, “Health and Sanitation,” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Providence to Establish Section 20, “Reduction of Single-Use Checkout Bags by Retail Establishments.” This ordinance would reduce single-use plastic bags in the City of Providence and after a year period, require that “any store that provides any type of checkout bag shall sell them for no less than ten cents ($0.10) per bag.”
In a letter to the members of the Providence City Council, Mayor Elorza warned of the negative impacts of plastic bags and the merit of the policy goal. “Single-use plastic bags are a hazard to human health and our environment.” He added, “They clog up our stormwater infrastructure, pollute our neighborhoods and waterways, and introduce harmful chemicals into our environment and bodies.”
The Racial and Environmental Justice Committee (REJC) sent a letter to Mayor Elorza and council members on March 14 and citied specific concerns with the policy after their evaluation noting, “This policy assumes that everyone has equal access to reusable bags. That is not the case for low income families who do not drive a car. Many community members will struggle to pay the fee.”
Echoing concerns articulated by the REJC, Mayor Elorza requested that more robust community engagement be done before he signs the ordinance into law. Elorza continued, “There is no harm done in taking our time to do this right, but we do risk harm if we exclude or ignore these communities and their concerns in this process.”
In a statement released today, Aaron Jaehnig, Chapter Chair, Sierra Club, Rhode Island Chapter, offered support for Mayor Elorza’s decision to veto the measure:
The Rhode Island Chapter of Sierra Club is in full support of the City’s efforts to reduce waste, pollution and the impacts of climate change with a single-use plastic bag ban. However, we also recognize the importance of having the most impacted communities thoroughly engaged in the process and given a real opportunity to voice their concerns and potential solutions. While everyone agrees the bag ban is a huge step in the right direction, the Mayor’s veto will allow progress to occur without skipping a step. It is a bold move to ensure the crafting of city policy prioritizes equity, inclusion and justice. The world is plagued with deep ecological and economic crises and the solution to one type of problem should not create one of the other kind, both disproportionately impacting working class communities of color. The Racial and Environmental Justice Committee is specifically tasked with ensuring the voices of black, indigenous, people of color are at the center of sustainability conversations and we fully back the Mayor’s decision to support them and their request for further engagement with the community.
While citing concerns about the current ordinance, Mayor Elorza reinforced his commitment to creating a policy that works for all residents. “I am confident that with more time for public discourse and these voices centered in that process, we can come up with a plastic bag policy that eliminates this environmental hazard from our community, while not burdening our low-income residents. By being deliberate and intentional about who is at the table, we can create an effective policy that makes our communities stronger, rather than divide us. Once that is done, I look forward to signing this into law.”