Petition Signers

Risa Shimoda, Takoma Park, MD

If you are willing to buy a house, you will have to receive the mortgage loans. Moreover, my mother commonly takes a student loan, which supposes to be really reliable.

CandaceKim

Hey what's up with raiding the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund for sweeping streets?! Realize that the rest of the country is watching this backwards step.

Shame on you for even trying!!!

allison blanchette, long beach, ny

As a former native/resident, business owner and frequent traveler to the District of Columbia, I urge the City Council to utilize the much needed funds toward the Anacostia Cleanup Fund, where it is intended by law.

Denise Denison-Erkeneff, Dana Point, CA

Marissa Valeri, Rockville, MD - formerly Ward 4 resident

Allowing the diversion of funds will further contribute to the growing distrust many have for public officials. Candidates who support the Mayor's request will not be able to count on my vote this fall.

Adrienne Gildea, Ward 6

Parker Moore, Ward 3

Greg Greene, Alexandria, Va.

Shana Udvardy, Ward 1

Summer Teal Simpson, Savannah, GA

The Anacostia River Cleanup & Protection Act of 2009 was an innovative law that placed Washington, DC at the forefront of the battle to preserve our planet for coming generations. The Fund it created aims to implement new measures for this preservation, including cleanup and education. This is critical for the Act's success.

As a lifelong resident of the DC-Metro area, I was glad to see this measure passed. I've watched the Potomac River deteriorate from a place of carefree recreation to water that people fear entering. The Anacostia River Cleanup Fund is a critical step in reversing the damage. The independent fund is necessary to implement new preservation techniques, as clearly the current policies have failed us.

Please protect the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund by leaving it within the control of the Department of the Environment. If the Department of Public Works needs additional funding, consider can and bottle recycling reimbursements. The bag tax funds already have a slated use.

Alexandra Schultz, Ward 3

The bag bill is a great piece of environmental legislation and is already having positive results. Given the unexpected larger decline in the use of plastic bags, the fund is not likely to collect as much money as expected to contribute to cleaning up the Anacostia River. As important as street cleaning is, the Anacostia River Fund shouldn't be taped to pay for street cleaning.

Gerald Schwinn, Ward 2

This fund is for the Anacostia River, not for street sweepers.

Lynda Laughlin, Ward 1

Keith C. Ivey, Ward 3

We citizens of DC have done our job by bringing our own reusable bags when we go shopping. Please have the government do its job by keeping the money for its original purpose.

Ann Hoffman, Ward 4

Kyla Whitmore, Ward 3

I am the Chairman of "HABA" the Historic Anacostia Boating Association. We fully support the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund and its' original purpose. These funds should not be used as the general fund, but should only be used for the restoration of the Anacostia River.

Steve Ricks, Ward 5

Kate Larson, Ward 6

John McGregor, Ward 6

juan m morales, ashburn va

If you're in not good state and have got no money to move out from that point, you would need to receive the loan. Because it would help you emphatically. I take collateral loan every time I need and feel fine just because of it.

RochelleFITZPATRICK32

Read Porter, Ward 3

The Anacostia River Cleanup Fund is a model for the rest of the country and it only makes sense that this money be used for environmental protection. Please do not raid this money.

Emmett Pepper, Ward 3

If the reusable bag distribution were to be phased out as needy residents no longer needed bags, that would be acceptable; however, diversion of the funds from the original usage in order to free up city monies for existing general usage is not at all in keeping with the intent or purposes of establishing the fund and creating the fee. If Mayor Fenty wishes to fund street cleanings from fees placed upon another source of litter, then he would likely have my support for those new fees.

Scott Hartl, Ward 2

Please do not divert funds away from the river restoration project. This would betray the bag bill and those who supported it.

Mya Sjogren, Ward 2

David M. Stemper, Ward 3

Furthermore, this legislation has been serving as a model for other "bag bill" efforts throughout the country. So far, it has been widely recognized as a model of enlightened environmental law - a shining success story. Don't undermine these important environmental efforts and, for your own sake, don't make a newsworthy mockery of your own previous efforts by raiding the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund for purposes it was not designed to fund.

Eric Schultz, Ward 2

Mary Barber, Ward 3

Cheron Carlson, Arlington VA

I am opposed to using the River clean up fund for anything other than it's original purpose. I am a voter and I will use my vote to reinstate the river clean up fund.

Isabelle O'Hearn, Ward 3

I am very disappointed to here that you have gone against your promise to keep the funding for the river clean-up. This is very important for the future of all the rivers and waterways associated to them. Please understand that a voter in D.C. this is a serious violation of voter trust and I will work hard to elect someone who will stand behind keeping the river clean-up fund for that purpose.

James O'Hearn, Ward 3

David M. Stemper

Ben Laws, Ward 6

Galen Lawson, Ward 2

David Allen, Ward 6

Restoration is key! I do not support spending the money for street sweeping.

Laura Flanagan, Jamestown, Rhode Island

One of the implied purposes of the bag fee &clean-up fund was to INCREASE the District's efforts to restore the Anacostia. The transfer of funds to DPW, as proposed, does not do so. We need DPW's street cleaning efforts fully funded & funds from the bag fee allocated for additional restoration efforts (including more street cleaning)

Irv Sheffey, Ward 7

Elizabeth Gunter, Ward 6

I am a strong supporter of the bag fee, it is a great way to help address the issue of excess bags ending up in the Anacostia and generate much needed funds for restoration and educational programs. I am very upset that Mayor Fenty is proposing changing the purpose of the funds generated from this program. If we are really going to make the Anacostia fishable and swimable by 2032, then we are going to need funds for new restoration and education efforts. Just because this is a very difficult fiscal time, that is not justification to change the intent of this forward thinking program. I hope you will reconsider the redirection of these funds and reinstate them to be used for important restoration and educational efforts.

Thank you,
Caroline Kuebler

Caroline Kuebler, Ward 6

This law is a simple step towards reducing some of the disgusting trash floating in our rivers. We live in and around our nation's capital. Let's stay on target. Restoring the river doesn't just mean pulling plastic bags out of it. We need to shore up erosion, restore habitat, and prevent illegal dumping. Keep the funds going to the place they were intented. Let's clean up the Anacostia and be proud of it.

Rhonda Krafchin, Herndon, VA

Use the law as it was intended and desired by your voters, instead of circumventing it to funnel "extra" money in place of budgetary constraints. This will cost you my vote and others in the upcoming elections.

Bryan Shipley, Ward 1

Ashley Hilberath, Fairfax, VA

Alexa Cerf, Ward 3

Diverting funding away from river restoration is a betrayal of the bag fee legislation that so many of us fought for.

Jeff Gustafson, Ward 6

Bruce Roberts, Arlington, Va

The bag fee is an innovative win-win policy: it reduces polluting plastic litter and simultaneously funds pollution clean-up of the Anacostia River. Diverting the bag fee to other purposes undermines this powerful equation and turns the fee into just another "tax" to fund government.

Richard Ricard, Ward 6

Dear Mayor Fenty and Council Members,
As a resident of the District for nearly 20 years, I recall the days when we learned that the recycling trust fund had been gutted by DPW and used for things other than intended. Don't let the disposable bag fee fall to the same fate. The bill was well-conceived and has proven in its early months to be a success. But the public also trusts that the funds would be used for river protection, not to make up budget shortfalls in unrelated areas. Please don't abuse that trust - help ensure that the bag fee fulfills its promise - keep it in the trust fund!

Gwyn Jones, Ward 6

I am proud to live just outside D.C. and work within this great city. The bag fee was a bold, intelligent step towards reducing plastic bag pollution in our streets and waterways and I urge the mayor to continue the progress.

Mike King, Arlington, VA

We worked hard to pass this law. Keep the money where it was meant to be--the Anacostia River!

Alexandra Schultz, Ward 3

Sean, Ward 4

This is not OK. The funds from the bag tax should go for environmental protection for the city's water ways and intended by the Bill. The 2011 budget proposal should not be passed as is.

Becky Mitschele, Ward 2

jackie ward, Ward 8

Thank you for being a leader in making residents and businesses responsible for the trash that ends up on land and in the ocean. People want to do the right thing and local government should help them realize those goals. Good for you!

Chris Moran, Santa Cruz, CA

Edward Yan, Ward 3

Kary Semborski, Ward 3

This bag law and its resulting fund is something to be proud of, not to cut. By first reports, the law has effectively cut bag usage, and thus may not generate all the money projected -- all the greater reason to direct all revenue collected for its intended and promoted cause.

Lisa Swanson, Ward 4

This is a slap in the face to the organizations and their members who have worked very hard to clean up the Anacostia river and to get the bag tax passed. These funds must be allocated as mandated to clean up the deterioration of the Anacostia.

Kelly Brasseau, Mclean, VA

Triana Tello Gerez, Ward 3

Brycen Swart, Ward 1

As a UDC professor I have worked with students over 12 years on the problems of Anacostia fish toxic contamination (you can't eat them)and sediment contamination (toxic to animals). We have found sources of PCBs and Chlordane to the Anacostia. Funding is needed to clean them up so we can have a healthy and clean Anacostia. Don't just clean the streets...clean and restore the Anacostia fish with the Cleanup Fund!

Harriette Phelps

danilo pelletiere, Ward 6

Grant Halloran, Falls Church, VA

Please keep your word and protect the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund. We know times are tough and the city budget probably doesn't look good, but this is a matter of integrity. Do the right thing and don't dip into the fund for something like this.

Brandon Anderson, Ward 1

Richard Hartogs

I am a DC resident and I VOTE. Mayor Fenty must "make good" on his promise to use the dc bag tax to help improve the Anacostia River. The bag tax is a step in the right direction but the money must be used for the original purpose which is to clean up the river.

Andrea Santy, Ward 3

Martin Antuna, Elmandorf AFB, AK

Jim Dougherty, Ward 6

Rosemary Daley, Ward 1

As a District resident who strongly supported the bag fee I believe the Mayor's decision completely contradicts the intent of this legislation. Never was this fee intended to fund city services that we're already in place. The Mayor's decision to close our budget deficit by paying for exisiting services with new revenues is shameless and should be reversed by Council. If the Mayor would like to close our deficit perhaps he could cut some wasteful programs like the summer jobs program where District youth are paid to do nothing but loiter in city neighborhoods.

John Krohn, Ward 6

Using money from the bag tax to pay for street sweeping continues the cycle of neglect of DC's 'forgotten river'. Using this money for street sweeping no only ignores the clear intention of the bill but is a slap to all the communities that use and live by the Anacostia.

Chris Moore, Ward 6

Robert Mereness, Alexandria Virginia

These resources were intended for Anacostia River cleanup efforts. Please keep them there!

Kristen Arbuckle, Ward 1

Abby Nickels, Ward 1

street sweeping is not what we have in mind. We need to do much more to clean up the Anacostia. Water quality, trash, invasive plants to name just a few small ones....

Wm Russell Watts, Ward 3

I truly appreciate the Councilmembers for the very important initiative to protect natural environments. I will do cost-benefit analysis for a tax on plastic bags in DC and impacts on Anacostia River as my project for my class this semester. I hope the River get much cleaner and you have a strong support from the DC residents, so that this initiative could be a benchmark for other states.

Yoonhee Rho, Ward 2

I just wanted to thank Mayor Fenty and the DC Council for instituting such a brilliant program to help clean up one of the most polluted rivers in our country! Please continue to keep up the good work!

Karen Kavanaugh, Ward 3

It is exciting to see that the city council can act upon current environmental injustices. What I am hopeful for is that more action will be taken to prepare D.C. for the challenges of the 21st century, especially climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Thank you for your leadership.

Tommaso Boggia, Ward 1

Toshana, Ward 8

Just wanted to thank the DC Mayor and Council Members for taking this step to generate funds towards cleaning the Bay. I have lived in Takoma Park MD for 25 years and have become increasingly concerned about the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Plastic bags are a real source of trash in the Bay and this is an effective way to raise public awareness of the problem.

Sue Tripp, Takoma Park MD

I can breath a sigh of relief now that the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 has been passed. Thank you so much.

Marcy Logan, Ward 1

Thank you!

Trisha Grant, Ward 1

5 cents per bag is a very good idea!

William Fraser, Santa Cruz, CA

Although I am not a resident of DC, on a recent visit I was horrified when coming to view the Anacostia River, which is actually very similar to many of our nation's polluted waterways due to stormwater runoff from litter. Why is that 100 yrs. after Theodore Roosevelt left office and established America's first, real conservation programs, that we are now finally coming to grips with this term and what it means?!

Joseph Cox, Lake Forest, Ca.

Sarah Schneider

Renee Confair Sensano, Wahiawa, HI

Jim Lyons, Ward 6

Donna McGregor, Ward 5

I am very concerned about our environment and I think that the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 is a great help and appreciate your votes for it.

Jessie M. Harris, Ward 3

thank you for supporting the clean future of our rivers

Lucy Clark, Ward 6

Peter Hill, Ward 6

Molly Hauck

Please continue to help eliminate plastic bags
from the environment.

john hays, Ward 3

Thank you for your efforts and support for a trash free Anacostia. The Anacostia is a valuable resource for our community which must be protected.

Gin Bell, Ward 3

brian katz

Thank you so much for your support of this legislation! It is very important to the health of our community and our waterways--and puts DC in the vanguard of addressing a vexing and challenging issue in many parts for the country.

laura cantral, Ward 6

As a former DC resident, great to see this legislation in action. Thanks for all the hard work. Was great to be a part of the effort.

Shameera, fairfax, virginia

I have been an environmental and science educator in the District for the past five years. My first job in this field was working on a boat and in D.C. classrooms, where I educated students about the Anacostia River and its relationship to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Students were often surprised that D.C.'s rivers influence the Chesapeake Bay. We often pulled up plastic bottles and bags, shoes, soda cans, wrappers and other trash from the river in our fishing net on the boat. Students were disgusted and shocked to learn that these "marine debris" items would take 50 to 200 years or more to decompose in the river, and that this trash washed into the river from city streets and landfills and could end up in the Bay. They often expressed interest in helping, but admitted that changing their behaviors would be difficult and they weren't sure if doing so would make a difference. By voting in support of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act or 2009, you are showing our youth that, with all of our efforts combined, a clean Anacostia River is possible. Thank you.

Ann Posegate, Ward 3

Dear Councilmember,
Thank you for supporting the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act. I appreciate the leadership D.C. is providing in reducing the use of plastic bags, which may eventually reduce the number that enter our watersheds. You have provided a great example for Maryland.
Jamie Pleune

Jamie Pleune, Takoma Park, Maryland

Your leadership is vital in supporting a better and greener DC. It is high time that as a city we address the injustice and racism of a polluted Anacostia River and take an important step forward for positive change together. I am really thrilled that you are supporting this effort!

Amanda Formica, Ward 2

This is a wonderful idea. I appreciate your leadership in enacting the legislation.

May I suggest reaching out to businesses in the area to provide low-cost or free canvas (or similar) reusable bags to shoppers? I know that all the bags I use advertise the companies or events that provided them.

Dave Skolnick (S/V Auspicious), Arlington VA

As a retail clerk automatically placed my purchase in a plastic bag tonight, I was reminded how great a thing it is you've done with this bill. Many thanks.

Kyle Walton, Ward 6

As a part of the Anacostia River Cleanup, I would like to see the removal of a historic old barge stuck in the Anacostia's muck and mud. This barge happens to be blocking my powerboat's slip on the west side of the Anacostia River (Ward 6), so I have a special interest in its being removed. Please let me know which organizations in the DC area offer grants that would 1) pay for its removal and disposal, and 2) reimburse me for my time and expenses as the Administrator of the grant?

Jim Disbrow, Culpeper, Virginia

Sonia and Bob Conly support the $.05 per bag tax. Encouraging recyling of bags will reduce trash in the rivers and on the street and reduce the atmospheric polution associated with the manufacture of bags.

Sonia Conly, Ward 6

I have lived in the city my entire life, right next to the SW Waterfront. I used to play along the waterfront but as time went on it was hard to bare because the water got so dirty and the smell was unbearable. This is a great step in the right direction to save this amazing river and I thank you for your support.

Madeline Hall, Ward 6

Seth Sprinkle, Ward 2

I appreciate the time and effort that you have put into this initiative. Thank you for your hard work!

Jillian Perlow, Arlington, Virginia

The 5-cent fee on most paper and plastic bags in DC will greatly reduce bag waste/pollution and raise money for further river restoration and education, a wonderful step towards bringing the community together in a positive way.

Marie Stratton, Ward 1

Thank you so much for supporting the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act!! I feel immense pride in DC because of this! We can finally start making progress on keeping the river pollution free and beautiful. The city will save money and communities everywhere including upper class and lower class neighborhoods will benefit greatly. Plastic bags are unnecessary buggers in our society and its time to do away with them. Thank you, and my community really appreciates your support!

Ebony Payne, Ward 7

This is a very important environmental move.
Thank you for this model, forward looking decision.

Sharon A Sundial, Arlington, VA

We really appreciate it!

Troy Dibley, Arlington, VA

Thank you for putting on DC on the path to sustainability. Don't let the plastic industry push you down any other path.

Maude Bauschard, Ward 1

Thanks to all, especially Tommie Wells, for shepherding this along so effectively.

Mary Wadleigh

Mary Wadleigh, Ward 6

Many, many thanks for moving this forward. Despite the opposition, taxing does indeed change human behavior; in California raising the tax on cigarettes dramatically dropped the rate of smoking and ultimately will save not only lives, but money for the state of California.

Maria Sgambati, Ward 3

Raiford Gaffney, Ward 6

Thank you so much for supporting this important initiative and for not bending under the lobby pressures you are facing.

Dr. Frances Burden, Ward 6

The heavy rain last night definitely swept the streets clean! Unfortunately, we all know where the trash is headed...

Your efforts and commitment to reducing the prevalence of plastic bags is critical, both to the old sewers' operation and to the Anacostia, so, thank you! I am VERY GLAD that you are bringing people's attention to this issue.

Too many of us have allowed ourselves to become disconnected from the effects of our consumption. It's easy to find examples. One is right down the street from me - a store that packages each peron's purchase(s) in both a paper bag and then a plastic bag. Those same bags can often be found blowing down our street and, in many cases, will end up at one of our front gates or past it, at our front door.

While some the bags have become useful for collecting the other trash that blows into my front yard, PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR EFFORTS - eliminate peoples' dependence on stores for packaging the goods they buy!

Ms. S. H. Lord

S. H. Lord, Ward 2

I enthusiastically support the charrge on paper and plastic bags!

mary donovan

I've been using my own bags for many years and it's no big deal. For those who worry about the 5 cent cost of those bags, they can use them over and over again.

Carol Press, Ward 6

Thank you and keep up the good work. We have a long ways to go.

Douglass Delano, Ward 6

Thank you for doing the right thing! Clean water should always be a priority for those of us priveleged to live near great bodies of water, like the Anacostia. Thank you for your support of this important legislation.

Louise Miller, Ward 6

Thanks you for supporting this important legislation. Your council will be leaders in the move to start eliminating the pollution, the ugliness and the expense of using the "disposable" plastic bags and paper. People all over the East Cost - and cross the nation - are looking forward to your leadership in tackling this problem!

Noreen Bayly, Glen Mills, PA

Thanks so much for supporting this initiative! Consider it a first battle won in the global war on plastic bags...
Sincerely,
Derek Frost

Derek Frost, Bethesda, MD

We kayak the Anacostia frequently and we participate in river clean up days. You cannot imagine the amount of junk we see floating or that we remove from the river. At the same time, we see great blue herons and the peacefulness of woods on both sides of the river. It's a treasure -- thank you for helping to return it to the beauty and refuge that it can be.

Elizabeth Agle, Ward 6

With this historic vote we are one step closer to an Anacostia River that all District residents can enjoy.

John Krohn, Ward 6

The Hillcrest Civic Association supports passge of of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. Please vote again to pass this important piece of legislation.

Thank You
Karen Lee Williams
President, Hillcrest Community Civic Association

Karen Lee Williams, Ward 7

As long-time residents of DC and active users of the river--we have a small motorboat which we take on the Anacostia and Potomac and have a high school age son who is on his school's crew team we are intimately familiar with the river and the need to clean it up.

Elizabeth Hannold, Ward 6

Mary Power Ryan, Ward 3

Today I am so proud of the District for taking this important step to not only protect our own waterways, but to serve as a leader and example to the rest of the country. Let's keep the momentum alive, and let's work together to save our rivers and the world!

John Wasiutynski, Ward 1

Thank you for taking this huge step toward ridding the Anacostia of half of it's garbage! As a DC resident and someone who uses the Anacostia River Trail, I appreciate your effort to help limit the amount of trash going into the river.

Roxanne Walker, Ward 6

Thank you very much for voting in support of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. Without following closely the voting record of the Councilmembers and the Mayor, I am very happy to hear about your recent decision. This kind of policy making only helps DC to stay ahead of the game not only in the US, but in the world. Also, approving this law will only make me happier about being a DC resident.

Fernando Rodriguez, Ward 5

I am so pleased and proud at the progress that this important and groundbreaking bill is making through our legislative process thanks to your courageous support! Thank you. Mark Irwin

Mark Irwin, Ward 3

It is important for the council to take a stand against pollution and for a clean river. This measure is the first step towards waht could be an exampl throughout the country.

Martha Connor-Donnelly, Ward 6

I can't thank you enough! On my daily walk to the Metro, I pick up anywhere from 5 to 20 plastic bags blowing down the sidewalk. Your support in minimizing the litter polluting our beautiful capital city and waters is invaluable. Keep up the great progress and please stand strong against lobbyists fighting to dilute this important legislation.

Katherine Taylor, Ward 4

I thank you for your support of this important bill.

Jonathan Cohn, Ward 2

On behalf of all young people in DC and the region, thank you for taking this step toward reducing pollution in our communities. Please make this the first of many steps in this direction.

How about a bottle bill next?

Jeff Gustafson, Ward 6

Thanks for your vote on this very important issue. This is a real, concrete step that our city can take that will save money, beautify our city, and help the environment.

Rachel Klein, Ward 6

Thank you for stepping up to the plate and working to solve one of the most critical environmental issues in DC. Not only does this bill provide funding to clean up the Anacostia River, but it also addresses one of the major pollutants that end up in the river. How better to address both prevention and treatment?

Nick Kask, Ward 2

Dear Councilmembers.

Thank you for takingthe iniative to clean up the Anacostia River. Your hard work is appreciated. Please hold firm on this important vote June 16.

Sincerely,

Mary Corkran

Mary Hale Corkran, Ward 3

Please hold the line against lobbyists who will try to derail or dilute the cleanup act. The trash prevented and cleanup funded through this bill will greatly help the city as a whole, and especially the Anacostia River. We all greatly appreciate your efforts so far, and we are watching eagerly as you see through this important legislation.

Adam M Taylor, Ward 6

I appreciate your support for the bill and the impact that it will have in reducing liter and waste entering the river. I am finding enormous support for the bill as I discuss it with friends, family, and coworkers. I hope that we can find more sources of waste to eliminate in the near future.

Bob Summersgill, Ward 3

Thank you for supporting a cleaner Anacostia. PLEASE do not give into the plastics lobby. There is no reason for plastic bags in this city.

Alka Kothari, Ward 1

PLEASE DON'T CAVE IN TO THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY.

Marc Lasky, Ward 3

The plastic bag bill is important for the whole Metropolitan DC area. I live in Montgomery County, and my State Delegate, Al Carr, introduced similar legislation in Maryland, which failed this year. If you pass a strong bill, it will improve the chances for Maryland passing it next year.

The Anacostia is full of trash and the Earth Conservation Corps provides help from AmeriCorp to clean it up. They collect tons of trash and help bring wildlife back to life. Now bald eagles are nesting there again.

Plastic bags get caught in birds' mouths and kill them. Make this the strongest possible bill.

Molly Hauck, Kensington, MD

Mahalo Nui Loa for doing what is the best for the national's capital

Scott Cohen, Ward 5

This bill will hugely improve our environment. It can not be allowed to fail.

Elizabeth Evans, Ward 2

Thank you for being pro-active on this. Do not relent.

Gail Martin, Ward 6

It is so imperative that we reduce the amount of trash and litter that enter our waterways and this act sends an important message to the rest of the country that we care. Hopefully this will act as inspiration for other cities and states to follow our lead.

Kary Semborski, Ward 3

This is an important step in making a difference in our backyard. Thank you!

Anyah Dembling, Ward 6

Let's do what we can to make the Anacostia less the butt of jokes in the area. Let's get the garbage out of there!

Kassandra Cerveny, Ward 6

I am glad the you recognized the importance of this legislation. It gives our city not only the opportunity to significantly reduce the waste we produce, but also act as a leader and model for other cities to follow.

Jason Rubin, Ward 1

Thanks for helping us passing this bill.

Alexandre goncalves

I just read today that all 283 Target stores in Australia are going plastic bag free. I'm proud to know that in the US we are also moving strongly to solve the problems associated with plastic pollution.

Wallace J. Nichols, PhD, Davenport, CA

Please continue to vote for policies that effect action to clean up local bodies of water. DC should be a role model for the rest of the country in how to live, work, and play in ways that protect and preserve the resources that keep us alive. Thank you for listening taking the first steps.

Joseph Caramagno, Alexandria, VA

Brie Anne Schwartz, Ward 3

Please vote to stop the pollution caused by disposable plastic and paper bags. Your vote YES will mean better health for humans and animals and reduced cost to taxpayers.
Please vote YES!

Penny Morrill, McLean, VA

As you know, plastic bags account for much of the litter on our streets and in our rivers. I strongly support the plastic bag bill, and thank you for your support as well. Please keep a strong bill that will really reduce the garbage we put in the Anacostia, Potomac, and ultimately the bay and ocean.

The final reading on June 16th also happens to be on my birthday! What a great birthday present for my city to be among environmental leaders in doing everything possible to reduce the number of plastic bags used!

Thank you again for all you do to support a sustainable DC.

Best,
Grace Cunningham
Sierra Club, DC Chapter

Grace Cunningham, Ward 6

Thank you very much for your support of a Trash Free Anacostia. I'm glad we are on the right track toward not only keeping plastic bags out of our streets and waterways but also to lessen our dependence on oil.

I just got back from China and learned that the entire country had banned plastic bags last year...it is estimated that China has saved over 40 billion plastic bags, which amounts to about 1.6 million tonnes of oil.

I'm glad we are on our way to catching up with not only the Europeans but the Chinese on this very important environmental issue.

Edward Yan, Ward 3

Dear DC City Council Members,

Thank you so much for making DC a leader in the environmental movement by passing the plastic bag law!

Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

C. Plume
Ward 6

C Plume, Ward 6

Your leadership and commitment to cleaning up and restoring the Anacostia is inspiring and refreshing! Am behind you 100%.

Lynne Nelson, Ward 3

This is a great first step in helping DC get clean and 'green'!

Elise, Ward 1

Thank you for taking an important step forward to clean up the Anacostia. You could be leaving one of the most important legacies for the District--one that will benefit us for decades and generations. Please make sure the legislation does not get watered down before the next vote so that when it becomes law, it will provide the maximum benefit in terms of increasing water quality and reduce trash build-up. This situation requires dramatic action and your steadfast support.

Patrick Serfass, Ward 6

I've been engaged--in various capacities--in work around this bill for about a year and I am so happy that you have approved it! I work with about 60 DC students, and we are all celebrating your vote. This is a great step in a positive direction. Thanks you!

Kelley Thompson, Ward 1

This was a truly historic vote and I am so proud that my council has taken a proactive step towards helping to clean up our Anacostia! Our Nation's Capitol should lead the county in addressing pollution and cleaning up our important waterways. Every corner, creek, river, and street in this great city needs our attention and cleaning up, not just those in the tourists eyes like the Potomac that gets so much attention.

Thank you for helping take this important step towards cleaning up our river and making the District the green city it has always wanted to be.

Cheers - Adrienne Wojciechowski
410 11th St, SE #3 Washington, DC 20003

Adrienne Wojciechowski, Ward 6

Jess Tonn, Ward 2

This is an important step for our city. We are showing the world our commitment to making our city and planet a greener place to live. Please stay strong on the conditions for the final bill. We need to insist that industry supports the needs of our community.

Amy Jagodnik, Ward 3

WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN TO CLEAN UP THIS WONDERFUL PLACE WE CALL EARTH. WE ALSO MUST TEACH OUR CHILDREN FROM DAY ONE HOW TO RESPECT AND TAKE CARE OF OUR EARTH!

GINA BASTA, HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND

It's encouraging to see full support of this legislation, which is a great start to a Trash Free Anacostia and will hopefully reduce the amount of trash lying around the rest of the city. Way to go!

George d'Adhemar, Ward 5

As someone who can see the Anacostia River from my bedroom window, I am thrilled to learn of the advancement of this important legislation. Your actions will help to clean up a river that has long been ignored and help to save all DC residents money at the grocery store. The plastic bags provided at the store now are not free! The cost is simply rolled into the price of other goods we buy. Thanks for all your hard work on this and other important issues.

Elaine, Ward 6

This is a great victory for our campaign. Thanks for taking the time to listen and help!!!

Sarah Gans, Alexdandria, VA

Please do not allow this bill to be watered down. River East needs this bill to pass!

David Garber, Ward 8

I am glad to see that the Anacostia River is getting more notice about the amount of trash in the river. Thank you for vote

H. Garrett, Ward 1

Thank you for the vote, hopefully one day soon everyone will be able to enjoy a clean Anacostia River.

David Hartogs, Arlington, VA

I greatly appreciate your forward thinking and your commitment to protecting and restoring the Anacostia River. We only get one chance at protecting the environment, and we've got to make the right decision. This Act is a step in the right direction!

Daniel Early, Ward 6

This is a small but important step in making the city a cleaner and more livable place, and sets an example for nearby cities such as my own.

Michele Miller, Silver Spring, MD

Chris Moore, Ward 6

We must all work together to protect our resources and the beautiful nature around us. Even living in an urban environment we are not seperated from environmental impact in the least. I thank you for showing your support and for your vote to set an example to other cities around the country in cleaning up our river. This is a great step in the right direction!

Thomas Cavett, Ward 2

As a resident living in DC, I think it's important that we take care of where we live. I'm glad to know that you support this cause and appreciate your vote!

michele walters, Ward 1

I'm so proud of your forward thinking and excited about returning to another assignment in DC next summer. I can't wait to get back to a cleaner, healthier and ever prettier Anacostia River.

Martin Antuna, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Great to see DC leading on this issue and transforming the Anacostia into a source of pride. Thank you.

Andrew Spell, Arlington, Virginia

I am proud that we are taking this important step to clean up our once-beautiful river and set an example for the rest of the nation. Although I am not a resident of the district, I live next to the Watts Branch stream valley and look forward to doing my part to keep the watershed clean.

Julia Ridgely, Rockville, MD

This is a fantastic step in the right direction, and a nice precedent for other cities across America. We are located at the convergence of two rivers...let's keep them clean!!

Sean O'Connor, Ward 1

PLEASE DON'T BEND TO OPPOSITION PRESSURE!

Chris Woods, Ward 5

It is shameful that we have neglected the Anacostia for so long--it needs our attention and our care to restore it to its former splendor and to be a beautiful feature of our urban environment. I strongly support the Anacostia Cleanup and Protection Act.

laura cantral, Ward 6

I want my children to be able to see the beautiful world that I love seeing everyday. We shouldn't be responsible for taking that joy and right from them.

Nicole Marquand, Ward 2

this is an effort worth perusing. plastic bags are a nuisance and the only environmentally sound reason worth keeping them around is to pick up dog turds.

Troy Schultz, Ward 6

We need to reduce the use of plastic, reduce the trash in our rivers, and begin to build a more sustainable ethic in the District.

Barbara Elkus, Ward 4

It is the right thing to do!

Helen Josen, Encino, CA

I am sick and tired of seeing our beautiful river banks filled with trash, especially plastic bottles and bags. It is unhealthy for the city and prevents further development and tourism.

Sankar Sitaraman, Ward 1

I am a native Washingtonian (b. 1953) who has waited too long for clean rivers. My mother had to have typhoid shots in the 1940s after falling into the Potomac River while canoing. I could never wade nor swim in the Potomac growing up. Most recently, I participated in the Anacostia River Day. There is no reason on earth our two rivers couldn't be one day swimmable for all DC residents. Imagine the opportunity for children in Anacostia, to go swimming in fresh water. This is a good first step. Please support and continue to support water cleanup initiatives in the District, through good, solid legistlation, science, and education. The plastic bag cleanup and tax is an excellent step along the way. Lets get Maryland and Pennsylvania, and Delaware and Virginia on board. Let us set a stellar example!!!

Michele Colburn, Ward 3

Not only is trash unsightly, it is dangerous. I would take my dogs to the river more, but I am afraid they would get sick from the water or get covered in trash.

Christina Gebhard, Brentwood

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most polluted in North America, and the Anacostia is a tributary contributing to this. Cleaning up the Anacostia will not only improve DC's ecosystem but that of the whole Chesapeake.

Adam Williams, Ward 1

I live in Maryland and want to see all three jurisdictions pass bills like this as soon as possible. I organize cleanups of Rock Creek twice a year and am on my way to one right now.

Molly Hauck, Kensington, MD

As an active volunteer with schools and neighbourhoods in Southeast (focussed on environmental education), I support any initiative to improve the health of the Anacostia Watershed.

kris unger, Arlington, Virginia

This is an everyday thing that increases daily awareness of the environment and specifically of our river and so easy to do.

Anna Amato, Ward 4

As a six-year veteran of the watershed/environmental science arena, this is a critical step in restoring the Anacostia. Not only do these bags wash into the River via the hundreds of small streams that feed it, but the ones that don't choke/kill aquatic life or when they enter the watershed, but they last for years and years and YEARS in landfills everywhere! Set the bar for the DC metro area! Pass this Act ASAP - for my future and the future of our children and grandchildren.

tiffany wright, upstream in Northwest Branch (Silver Spring, MD)

I've never lived anywhere as filled with litter as my neighborhood in DC -- Brookland. It's so sad; we have spent several weekends picking up trash on our street, but it always appears again the next day. The majority of this litter is plastic bags. It clogs the storm drains, pollutes the river, and kills fish. Please support this initiative. I promise -- it won't be that hard for the District to switch to cloth bags -- you already see it happening. Thank you!

Becky Beard, Ward 5

This act would not only help clean up the Anacostia River, but would reduce our city's carbon footprint. Prevention IS cure.

Linsay Deming, Ward 1

When I moved to the District seven years ago, I was shocked by how bagged everything sold was--if you bought a soda from a store, it came with a bag. If you bought groceries, they were automatically double-bagged. You see more bags sometimes in trees than birds. Our poor Anacostia and Potomac rivers are filled with bags. There's no reason for this.

Moreover, plastic bags are made of petroleum! Paper bags, while recyclable, take more energy to actually create. If we're trying to create a less energy-dependent nation, this is an easy place to start.

Hanaa Rifaey, Ward 4

We must take the initiative now, reports are telling us our waterways are approaching their deadliest levels and are getting worse everyday. Please listen to the people and help create a trash free Anacostia.

Kevin Pierson, Ward 6

respected sir,
i want to something special for bears.....poler bears,r so special,for,us......they totally depands on ice......but now adays global warming is a biggest defeat for us ,,,,,,we will have to stop it,,,,sir love bear's,,,,,,,,therefore i want to save poler bear's n global warming,,,,,too

byyyyyy
have a great day..byyyyyy

piyush sharma, jaipur,india

The Anacostia River has been neglected for too long, I strongly support providing reusable bags in lieu of plastic. Every small step counts!

Melissa Boyette, Ward 6

This is absolutely vital for all of the Washington DC waterways. It is only a matter of time that the Potomac starts to feel the impact of the neglected Anacostia River. People who are unaware of the impact that the plastic bags have on the river must be educated from pre school! Companies who mindlessly empty their bulk trash in the streets and depend on city tax payers to clean up must also be held accountable. This is a laudable effort that every politician and community activist should stand behind.

Sariane Leigh, Ward 8

I value the physical environment and the Anacostia deserves our active support after years of pollution. The "bag initiative" is a great idea, one that I support whole heartedly. Please vote in support of a cleaner city and healthier river.

Daniel Foster, Ward 1

Plastic bags are entirely unnecessary and exceedingly wasteful. Our dependence on plastic bags underscores society's eagerness to rely on disposable products, which are not sustainable, cost-effective, or useful.

Tessa Pechenik, Ward 1

Rivers are living systems and the home of many species. For too long, we've neglected our rivers.
Now that we have a more conscious perspective, it's time to treat our waterways with respect for what they are, liquid ecosystems.

R. Zierikzee, San Francisco, CA

I am a rower with the Capital Boat Club and I see how much trash ends up in the Anacostia first hand. SOme days it seems like a minefield that we have to navigate through. The river could be so beautiful and could be a jewel in our city, but instead it is polluted and filthy. It would benefit all of the residents of the district to ensure that the river is clean for recreation, fishing, and for the aesthetic value it could add. Please take measures to make sure that this beautiful river is protected.

Tenley Dalstrom, Ward 6

After having taken part in many river clean ups, I think this initiative could help ensure that plastic bags, one of the most common items I've had to dig out of rivers, is more easily kept out of our city's riverways.

Jill Hepp, Ward 1

Claudia Saavedra, Ward 6

There is a tree across the street from my house. It's a tall tree; in line with my bedroom window. Every fall, as the leaves are blown off the tree, the black plastic grocery bag that has been hidden all summer becomes visible. I watch the bag flutter until spring hides it again.

These bags are everywhere. Floating along like ghosts until something (the river or a tree per haps) catches hold of them.

It's so ugly and sad.

Lots of things about life are outside our control. This isn't one of them. Let's do something.

Karen Kimball, Ward 6

This would improve the environment and build on the renovations to the SW waterfront.

Kevin Connolly, Ward 6

Brian Gibbons, Greenbelt, Maryland

This is a small behavioral change that would significantly improve an important environmental asset of the DC area. I understand the arguments that this is a regressive "tax", but it is equally important to lift up the well-being of all residents - both rich and poor - with an improvement like this.

Jeff Hayes, Ward 1

I think this initiave is tremendously important. Automatic bag dispensing in stores is needless and so hazardous for environment (wasting petroleum and tree resources and creating waste - for plastic - that takes millenia to breakdown. This is such an *easy* way to bring awareness to this issue as well as funding an important clean-up initiative.

Marcia Norton, Ward 6

I have been involved in many cleanups throughout the Potomac Watershed and plastic bags are not only the most numerous problem but the most difficult to clean.

Thomas Bregman, Ward 6

It is very cheap to clean the Anacostia!!!
I don't use plastic bags more than 15/week. This means I might use it at most 720 bags per year. The money for the number of the bags I am going to pay is $36/year. SOOOOOO Cheap!! I can pay $36 tomorrow to improve the Anacostia. Furthermore, there will be free-reusable bags to be distributed to low income and elder people. GO ahead for the clean Anacoatia, Potomac, and the Chesapake Bay!!!!

Masaya Maeda, New Carrollton

Having lived in Copenhagen, Denmark and experienced the success of this initiative firsthand I understand the importance of making this happen! Let's do it!

Irene Lehne, Ward 1

Through the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act we can keep our Anacostia cleaner as well as contribute globally by reducing the energy needed for manufacture of one-use bags.

Claybourne Clarke, Ward 1

It is so easy to carry your own shopping bag to the market; we just have to get everyone in the habit of doing it! It is also easy to decline plastic bags when you shop; people just don't think about it. Let's support this bill and help our neighbors understand that they can be part of the solution to river pollution.

joan Keenan, Ward 6

Robert W. Gammon, Hyattsville, MD

The regular huge clean-ups of the river are just treating the effects and not the cause of the problems. Getting rid of plastic bags before they get anywhere near the river is solving the problem. Please also support trash traps! Make the huge river clean-ups a thing of the past.

Johanna Bockman, Ward 6

Let us lead by example for our future generations

Marva Lane, Annapolis MD

Plastic bags are a major source of pollution throughout the Chesapeake Watershed. I thank DC for taking the lead in addressing this major pollution issue.

Jim Fary, Silver Spring, MD

I have homes near the Potomac River in Virginia and by the Bay in Churchton, MD. I see trash on the shores and in the water each and every time I'm out on the Potomac and on the Chesapeake Bay, so I wholeheartedly support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. We are all connected. We are not only 'our brother's keeper' but our earth's keeper as well.

Sharon Hensley, Kinsale, VA and Churchton, MD

Elise Foster, Ward 1

As a mother, an environmentalist, and a human-being who tries to live more sustainably overall, I avidly support a WDC tax on plastic bags in order to both alleviate the burden on the environment, raise awareness to one's everyday impacts on our immediate environment and Mother Nature as a whole, and teach our children better environmental approaches to ensure a healthier world for future generations.

Brooke Haywood Hack, Ward 6

Andrea Santy, Ward 3

for our future

Subiza, Ward 3

I wholeheartedly support Councilmember Wells's initiative. Let's make this happen in DC!

Catherine Plume, Ward 6

The trash I see on the yards, sidewalks, streets, woods and waters of this city is appalling! Our nation's capitol -- it's shining jewel -- looks like a dump! If eliminating plastic bags will help both the appearance of the city in specific, and the environment in general, I am completely in support of any measure that will do so!

Elaine Hall, Ward 6

Washington DC should be a leader in recycling and conservation - and the practice works.

Joye Frost, Ward 6

Please work to pass a bill reducing the trash in the Anacostia. This river could be a great asset to the city if the DC government, and the citizens, are proactive in reducing the trash in the river.

Sarah Converse, Ward 6

It's been down and dirty for too long--let's clean up and make the most of this natural waterway. Thank you!

Lisa Griffith, Ward 6

Plastic bags can be reused before being recycled. There is no need to get new bags every time you shop. It is for the best interests of the Anacostia River, the DC area and the world to stop the proliferation of plastic bags in nature.

Maribeth Iler, Ward 6

We need to do this to keep our rivers and environment clean.

Janice MacKinnon, Ward 6

We have to take this action to preserve the quality of our rivers and environment.

Janice MacKinnon, DC

Keeping non-biodegradable trash out of the river will cut down on the amount of litter that can disrupt the river's currents and harm plants and animals. Plastics can contaminate the water with poisonous substances. Reducing the number of plastic bags circulating will reduce the number that become litter.

Kelly Nelson, Brooklyn, NY

Please pass this bill! 5 cents per bag will cause many people to stop and think before wasting precious resources and polluting our precious Anacostia. Thank you!

Mary Hillebrand, Ward 6

My wife and I live in Ward 5 near a corner grocery store and I am one of the few people in the area collecting plastic bags, cans and bottles from the ground several times a week.

It seems to me that people don't really need them, but since they're given them they take them and them leave them on the ground. As far as I am concerned, people do not recycle them. And this is obvious, since I collect from the ground hundreds of plastic bags per year. The small black bags are given at the grocery store that I mentioned earlier.

However, the issue is not about plastic versus paper, but how biodegradable are when people don't recycle them.

Also, somoene could argue that plastics bags are most cost efficient to recycle than paper bags. However, not everyone recycles the bags.

I support this idea of charging for plastic bags; thus, encouraging people to reuse them or using fewer of them since some of this bags will end up in the rivers, in the streets, in the sewage, etc.

If I'm not mistaken Ireland have been charging 50 cents per plastic bag since 2002 and it has helped to drecrease dramatically the use of plastic bags in that country.

I hope your proposal gets passed.

Fernando Rodriguez, Ward 5

As a resident of 15th and D Street, NE who regularly spends her week picking up someone else's trash, I completely support this and any other similar bill that brings awareness to the issue and inconvinces people just enough to force a change of habit.

ramona hupp, Ward 6

Our family takes regular walks and bike rides along the Anacostia River and also visits the Aquatic Gardens. And we're always appalled by the amount of bottles and plastic bags we find littering the river banks and flush into marshland such as the ones connecting the Aquatic Gardens to the Anacostia River. With west winds in action, you literally see plastic bags flying from all over Captiol Hill across the Stadium parking lot and then getting stuck in the trees, bushes, and riverbanks along the Anacostia River.

Sonja Walti, Ward 6

It is a wonderful idea, not just for the Anacostia, but for every city everywhere. I think the bags should cast $1.00.

Christian Calleri, Ward 3

Yasmin Chandani, Ward 6

I live very close to the Anacostia and would like very much for it to become an amenity to the neighborhood rather than a detriment.

Mike Fowler, Ward 6

I personally think that it is a great idea to enact a 5 cent tax on plastic bags. When I lived in Italy for a summer, they charged a fee for plastic bags, which makes sense that you pay for an item you take out of the store. It will encourage people to bring reusable bags, which hold more and are sturdier than plastic bags anyway, where you can't fit much more than a loaf of bread. I grew up in Connecticut which has a 5 cent bottle deposit, which is something that could be taken into consideration too. If plastic bags are returned, thus keeping them out of the rivers, then the five cents is refunded. This would actually benefit people of meager means, who could collect bags and return them for cash, which is what happens a lot in Connecticut with cans and bottles which are simply discarded. Overall, the Anacostia River is a disgrace to this nation's capital. The fact that one of the greatest and most powerful cities in the world can't even take care of its own environment and condones such pollution is a disgrace. Washington DC needs to clean up its act and take on responsibility to clean up the Anacostia and the surrounding environment.

Torrence Warren, Ward 1

I believe trees should have leaves and flowers...not plastic bags...

Anna Hylton, Ward 8

I live at the corner of 19th and D Streets, NE. I personally can watch as waves of paper and plastic and metal litter blows down my street directly towards the Anacostia River, a short distance away. Furthermore, our gutter storm drains fill with garbage after each rainstorm, destined into the river. Please support and pass the above referenced legislation. The next step will be to adopt a beverage bottle deposit here in DC.

Richard Reitnauer, Ward 7

I am a resident at the east end of Capitol Hill. I strongly support this initiative as I have seen the devastation to the river caused by trash and plastic bags. I always try to remember to bring reusable bags to the store, but I am not perfect. A fee on bags would help encourage the habit for those who already try to use reusable bags, as well as others.

Jennifer Fowler, Ward 6

Mayor Fenty- Clean waterways are vital to the health of our communities, most especially for those who lack access to water. DC is fortunate to have mixed communities with all access to water, however it remains to be seen if all DC residents appreciate waterways as a public resource to be for recreation, aesthetics and understand its historical implications.
Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to let my voice be heard
Sarah B. Foster

Sarah Foster, Alexandria, VA

The Anacostia is a potentially major assest of the city. it could provide a wonderful recreational and commecial hub. It could host parks, cafes, housing and provide more jobs. First though we need to get the trash out then work at improving the banks and near shoreline property. The cost would be significant but not unsupportable and the benfits long lasting to the Southeast and Northeast quadrants. Other cities have done it to great benefit and so should we.

David P. Mueller, Ward 6

This is a necessary bill- plastic bags are choking the river- I would support raising the cost to .25

ann baldinger, Ward 6

I would love it if everyone stopped using plastic bags & started using re-usable bags just because they thought it was the right thing to do. However, I know that isn't realistically going to happen, so why not create a disincentive to encourage people to do the right thing.

Traci Kidwell, Ward 6

The trash on the banks of the Anacostia and our streets is an embarrassment to DC and our Nation. This will do something about it both in immediate action and in addressing root causes, is a small price to pay, and contains measures to relieve impact on low income residents and seniors on fixed income. Please pass and sign this measure.

Harold Maupin, Ward 6

I fully and unconditionally support the 5 cent charge on plastic grocery bags. I am always forgetting to take my bags with me and only seem to remember when I get up to the register. This would be a good incentive to remember.

JOE BOYETTE, Ward 6

Having had to clean the trash (of which the plastic bags make up a considerable percentage) up around my own home, anything to cut down on the amount of trash in the area is most welcome.

Jennifer Kiel, Ward 6

It's very sound legislation that supports the environment and causes residents to reconsider wasteful habits like using plastic bags.

Kyle Jensen, Ward 6

It will decrease the amount of trash, litter, and waste in the district. It will make citizens think twice before using plastic or paper bags.

Carolyn Conner, Ward 6

Nickels are worth less and less. This project makes them extremely valuable. Pleasse pass this law.

Brit Wyckoff, Ward 6

Having read that 50% of the litter in the Anacostia's tributaries is plastic bags, I don't see how we can not take this step. We can be sensitive to the needs of all socio-economic and still not clog our trees, gutters and waterways with these bags.

Mark Trainer, Ward 6

I've seen the incredible amount of plastic-bag litter in my neighborhood (Ward 6--Capitol Hill East) and in the river. We all have more plastic bags than we know what to do with, and every trip to the grocery store or the drugstore generates more. A 5-cent bag fee would get us all to think about how we use our resources, it would encourage us to re-use bags or switch to non-disposable bags, and it would help with Anacostia River cleanup efforts. And it would put D.C. at the forefront of national efforts to reduce the shocking amount of waste this society generates. I enthusiastically endorse this initiative and urge you to pass it as quickly as possible. Thanks very much.

Jennifer Howard, Ward 6

I think this is a wonderful idea. I have my cloth bags in my trunk and use them when I shop. Everyone should be doing this, whether they support this intiative or not. The pictures spead a thousand words.

Barbara Stander, Murrysville, PA 15668

I live a few blocks from the river and see first hand the trash that blows down or washes towards our river everyday, and I have to tell you a lot of it are plastic bags. These bags which folks use and overuse are such a waste, they will NEVER biodegrade and if they aren't sitting in our river they will spend years and years in our landfills. Please help Mayor Fenty and Council Chairman Gray, plastics although useful in some aspects, they are also terrible products that are polluting our environment and harming not only fish & wildlife but also our young children and future generations.

How hard is it for residents to plan ahead, bring a reusable bag with them, use a paper bag, and at the same time break our ties and chains with the chemical and plastics industry.

We need to think about the bigger picture, this is not just the health of our city and the Anacosita, but also our world's oceans that are being choked with litter, trash, and most of it plastic!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, or at least having your staff read this! And I can assure you that this will be an issue that I will remember come the next election day, there is no time to waste our environment needs our help now!

Adrienne W.

I would really appreciate this incentive to push reusable cloth bags in the grocery store. I recycle my plastic bags, but it seems I'm always accumulating more. I would reuse my old ones or bring a cloth bag if there was a monetary incentive to do so. As it is now, the grocers are more than happy to double-wrap all my groceries in these flimsy bags (that often fall apart anyway!).

And finally, as a new resident of Ward 6, it makes me sad to see the Anacostia River so downtrodden and polluted? 20,000 TONS of trash each year?! That's an insane amount. If 5 cents per bag can cut down on half of that, I'm all about it.

Jim Gruen, Ward 6

I am a former DC resident and live within the Anacostia River Watershed and DC Metro area. Please support a trash free Anacostia by helping to reduce the number of plastic bags in the river! Your support of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 will not only help the Anacostia, its wildlife, and the encompassing Chesapeake Bay watershed, but it will also serve as a model for other cities and states in our country.

Thank you.

Erin Castelli, Cheverly, MD

Hi,

I have volunteered to clean up the Anacostia. The Anacostia River had lots of trash in it. Let's make the Anacostia clean and safe.

Philo Collins, Ward 2

I support this initative because It would help clean up the Anacostia River, inprove the quality of life, allow more pleasant activities for my neighbors to partipate in such as fishing and boating.

T. shuford, Ward 8

I don't need to live near the Anacostia river to be involved in this petition because the trash piling up on its shore comes from many places -not just DC. People need to be educated about the risk we currently face by trashing our natural resources and not caring about the environment (and by caring I mean DOING something about it). Unfortunately, among all the living species, the human being is one of the most destructives that builds weapons, kills trees, hunts for fun instead of survival, and could care less about its surrounding. The goods news is that human beings have the capability of making extreme changes and turn everything upside down in order to do the right thing. That is what is being asked in this petition, for the Major and for everyone to do the right thing. Thank you.

Ana Rojas, Woodbridge, Virginia

Our Nation's Capital is too important and too beautiful to allow this horrible pollution ro continue! Please pass this bill to help our environment. We are planning a trip to DC this week to see the Cherry Blossoms and when I saw the video of the Anacostia River I felt like crying!
It is my hope that you will set the standard for the entire country!

Connie Cauvel, Murrysville, Pa

Mayor Fenty-

This initiative is a no-brainer for me. The Anacostia is a gem of our city, and any additional funds which can be put towards treating it as a gem, and not as a dump, should be. And to make the direct connection between reducing trash and waste in our city through this initiative, and tying it to the health of the Anacostia, is a noble thing.

Thanks for supporting this. Although there may be some initial resistance to the fees, we have to put the proper public outreach campaigns in place to help residents see the benefit. This is one step in a culture that condemns waste, and instead embraces waste reduction and caring for our local environment.

Sean O'Connor, Ward 1

Dear Mayor Fenty, Councilmember Gray, and Councilmember Graham,

A 5 cent fee on plastic bags is a VERY small price for residents to pay to keep our rivers clean, especially when you consider how much money the city will have to spend to clean those rivers if we continue polluting them at the current rate.

Most of the time, when buying something at a store, consumers aren't even given the choice to get a bag or not- store clerks always assume we want as many bags as possible. A 5 cent fee will encourage clerks to ask, and consumers to consider, whether or not a bag is necessary. When a bag is necessary, 5 cents is not going to make or break anyone, but 5 cents WILL be a reason for people to consider reusing those bags.

Sincerely,

Adam Perry
Kalorama/Adams Morgan

Adam Perry, Ward 1

This is more than a beautification issue. The life cycle of plastics is horrendous and there is research starting to uncover the effects of different chemicals entering the food chain via animals eating plastic pieces that are breaking down in our oceans. Rmember Silent Spring?

Ryan Pleune, Takoma Park, MD

Plastic bags are wasteful, inconvenient, and disgusting. They pollute our earth and waste both consumers' and taxpayers' money. Please support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 to make DC a more enjoyable and prosperous place to live. Thank you!

Jordan Rinehart, Ward 2

My name is Jesse Meiller and I am a resident of DC, an admirer and a recreational user of the Anacostia River, an educator and a toxicologist. There is no question that our city and our waterways would be cleaner and healthier without plastic bags. Our rivers and streams, and the plants and animals that live within, are being strangled by plastic bags. They are being broken down into such small pieces of plastic that they have become integrated into the matrix of the ecosystems in our rivers. This will not allow our waters and surrounding lands to be returned to their previous beauty and utilization as was seen decades ago. We need to stop allowing plastic bags to be fed directly and indirectly into our waters and the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 will move us many steps closer to this goal. Please support this Act and encourage others to do so as well. Thank you for your help.

Jesse Meiller, Ward 4

Most plastic bags are unnecessary and cause more harm than good.

Neil Payne, Ward 1

For too long we have neglected our rivers and have allowed them to become polluted to levels that prohibit their use and enjoyment by all District residents. It is time we take action to improve the river for not only on our community but also the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

John Krohn, Ward 6

The pollution from this river affects water quality throughout the river basins emptying into the Atlantic where I surf and swim. I am unhappy that the river has never been cleaned up and am willing to help to do so by paying to use plastic bags.

Thanks

David M. Stemper, Ward 3

Jenney Wilder, Ward 1

Plastic bags are unnecessary for many purchases, so a small fee can help reduce much of their use.

Jon Wheeler, Ward 1

It would be very nice to have a clean river in the dowtown of the US Capital!! Both for environmental reasons and tourist attraction!

Yana Kravtsova, Ward 2

I, too, picked up many, many plastic bags along Rock Creek. Plastic bags are horrible for the environment.

Danielle Koschil, Ward 2

Double-bagging is annoying.

Svetlana Negrustueva, Ward 1

Saving the planet is like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. It's time to start biting, Please end plastic bag use in the District.

Alka Kothari, Ward 1

I participate in the Earth Day Clean up every April since moving to the District in 2004. Every year I'm dismayed by the number of plastic bags we fish out of the river and "de-mud" from its banks.

Robert Summers, Ward 6

I've been in Washington for over a decade, and recently moved her permanently. While the city's growth has been impressive, its guardianship over its natural resources remains weak, especially concerning water. I've known people who've worked at WASA and have heard horrifying stories of the disgusting things that are found in the water. Some of these pollutants can be difficult to prevent, but plastic bags is an easy one. Cities around the world far larger than DC and with fewer resources are banning disposable plastic bags (like Bombay for example). In the US, most stores offer reusable nylon or canvas bags for around $1. It can't be made any easier for people to switch. But if we're not willing to ban disposable plastic bags, then the least we can do is to discourage their use. Please support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act.

Punam Shah, Ward 1

I enjoy the National Arboretum and part of the pleasure of the national treasure is to look down at the Anacostia River, which should be returned to pristine condition.

Penny Perry, McLean, Virginia

I've picked up trash at the last Anacostia River Cleanup, and one day is definitely not enough to clean it up! More needs to happen to keep that river clean!

Andrea Cunningham, Ward 2

Bob and I have three green bags that we take to the grocery and drug store. We try to have an old plastic bag stuffed in a pocket for unplanned purchases. We are confident that a small cash disincentive for failing to bring a bag and the social incentive of seeing others with their reuseable bags will substantially reduce the plastic and paper pollution in the river and on our streets.

Sonia and Robert Conly, Ward 6

gail martin, Ward 6

Alice Norris, Ward 6

Our waterways are an integral part of the earth's eco balance. Here in the DC area the Anacostia River, with an immense clean up, can become a safe and enjoyable recreation area.

Gail Martin, Ward 6

This legislation serves a broad economic and social revitalization and, besides, is environmentally responsible.

Richard Griffis, Ward 3

Amy Jagodnik, Ward 3

Over a year ago, our family decided to eliminate our use of disposable shopping bags (both paper and plastic). We've found that it is absolutely one of the easiest things anyone can possibly do to help the environment. The biggest challenge is in remembering to bring your reusable bag to the store with you--but you can get used to it in a hurry. It's really no more difficult than remembering your wallet and your keys, and once you get in the habit, you find that the practice has a lot of fringe benefits. For starters, those cloth handles on the reusable bags are a lot easier on your hands than the plastic ones, which gradually garotte your fingertips and turn them blue if you carry heavy groceries more than a few blocks. In fact, if the handles are long enough, you can even sling them over your shoulder. Also, the bags don't rip, stand up straight in the trunk of your car instead of slumping over, and you can even get lined reusable shopping bags that will keep the ice cream from melting on the way home from the store.

I know that sometimes being environmentally conscious is a privilege of the well-to-do--not everyone can afford to buy organic food or shop at farmer's markets--but try as I might, I can't imagine how this particular environmental measure would hurt our city's less fortunate residents. It's just a matter of changing habits. Disposable shopping bags didn't exist until about 50-60 years ago; before then, everyone brought their baskets or bags to the store with them. There's no reason we can't get back into this habit.

That's the real selling point for me of this initiative--not the fact that it does so much for the environment, but that, for what it does, it asks so very, very little of the city's residents. If we're not willing to go at least this far to preserve our environment, how will we ever face the much larger challenges of global warming?

Lara A. Ballard, Ward 3

For the sake of the Anacosita, the DC budget, and our limited resources please support this sensible bill. I carry a reusable cloth bag or old plastic bag whenever I go shopping, and it is NOT a burden. Let the District be a city of the future, not one stuck in the past.

Leslie Limmer, Ward 3

For the last few years my family and I have joined Ocean Conservancy and NOAA in September to clean up the shoreline along the Anacostia River. The trash we find is disgusting - besides the food wrappers, styrofoam plates, bait containers, cans, bottles, and plastic bags, last year we found a dead bird tangled in fishing line.

We have a boat docked near the Pentagon and spend many, many days on the Potomac each summer. We sometimes go into the Anacostia, but the trash we see in the Anacostia do not make this a pleasant destination.

While we enjoy going to the DC waterfront to buy fresh seafood, the trash these floating markets dump into the river is appalling. We have watched these vendors sweep their trash directly into the river. That can't be legal!! The trash floating around this area pollutes our waterways and makes our beautiful city a disgrace.

We all need to take personal responsibility for reducing trash. Recycling efforts will only go so far - it is too easy to obtain and discard plastic bags and bottles. We need to provide incentives for people to stop using so much plastic. A plastic bag fee would cut down on the use of bags and prevent so much trash from entering the river. Plastic bags are particularly harmful to wildlife that eat the bags, mistaking them for food. They are also a blemish on our nation's capital.

Please do what you can to stop the flow of trash into the Anacostia River. Stop plastic bag debris by imposing a fee on all disposable plastic bags. Enforce our anti-litter laws. And help groups like the Ocean Conservancy and NOAA clean up the trash. We owe it to our children and this country to make DC a place we can be proud of.

Vicki Cornish, Arlington, VA

We have to look forward and think about the consequences of our actions. The future costs of plastic bags everywhere far outweighs the use of something that has easy alternatives: reusuable bags or even paper bags.

Thanks, Todd

Todd Pfeiffer, chapel hill, nc

Our waterways are being suffocated by debris. The Anacostia River deserves the same amount of respect as the Potomac.

Ann McElhatton, Ward 6

As a wetland scientist, I am heartened when organizations and government team up to use market solutions to solve ecosystem degradation problems. This was a very successful move in Ireland, and I am glad to see forward thinking right here at home. Push this one through, and more than the Anacostia will be improved!

Kassandra Cerveny, Ward 6

I spent hours cleaning up the banks of the Anacostia last year and it didn't make a dent. Styrofoam, plastic and needles everywhere. I knew my efforts would be erased the next time it rained.

Emily Landis, Ward 1

I never use plastic bags. When I do not have a canvas or re-usable bag with me, I usually ask the store clerk not to give me a bag, and instead, I put the items I have purchased in my purse. I have collected about twenty different re-usable canvas bags from different places that just hand them out to people for free, and I keep them in my car for when I go to the grocery store. I do not think that the plastic ban bag will place a burden on lower-income residents, as canvas bags are usually handed out for free by different businesses, and organizations.

The plastic bag ban is a wonderful step in the right direction. I believe that the main reason people continue to use plastic is because they are simply unaware of the damage plastic causes to the environment they live in. The plastic bag ban will make every shopper aware of the problem and hopefully encourage more sustainable habits in the District, making D.C. a more beautiful and cleaner city.

Gabriela Delgadillo, Ward 3

Our waterways have been saturated with man made pollutants over the last 100 years or more. I support the charging of plastic bags to help minimize that aspect of pollution.

Monica Evans, Ward 6

First bags and next we need a 25 cent DEPOSIT ON PLASTIC BOTTLES!

Alexi Boado, Hyattsville MD

I have not used plastic bags for 5 years. It is easy and doable. I shop at the Safeway in SW and buy the same groceries as everyone else. However, I shop with canvas bags, recycle as much packaging as possible, and compost the organic waste, thereby greatly reducing my waste stream.

I work in environmental conservation and see the direct and indirect results of plastic disposal. Plastics should be used for limited purposes (medical and electronic components) whereby the long term durability of the material is put to good use. Using plastic for food packaging and carrying home groceries is very wasteful and irresponsible considering the damage it causes after its short use.

The plastic bag ban is a good step in the right direction. I hand out reusable bags to my friends and neighbors and often at public events. This is not enough. The plastic bag ban will make every shopper aware of the problem and hopefully encourage more sustainable habits.

Kimberly Katzenbarger, Ward 6

Dear Mayor Fenty and City Council members:

Several times a year I volunteer to pick up trash along the Anacostia River. What are the top two items I pick up? Plastic and styrofoam. The amount of trash and debris along the banks and in the river is an absolute disgrace.

Banning plastic bags is a first and easy step to reducing the amount of trash that ends up in our river.

City Council -- You can stand up for the citizens of the District and the metro area. It is possible for this Industry to make an environmentally benign product. Bags that biodegrade. Many companies are already doing it. Unless more cities ban plastic bags, they will have no reason to change.

For the sake of our health and the health of future generations, please pass this ban on plastic bags. Save our city money and help prevent the trash and pollution that is slowing but surely choking the life out of the Anacostia River.

Katie Snider, Alexandria, Virginia

I have been a part of many cleanups of the Anacostia and Potomac over the years, and so much of the trash collected has been plastic, especially plastic bags. I think creating an Anacostia fund using the 5 cent bag fee is an excellent idea. Residents of the Anacostia, and everyone in the D.C. metro area, deserve a cleaner, safer, more enjoyable Anacostia. An increasing number of stores have already begun to charge for disposable bags or have eliminated them entirely- please support this important measure to protect the Anacostia and show the nation that D.C. wants to be a green leader!!

Sarah Swenson, Ashburn, Virginia

Our landfills, rivers, and streets are full of non-biodegradable plastic bags. I've seen them stuck in the tops of trees and in fences/gates. They are unsightly as well as environmentally harmful.

Debbie Loftin, Ward 6

It greatly upsets me to see plastic bags blowing down streets and stuck in trees everyday on my walk home from work. Please support this Act.

Katherine Taylor, Ward 4

This is a very important initiative due to the adverse environmental consequences to everyone in the DC area that uses the water from the Anacostia river, which includes humans and wildlife.

Tim Mahony, Ward 1

As someone who frequently is on the Anacostia River, I see the harm that garbage does to the river. Removing plastic bags will help keep them out of the river and our environment. The Anacostia River is an invaluable community and natural resource, and as stewards of this river, it is our obligation and responsibility to protect it and the environment. A healthy and clean Anacostia is the legacy that we owe our children. Anything we can do to help make that dream a reality must be done.

Daniel Early, Ward 6

A 5 cent fee for a plastic or paper bag is an inexpensive as well as educational way to raise funds to help with the Anacostia River Cleanup. I strongly support this bill and urge the DC Council to approve it.

Joanne B. Murphy, Ward 2

This is our Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Amazon, Antarctica! Take care of your own back yard.

Lisa Swanson, Ward 7

It is time for the US to catch up with the rest of the World in terms of the use of plastic bags.

Stephen Petix, Ward 4

The Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act will serve as a great reminder to carry a reusable bag. This simple solution to a major problem will protect our environment while saving District dollars. We all win.

Brian Mattes, Ward 3

Mary Kadzielski, Ward 4

Whatever can be done to clean up the river, needs to be done. I love the idea of recycling bags at the stores themselves. Stores need to be more mindful of how they use their bags. I have been grocery shopping numerous times and had things needlessly double bagged or come home to find ONE item in a bag. It's a waste. I live in ward 8 and my backyard always has a ton of plastic bags stuck in the trees. I hate it, it's an eyesore.

Anne Olden, Ward 8

As a member of Capital Rowing Club, I'm on the Anacostia River several mornings a week from March through November. My teammates and I see first-hand the effects of trash pollutants in the greater watershed area. We see plastic bags and trash caught up on the shoreline, our oars clank against bottles and cans, and our boats are left with a film on the hulls when we pull them out of the water each morning after practice. After mid-summer practices, when the humidity is at its peak, wouldn't it be grand to be able to hop into the Anacostia to cool off!

Rachel Freedman, Ward 6

This river is way beyond becoming what it once was. It is a powerful, palpable reminder of the awful, careless habits and practices that lead to the river becoming what it is today. There is absolutely no reason why it should remain that way. We are no longer living in the 30's, we are more educated now and understand what needs to be done to clean up the Anacostia. Why Fenty should even have to consider accepting a petition is ridiculous.

Matthew Walters, Ward 3

DC's Anacostia River and its waterfronts, have been neglected for far too many years. Cleaning up the river and its banks will increase the value of this resource and the quality of life for local residents, all citizens of DC and the visitors from across the nation who will come to enjoy it. The Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 is in line with President Obama's calls to increase the value of our natural resources and with global movements to protect our natural resources. I ask you to support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

Mark Irwin, Ward 3

protecting the environment live in is not optional. It is wasteful and ridiculous to be given a bag (paper or plastic) for one item. we need to REDUCE our use of manufactured products. A 5c fee will help to do this.

Amanda Aloia, rockville, maryland

Some (very) small sacrifices are in order to protect not just the Anacostia but the entire regional watershed.

Richard Khoe, Ward 1

We operate a sustainability education-focused website for the DC Metropolitan area. www.ecostudio.info

Jeff Brechbuhl, Ward 1

I think this is a wonderful opportunity to clean up the river where it is so greatly needed. Let's take proactive steps towards making a cleaner city for everyone to enjoy.

michele walters, Ward 1

As a lifelong DC area resident, it has always dismayed me that so much more care is given to the health of the Potomac than the Anacostia. The Anacostia and nearby residents deserve much better. This is an easy, straightforward way to make substantial improvements in the watershed, as well as addressing climate change!

Ashley King, Ward 6

Joseph Caramagno, Alexandria VA

Plastic bags are awful, and a 5 cent fee will be a great incentive to go reusable.

Dan Crawford, Ward 3

I spend time picking up plastic trash to keep it out of the storm drains on my corner there are 6 drains and 100s of litter bugs who drop every container from after school snacks to on the go meals. If we can't get our citizens to put trash and plastic where it belongs then we should be charging them for the luxury of tossing. Please support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

Frederick Nunley, Ward 5

I support the Trash Free Anacostia initiative because it's crucial that we begin to respect our local environment again. I am out every weekend picking up trash along my street. My actions have a tiny impact, but an initiative like this will make a huge difference.

George d'Adhemar, Ward 5

I'm sick of seeing useless plastic bags strewn over our trees, streets, bushes, and fences -- and what I see certainly doesn't account for all the bags packed into landfills for the next couple hundred years.

Let's charge for these unnecessary pollutants, so people will think twice about whether or not they really need that bag. (Then next, pass a bottle bill!)

Kristen Fulton-Wright, Ward 5

Simply - the Anacostia is an incredible, natural resource that should be protected from the carelessness of local residents.

Emily Lange, Ward 2

We need to take proactive steps to reserve a clean community for our future. I think this is a great plan and we should all be supportive of any iniative that will protect our greatest rescource - our enviroment.

Not only will this bill clean up Anacostia River but our community.

Say no to pastic! Say no to waste! Say yes to a clean future!

Please support this bill.

Nikki Peele, Ward 8

Jamilah Fagbene, Ward 8

It's time to give ourselves the added push we need to remember to bring our own bags. It's silly that we waste so much. This regulation would encourage us all to remember, without significantly hurting local business.

Shelby Jennings, Ward 2

Dear Mayor Fenty,

As a citizen concerned with the health of the Anacostia River, I am writing to urge you to support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 that is being co-introduced by the District of Columbia Council, under the leadership of Councilmember Tommy Wells. The river has been burdened with trash and plastic for far too long, and this legislation represents a great step forward by the District towards a Trash Free Anacostia River.

Through the collection of fees associated with consumers who purchase disposable plastic and paper bags at food service establishments in the city, a fund will be established that will pay for efforts to protect and restore the Anacostia River. A recent study conducted on the river for the Department of Environment revealed over 14,000 plastic bags that were counted in the streams feeding into the Anacostia River. These bags are often needlessly distributed by store owners, and when they are needed, they can most often be replaced with reusable bags. Each "free" bag that is distributed already costs District residents. The city spends millions of dollars each year on trash cleanup efforts, and implementation of this bag fee program will help to reduce these costs. Also, District residents foot part of the bill for trash cleanup through their monthly water bill, since the DC Water and Sewer Authority spends millions on trash removal from the Anacostia River. With all of the billions of dollars being invested in the development of the Anacostia Waterfront, the visual blight of plastic trash in the river serves to negatively impact this investment. Passage of the bag fee legislation is an economically feasible thing to do.

Also, by passing this effort in the District of Columbia, stronger pressure will be exerted upon our upstream Anacostia River neighbors in Maryland to take similar responsibility for its trash problem. As signatories of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Treaty, both you and Governor O'Malley want to do everything in your authority to meet this goal. The District stands to truly lead on this effort with the passage of this bag fee legislation. I urge you to seize this wonderful opportunity, and set the example for the region, and for the rest of the country. We deserve no less!

Sincerely,
Katherine DiGiovanni
Capitol Hill

Katherine DiGiovanni, Ward 6

I support this initiative because I live, work, and play near (and sometimes on) the Anacostia River. This initiative would provide much needed funding to pay for the costs of mitigating people's negligence in regards to littering and not being accountable for or taking responsibility their own trash. I would also urge the District of Columbia to more strictly enforce penalties for littering, which is a core cause of the trash accumulation in our community, on our streets, and on our river. At $300 per violation for littering, if ever enforced in any meaningful way, perhaps combined with 100 hours of community service to be spent picking up litter, this could provide habitual litterers with the negative reinforcement needed for them to stop being selfish litterers and "clean up" their own act, and hopefully even influence their peers that littering is an awful thing to do and is something that is only done by the lowest and most ignorant of people.

Antony DiGiovanni, Ward 6

As a native Washingtonian, my family members and myself are all being affected by the unhealthy and unsightly conditions of the Anacostia River, where we once felt safe boating and fishing. We also remember the days when there was a dump near the Eastland Gardens in the N.E. area, where trash was dumped and burned. Currently, in the absence of that unhealthy eye sore, when conditions should be improving, unfortunately the Anacostia River has taken its place with the same unhealthy, and unsightly dumping conditions. What with the new Economic Stimulus Package, and the organization of a new Green environment and economy, we expect some positive results. Please let us know what we can do to support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection ACt of 2009.

Betty Pierce, Ward 6

Beacue the river is sometimes so disgusting but is also such a great asset to the community--keep it clean. Trash on the river is a huge problem and we need to always be thinking how our actions affect the environment. The five cents is a great way to fund the river cleanup and emphasize the environmetal to anyone who shops.

Maregry Perko, Ward 2

This program is necessary to limit trash that is in the river. We need a more proactive solution to address this problem. This program is the right solution!

Peter Hill, Ward 7

There is trash all over my front lawn and on my streets. It is a mess and could be avoided.

Kate Perkins, Ward 8

The plastic bag ban can be a win-win for both the city and consumers. As it stands now, many grocery store offer rebates for the use of reusable grocery bags, so consumers who aren't using these are effectively paying more than consumers who do use the bags.

Clean water, clean air, clean land...our very lives depend on them. Only by changes in our own behaviors and as groups of concerned citizens can we protect the places that are literally caring for us by providing air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat.

Let DC become a leader rather than a follower in the green movement!!

Maria, Ward 3

When I was growing up in DC, I was a member of local Boy Scout Troop 500 and I chose as my Eagle Scout service project to organize a clean-up of a section of the Anacostia near RFK. Between 30 and 50 volunteers showed up for the one day clean-up with canoes, boots, gloves and LOTS of trash bags. The amount of trash that we had to remove was not a surprise, but the lack of a lasting impact unfortunately was. We cleaned up a large section of the river bank, removing truckloads of tires, gas cylinders, plastics and dozens and dozens of bags of trash. But just a couple weeks later, you could hardly tell anyone had been there because the area had already filled with more trash.

Please support the Anacostia Watershed Society and a more aggresive clean-up of the Anacostia River we we can get this river clean enough that DC residents want to use the waterway and live alongside it. There is a HUGE potential for the Anacostia to become a source of pride, because DC was able to clean it up, instead of the festering eyesore that it is now. Let's start making that more aggressive change today.

Patrick Serfass, Ward 6

It is time to get serious. DC could be a model for all of America how to build greeen jobs, great life styles, and sustainable systems--from trash, to energy, to our water. Systemic solutions like the trash bag surcharge and clean up fund are the way to go. GO MAYOR!! MAKE DC LEAD THE NATION!!!

Anya Schoolman, Ward 1

I remember when I was 8 years old and I went with a charitable organization to clean up the Anacostia. I remember being so scared by the fact that needles were around and clothes and mattresses and tires. I still find it unbelievable how polluted our water ways are. It is time for DC to unite around this. It is time for there to be communication and education. This is necessary.

Eliza, Ward 3

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,

I strongly urge you to support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

Thank you for your consideration.

David Culp

David Culp, Ward 6

Having participated in years of Anacostia trash cleanup opportunities, we need to use every tool to keep trash out of the river. Banning plastic bags in DC is just one step in the right direction.

Carolyn Serfass, Ward 6

Better neighborhoods start with a better environment - start here and clean up DC!

Erica Manta, Hinsdale, IL

Dear Mayor Fenty:
Please support the Anacostia River cleanup and Protection Act--keep our river beautiful, as it is part of the life blood of our city and area. I reside in Maryland, but I am from DC and want to keep it beautiful. The river should be treasured, not littered.
thank you.
paula

Paula Khederian

This initiative is an easy way to take a big step toward helping to clean up the Anacostia and protect the environment in general.
Thanks, Catherine Estes

Catherine Estes, Ward 3

Dear Mayor Fenty,

Sincerely,

Willis DeHart
President,
OakTree Inc.

Willis DeHart, Maryland, Prince George's

Anything we can do to stop the pollution of our rivers with plastic we don't need is a blessing.
I see all sorts of plastic gets dropped all over my neighborhood and it ends up in the drains. On my corners there are five storm drains that are full of plastic trash. Let's do something to put it where it belongs. Please impose this tax!

Frederick Nunley, DC

I love the Anacostia River and want to see it clean.

GAIL SPANE, Ward 6

I live off of the Northwest Branch in Brentwood MD. I take my dogs down to the waterfront park on the Anacostia and it is sad to see all the floating trash. Kids play down by the water as well and I wonder what kind of stuff they are subjecting themselves to.

Christina Gebhard, Brentwood

Brian Killen, Ward 5

We do not have recycling of plastic in our park. I feel we need something to dispose of the plastic properly.

Carol Terrell, Plant City, Fl

I paddle on the river up to five days a week in the summer and see how many trash bags float by, especially after it rains. I want to be able to paddle in a river that is free of plastic bags. The Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act is a start to restoring the river to it's natural beauty.

Karen Ostlie, Ward 6

Along with fellow paddlers, I dragon boat on the Anacostia up to four days a week from the Anacostia Community Boathouse. On more occasions than we'd like to remember, we've had to dodge blankets of trash during weekly practice. In addition, I've had an eye infection and a recurring rash from being in contact with the Anacostia River. Not real great selling points when trying to recruit folks to enjoy all the recreational activities that the Anacostia has to offer. This year, we are also establishing a youth paddling program and we hate to think that we're putting youth in harm's way, which in fact, we absolutely will continue to do if clean up initiatives like this one are not supported. Let's be changemakers, ALL of us, and do what's right for the Anacostia.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sharon Hong, MSW, Ward 6

I have spent 6 years working on cleanups in the Anacostia watershed. Plastic bags that wash in from the neighborhoods are a major contributor to the trash I have dredged from the river. Please eliminate them.

Clair

Clair Garman, Takoma Park, MD

Mark Miller, Cheverly, Md.

I am a breast cancer survivor who has discovered the wonderful sport of dragon boat racing. We practice on the Anacostia River from the Anacostia Boat House. The presence of trash in the reiver is a serious deterrent to our recruiting efforts. I urge you to support any way that plastic and plastic bags can be removed from the river, even if this means the non-availabilit of plastic bags or user taxes on plastic bags.
I am a Maryland resident and will support similar measures in Maryland.
Sincerely,
M. Brigid Krizek

Brigid Krizek, Rockville, MD

Dear Mr. Fenty,

Thank you for all of your hard work in working for Washington, DC. I am adding my name to this letter to help ask for support in eliminating a major pollution source to our beloved river and city.

Sincerely,

Susanna Pearlstein

Susanna L Pearlstein, Ward 3

Dear Mayor Fenty,

I am a Virgnia resident but I work in DC. I am for DC statehood, or in the meantime at least a vote in Congress, and would gladly pay tax in DC because I come here every day.

I am a member of the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit that works to protect our nation's coasts, beaches, and waterways. We have a very strong chapter of volunteers in Washington, DC that have worked with Congress on past issues.

Our group is currebtly working on supporting the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. I would appreciate it if you would support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act. I'm writing to ask you to supprot it. I'll write to my own Virginia representatives as well.

Perhaps you have heard that the entire country of China has banned plastic bags? That will save them over 30 million barrels of oil, not to mention getting them out of the environment.

We shop at farmers markets and Whole Foods, and always bring our reusable bags. And we pay extra to use bio (corn starch) trash bags. So I am serious. I love Washington, DC - let's clean up the Anacostia everyway we can.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Terry Liu

Terence Liu, Vienna, VA

The Anacostia River has suffered for too long. I wholeheartedly support this bag fee legislation, and see it as a way for the District to improve water quality, lift up our neighborhoods, save money on trash cleanup efforts, and move closer to meeting the goals of a Trash Free Anacostia and Potomac River. Passage of this legislation will catapult the District to the front of the line in cutting-edge, sustainable trash management in this country. We deserve no less!

Jim Connolly, Bladensburg, MD

I think we need to encourage sustainable practices in all facets of our economy.

Andrew Bertaina, Ward 3

If you live in DC and care about communities of people (many of which are disadvantaged in many ways already), there is no explanation needed. Please clean up the river for both the river's sake and those who live near it.

Heidi Vanderwerff, Ward 1

Plastic bags are uneccessary and a wasteful use of resources. Discarded bags collect in our rivers, fill our landfills, create an unsightly mess on our city streets, and consume scarce tax dollars to clean up. Taxing plastic bags will encourage D.C. residents to use reusable shopping bags, reducing trash and saving D.C. residents money in the short and long run.

Stephanie Bertaina, Ward 3

I think this is an easy and simple way to help clean up the earth!

Stacie Kossoy, Ward 6

Rebecca Ende, Ward 5

America has become a wasteful society. We need to conserve for future generations. There is no reason why we have to use a plastic or paperbag from the market when we could bring our own reusable bag, which has been standard practice in Europe for years.

Cynthia Hartley, Ward 6

This water-shed area is critical to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Plastic bags are particularly nasty since they are not biodegradable.

Marc Lasky, Ward 3

I live in Shaw and hate seeing plastic bags flying around everywhere and stuck in trees. It's ugly and just conveys disrespect for our environment and our neighbors. I'm a dogowner, too, and have to think about what to do about picking up poop without plastic bags. Still, I'd rather pay 5 cents for plastic bags or go bag-free if I can do it.

Aparna Kumar, Ward 2

As a former resident of DC, I support this initiative. I participated in a number of Anacostia River clean up efforts when I lived there and was disheartened by the volume of trash there was to clean up...each time. This sounds like a good step toward reducing the amount of garbage that finds its way into the river.

Alden Boetsch, Portland,OR

A few years ago, I helped the Capital River Relief Project pick up 3000 bags of trash along the Anacostia, plus 896 tires, 25 fifty-five gallon barrels, 12 shopping carts, seven refrigerators, and three water heaters. It was the tip of the iceberg.

Diane Royal, Reston, VA

I'm tired of seeing plastic bags flying all over the District and in its waterways.

ivelisse cruz, Ward 4

As a native Washingtonian, I have been disappointed by the way DC Government at times neglected its environmental responsibilities. A clean Anacostia River would help show that DC government can be a responsible steward, and the nation that DC is deserving of a vote in Congress.

John Metzler, McLean, VA

The Anacostia River and its adjacent trails and parks are real but often under-used gems benefiting surrounding neighborhoods and the DC metro area in general. WE need to keep the river clean for human use and promote more wildlife in this treasured environment. I regularly ride on the trails.

polly choate, Ward 3

Kary Semborski, Ward 3

I enjoy canoeing on the Potomac. I would like to have the same positive experience canoeing on the Anacostia.

Richard A MacEwen, McLean, VA

Because it makes sense and is doable!

Juli Kim, Ward 6

Meena Nabavi, North Bethesda, Maryland

Stephanie Kanady, Silver Spring, MD

For a better future for our children!

Yariv NORNBERG, Ward 2

I live just a few blocks from the Anacostia River and I frequently run in Anacostia Park. I am always amazed at the volume of trash that is from plastic bags compared to other types of trash. I lived in New Zealand for a year and was very happy to see an acceptance for paying for plastic bags. It encouraged people to have their own bags and was very effective.

Meredith Niles, Ward 6

Matthew Hamilton, Ward 2

Erin Burke, Ward 2

Jennifer Lee Johnson, Ward 6

This is doable! Supermarkets in NJ have bag collection containers, and more and more people are bringing their own non-disposable bags. Why not make your community attractive?

Lisa Bell, Princeton, NJ

Scott Salyer, Ward 4

Let's get serious - plastic bags are a menace- they clog our rivers and our lives. They have been outlawed all over Europe, Australia and Asia. Let's get with the program. Eliminate bags, save our planet.

lee Child, Ward 2

All I hear is talk talk talk my whole life living here, now it's time to show action starting at the top, if that is, the "Council" is up to the task.

Raphael Talisman, Ward 1

A strong, collective step like this will nudge more individuals to act, and the bag tax will remind us that we have some choices: be more conscientious on our own, pay up for convenient plastic bags, or have our DC income taxes spent on perpetual cleaning.

Chris Martin, Ward 8

I've gone to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens for a work day and saw so much trash it was disgusting. Please implement this tax. I would rather volunteer my time making more substantial improvements to the city rather than a neverending, futile effort of picking up trash that doesn't need to be there in the first place.

Vicki Schwantes, Ward 1

I support this initiative because it will greatly assist in reducing the trash that reaches the Anacostia, but also the trash that is replete throughout the District. It will also save the lives of fish and wild fowl. If we are really lucky, it will also get the attention of those who indiscriminately throw their trash on the streets, and maybe some will cease. It will also reduce our reliance on petroleum and wood pulp. And if it happens to save a few cents for the taxpayers, that is an added benefit.

John R Manley, Ward 6

The Anacostia has been ignored for too long. Our citizens and wildlife have a right to a pollution-free body of water. This initiative is a practical way to eliminate thousands of plastic bags and save money and resources. Our citizens care - please listen to us.

Amy King, Ward 3

Thank you for helping the environment and the Anacostia in particular.

Raiford

Raiford Gaffney, Ward 6

Dear Council Members,

I am writing to ask you to please support this legislation and help bring back the Anacostia River back.

Tim Riordan, Ward 6

The Anacostia is disgustingly polluted and something needs to be done about it.

Michael Aloi, Ward 2

As someone who works in MD and lives in VA, I see a great part of the DC Metro area. Unfortunately, so much of it is polluted with items that are recyclable. This initiative will hopefully force people to understand that being wasteful comes at a price. In addition to the $0.05 fee, I urge you to provide plastic bag recycling collection at grocery stores [as Giant does already in VA] and to give customers a coupon to purchase reusable bags [as Giant has already done, as well]. We set an example locally, nationally and globally. As someone who travels internationally, I am often asked when we get to be so wasteful. America is setting the example of "do as I say and not as I do". It's time to change that! Thank you for your consideration and support of making the DC Area a greener place.

Amanda Williams, Springfield, VA

Let's get it clean! It's a disgrace to the city and the best way to achieve this is to attack it at its sources. No pollution, Clean River.

Joe Kinder, Vienna, VA

Tracey Broderick, Ward 6

Jonathan Cohn, Ward 2

It's time to make the Anacostia pristine!

Max Skolnik, Ward 6

I support this initiative because the Anacostia River is one of DC's treasures and should be treated as such. As an Anacostia resident, keeping the river clean is one of my number one priorities.

Dale Banks, Ward 8

It's the right thing to do. There is no reason why the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay should not be healthy and vibrant. It's good to see DC taking the lead in reducing the number of bags. What about the surrounding counties? What about plastic bottles? Americans consume 60 MILLION plastic bottles a DAY! Have you seen the number of plastic bottles in the Anacostia? Charge an extra 5 cents per plastic bottle also. Allow residents to turn in the bottles and receive the 5 cents per bottle back. That also will have a huge impact.

Marcio Duffles, Ward 6

Washington needs to set the example for cleaning up the environment. Starting with reducing the number of bags in the metro area

Ty Gaither, Rockville, MD

I am a native Washingtonian, and my parents grew up here, as well. (I'm old enough to have ridden the trolley cars.) In two generations, much of the area of Anacostia - including the river - has become a trash heap. The neighborhood is an exquisite part of Washington, and the residents there deserve the same concern and attention as those who live in Northwest (although the canal and Potomac also went begging for notice for decades.) Our city is one of the most beautiful in the world - let's bring Anacostia back into the mix.

Wendy Wilson, Arlington, VA

It is a start to reduce waste and pollution.

Valerie Cretegny, DC

The river is the city's life blood! We need it to stay pure.

Hannah Miller, Ward 4

it goes without saying and needs no explanation

elisabeth lamotte

I really believe this measure is good for DC residents and good for the environment!

Jessica Owens, Ward 1

As the nation's capitol, we need to set the highest standard in the country for environmental preservation, recycling practices, and creating economic incentives to encourage greener lifestyles. This bill is just a small, but critical piece, to move our city in this direction.

jeffrey heyer, Ward 6

Charging a small fee for bags will encourage people to bring their own reusable bags from home, keeping trash out of the river and decreasing our plastic bag usage.

Myla Green, Ward 1

I'm originally from NYC. They cleaned up the Hudson. They can clean up the Anacostia.

Dave Hollander, Arlington, VA

We all need to take responsibility for making our immediate environment cleaner and safer. Sometimes a small reminder helps us change our habits. It is something we all can do to make a real difference

Peter Brett, Ward 6

Bringing our own bags to the store is such a simple measure we can take toward cleaning up the Anacostia, but new habits are hard to make. Adding a little economic incentive will make it that much easier to remember. I fully support charging for disposable bags.

Kyle Walton, Ward 6

this supports so many aspects of making DC and even better place to live---ecologically and aesthetically.

Lilith Ren, Ward 3

I live at the Gangplank marina, so the waterfront is my home and the Anacostia is my front lawn. Every day I see paper and plastic bags blown into the river -- anything that gets tossed on D.C. streets eventually ends up down the sewer and in the water. Aside from being an eyesore, these bags are a dangerous nuisance to the Anacostia wildlife. The type of tax proposed here has made a real difference in other communities, and I believe it would be a good start to really taking care of our waterfront community. Please give this Act thorough consideration.

Petra Holden, Ward 6

Jan Paul Longanbach, Ward 3

MARIA SCHOOLMAN, Ward 4

Reducing waste is good for the economy and good for the environment. Reducing the use of disposable bags will use less of our resources to create the bag material, manufacture the bags, transport them to stores, process them as garbage, or collect them as litter.

Donald E. Polk, Ward 3

I regularly volunteer help clean up parks and streams throughout the city. If I had a nickel for every plastic bag I've picked up, I'd be able to retire at 29.

Jess, Ward 2

I am writing to urge everyone's support for the plastic bag fee bill that will soon be introduced in the DC City Council. In fact I support a higher fee, or an outright ban on all plastic bags as San Francisco has done. Much of the litter on the streets of SW consists of these plastic bags that eventually make their way to the Anacostia River and beyond.

I also encourage you to read Chapter 9 (Polymers are Forever) in Alan Weisman's book 'The World Without Us'. It details the massive circles of plastic waste now circulating in our oceans, which primarily consist of
plastic bags. Hardly a legacy we can be proud of.

Keya Chatterjee, Ward 6

I support this bill because it makes both businesses and consumers aware of the environement effects of consumer transactions. Each time a purchase is made, consumers will be reminded of the downstream effects of using products that aren't biodegradable. Hopefully, this will cut down on their use of those products and, if they do use them, force them to create a second life for those goods.

Nicholas Kask, Ward 2

Dear Chairman Gray, Councilmember Evans, and other members of the DC council,

I urge you both to support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009. As a resident of DC, I care deeply about our local community, especially our natural resources. Please support this Act! It is our responsibility to protect the Anacostia River for future generations.

Best regards,

Karlo Marcelo
Ward 2

Karlo Marcelo, Ward 2

I support this initiative because I live in DC and am concerned about my 'neighborhood' and because helping to reduce the negative impact humanity is having on the natural world is critical.

Shane Austin, Ward 6

This issue became more apparent than ever after an afternoon of kayaking on the Anacostia this past summer. My friends and I started picking up trash along the way and quickly realized we would fill a barge before even making a dent in the volume of trash floating in and along the banks of the river.
This natural escape from the confines of city life can be so much more enjoyable if this initiative becomes a reality.

Brad Burrow, Ward 6

Caroline Wentworth, Bethesda, MD

I think this measure would improve the quality of the Anacostia and place our city on the leading edge of practical, sensible plastic reduction.

Scott Wells, Ward 2

We need to take a stand against trash and irresponsibe use of scarce resources.

Luke Reynolds, Ward 3

I live here and I want to live in a clean environment. There is no reason why people can't be encouraged to bring their own bags, and use less resources (as those that go into making bags for consumers). The Anacostia has a love of potential, and I would love to be here to witness some positive change.

Stephanie, Ward 2

As someone who lives and own a business in Anacostia, I can say that we are wasting a hidden treasure. Before this waterfront can be a highlight in DC, we have to clean up the Anacostia River. I am 100% in favor of a surcharge on plastic and paper bags.

Darrin D. Davis
Anacostia River Realty, LLC
2027 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
Washington, DC 20020
DDavis@AnacostiaRiverRealty.com
(202)285-7665

Darrin D. Davis, Ward 8

Countless plastic bags end up the rivers and oceans and are derived from precious fossil fuel. Shipping paper bags and the decay of the bags also results in harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Washington, DC needs to be a leader in the green revolution and demonstrate that we care about our community and planet.

Mya Sjogren, Ward 2

This is a great way to earn money to clean up the environment and restore the river as well as surrounding areas to their natural state. It will also help to enrich the wildlife and ensure their survival in and otherwise hazardess area.

jeff berggren, alexandria, va

Time is running out.

L. Griffith, Ward 6

This bill will create an Anacostia River Fund that is vital to its clean-up. Help at last!

K. Tabor, Ward 3

This Act would not only help restore a beautiful and important local resource to us, the Anacostia River, but it would also help small businesses and save taxpayer money in the process! This is a win-win solution for everyone - please take the time to consider and support this Act. Our generation and those after us will thank you.

Wistar Craighill, Oakton, VA

I completely support a trash free Anacostia, but I don't necessarily agree that charging for bags (especially renewable paper bags) is the best way to get there. A solution for litter reduction would be to do a better job when trash gets picked up. I watch bi-weekly as the DC trash collectors leave loose trash all over the street and sidewalks. It's horrible and I think a much more effective and easier solution to address this, than charging for bags.

Janell, Ward 6

Please focus on improving DC's sewer system, which as noted here above, is in great need of repair, instead of creating a new fund. An improved sewer system, in tandem with the part of this bill that imposes a 5 cent charge on consumers, could reduce debris at the source and otherwise before it and other trash/polluntants reach the Anacostia. There are already Anacostia Clean Up funds and organizations in place to manage any proceeds generated from the 5 cent charge.
can be made in the cleanliness of the Anacostia. And if done

S. Lord, Ward 2

After kayaking in the Anacostia last summer, i was so saddened by the amount of trash that covers many surfaces/inlets of the river. We did what we could to pick up some trash that day, but this initiative would prevent future littering in the river. The river is actually beautiful and could be a great resource for outdoor activities and civic pride, much like the potomac has become today.

Julie Knausenberger, Ward 1

Having lived close to the Anacostia (unit 19th St. SE) a couple years ago and still biking in the area I have seen both the problems and potential of the Anacostia. There have been great strides recently with the extension/improvement of the Anacostia River Trail and other cleanup efforts. This bill would build on that progress and help greatly to make the Anacostia a beautiful destination for area residents and a much needed safe home for wildlife.

Charles Yeakey, Ward 4

Wouldn't it be nice if the river were cleaner,
Then it wouldn't have to smell so bad.
And perhaps we could eat some nice fresh fish,
Without the cancer and trash making us sad.

Wouldn't it be nice.

Jesse B Rauch, Ward 6

I support this iniiative because we need to try to reestablish biodiversity in the river, and the plastic bags run that.

Sam Gilman, Ward 3

I like kayaking on the anacostia and more should enjoy it trash-free!

yavar moghimi, Ward 3

Often people only become aware of issues and motivated to change when it costs. Yesterday I was at Roosevelt Island and read this Roosevelt quote 'The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.' Seems as critical now as in 1910.

Michele Hoben, Ward 6

Recreation on the river today is almost laughable. One day it would be nice to be able to have picnic tables riverside, and have a clean river where fish are consumable. We have to start with some simple things like managing trash.

Seth B, Bethesda, Maryland

We will look back on this time and wonder why these changes took so long. Thanks for keeping the ball rolling!

Wallace 'J.' Nichols, Davenport, CA

Carrying reusable bags is a simple step that everyone can take to reduce the number of plastic bags that pollute our river and harm our environment.

Nina Robbins, Ward 1

I think we all need to work to keep our community beautiful and reduce environmental damage.

Sarah Cook, Ward 1

Please take action to address the trash filling the Anacostia River. The environment and DC residents are paying a steep price for the 20,000 tons of solid waste entering the River each year. Please pass the law requiring businesses to charge consumers for using plastic bags.

Katie Cook, Ward 6

Bill Jenkins, Mt. Rainier,MD

Be not selfish in your doings: Pass it on.-(Bob Marley "Pass it on")

Theresa Watts, Ward 2

Sometimes the most effective means of minimizing the environmental costs of consumer choices is to pass a monetary cost on to the consumer as an incentive to adopt new practices. Past precedent has shown this to be effective. Please support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

Thank you.

Robin Buck, Ward 5

Having taken part in several clean ups of DC's rivers, I know first hand the terrible conditions caused by an excess of unnecessary plastic. We don't need it. We're smart enough to reuse bags. There is absolutely no reason to not support this bill. None.
Sincerely,
Cherlyn H.T. Jones

Cherlyn Heather Tee Jones, Ward 4

Legislation like this is a "no lose" for us all.

Valda D. Staton, Ward 5

It looks like only a government initiative will make us citizens break our bad habits of carelessly littering and misusing our evironment.

Diana Prince

This issue is of vital importance to the quality of life for the residents of Wards 6,7 and 8.

Juan Thompson, Ward 7

Please pass this legislation for the health of our planet. Cheers Kathleen

kathleen mcnamara

Time to wake up, DCa! Plastic bags use resources and wind up as trash. In other cities in the U.S. and other countries in the world, consumption and disposal patterns have been altered by a charge for bags.

Nell Triplett, Ward 3

Anyway to teach others to respect nature and to keep our rivers clean is more than worthwhile.

Louise P. Muir, Ward 3

This is so important. We need to have a clean river in a clean city.

Louisa Duemling, Ward 3

I believe that this initiative will provide the incentive for people to reduce plastic bag usage and keep more trash out of our ecosystem. We must lead by example.

Margaret Metcalf, Ward 5

This is such a simple change that can have a major and positive impact on the health of the Anacostia River. I have seen some local news reports in which residents complain about the potential negatives to them - added cost for plastic bags, the inconvenience of bringing reusable bags, etc. These "negatives" are nothing compared with how the river and its plant and animal life suffer due to our need for convenience. I have traveled in many foreign countries where providing your own bags or boxes for groceries is the norm. It will be easy for people to get used to, and in the end we will all be better off for it. Please support this legislation.

Karma Foley, Ward 1

The Anacostia River needs all the help we can give it!

Elizabeth Evans, Ward 2

Encouraging the use of reusable bags for groceries will help clean up our city streets and waterways. It will save money, help the environment, and make DC an even more beautiful city. That's win, win, win for all DC residents.

Rachel Klein, Ward 6

It's great to get a five-cent credit for bringing reusable bags to the store, but would be an even greater incentive for bags to cost five cents each. I was really excited to hear that the District may follow other jurisdictions in encouraging its residents to reduce the number of new plastic bags we use.

Darya Mattes, Ward 1

Sarah Grigsby-Reiser, Ward 1

Michele Molotsky, Ward 2

Kristen Arbuckle, Ward 1

I hope this effort in the Nations Capitol will influence the rest of the country concerning environmentally harmful materials. Putting a price tag on single use items is a good first setp in removing them from the planet. I look forward to supporting your efforts. Thank you!

Bruce Roberts, Arlington, Virginia.

The Anacostia River seems to be the forgotten river of Washington. It has great beauty and supports wonderful wildlife but unfortunately is extremely polluted. I have worked on projects with various groups (DC Sierra Club, 4 local Garden Clubs)to have clean up the Anacostia or to prevent further assults but it is clear that it cannot be done piecemeal.
I support this bill because it would get at one of the root causes of the problem of the Anacostia but would also address problems caused by plastic pollution in many other areas such as danger to wildlife. It could bring about a lifestyle change which many of us agree is vital to help lessen climate change.

Brenda Moorman, Ward 2

My great-great grandfather used to go fishing in the Anacostia. It would be nice to revive for the enjoyment of our generation.

Brett, Ward 1

This is a great piece of legislation. It is the standard in Europe. Cleaning up the Anacostia is critical to economic development in the adjoining neighborhoods.

Bob Morris, Ward 6

We should all do our part to leave as little negative impact on this world as we can.

Andy Zmidzinski, Greenbelt, MD

We need clean safe waterways.

Nathan Ward, Ward 1

Trash is ridiculous in Ward 8. If everyone sees cleaner streets, they will be more likely to help keep it that way.

Karen Domarasky, Ward 8

We cannot continue to pollute the Anacostia River and our drinking water.

Tracy Sumler, Ward 3

As the District is poised to revamp this area, it is imperative we take measures that will ensure we can maintain the advances achieved. This measure does two simple things; first, provides an incentive to avoid getting a plastic bag at the store; second, it generates funds to deal with the clean up necessary.

Martin Antuna, Anchorage, AK

Sustainability should be a top priority for the District. I support this bill because it will promote sustainability by reducing pollution, and it does so in a financially sensible way.

Kesh Ladduwahetty, Ward 3

The next generation deserves better from us. Surely, each of us can manage to carry a miniscule, foldable bag to shop with. On this site, we're each preaching to the choir -- we need to get kids involved in this campaign as they are very influential in changing their parents' behaviors. There's nothing like the zeal of an educated middle schooler shaming an adult into doing the right thing. Ive watched parents quit smoking, discontinue buying bottled water, buy local foods, ignore inane brand marketing etc. as a result of their kids' insistence!

Lisa Schwartz Ogle, Ward 6

I want clean water and habitat for all animals and wildlife. Also, I am going to have children some day and I want them to experience a clean Anacostia.

Tommy Hodges, VA

Plastics are cheap to make but expensive to recycle. It will also reduce our dependance on fossil fuels.

Scott Cohen, Ward 5

I am an active member of the Surfrider Foundation, and have been participating in Anacostia River Cleanups. There is so much plastic trash along the shoreline! Please help protect the Anacostia.

Nicole Parisi-Smith, Ward 1

Not only are plastic bags polluting our environment but it's also an unnecessary use of oil to make these bags. Let's replace our lazy,throwaway, mindset with one that makes better sense and reduces the use of plastic bags. I'm tired of cleaning up after other people.

John Dillon, Sykesville, MD

I love visiting all the great parks in the district and going to the rivers, but it makes me so sad to see all the garbage and plastic bags that build up. I, for one, am willing to pay a little extra, to make sure that the rivers and waters of the District are clean. I already pay when my enjoyment of our natural resources is degraded due to unsightly trash.

John Wasiutynkski, Ward 1

As a runner, pedestrian commuter, surfer, environmental activist, and citizen, I have witnessed plastic and other litter in every imaginable context. Plastic never goes away. It is a blight on the landscape and it harms wildlife. Small steps like this will help us change our thinking, and move us away from a disposable lifestyle to a more sustainable one. Please support this bill.

Julie Lawson, Ward 2

As an architect who practices sustainability on a daily basis and as a resident in the Barry Farm neighborhood, I would really like to see this initiative garner great support. It's time that we begin to care for our natural landscape as well as our urban environment.

Susan Kennedy, Ward 8

CHRISTOPHER WOODS

As a biker and kayaker, as well as a biology student here in DC, its apalling how unclean our rivers are; if measures can be taken to keep our city and its waterways more clean, i am all for them. The anacostia and potomac have a bad name when it comes to cleanliness, but that can and should change

David Sauro, Ward 2

As long as plastic bags are plentiful and passed out indiscriminately they will continue to be disposed of and discarded carelessly. We need to reduce the amount in circulation. We are doing a better job of making citizens aware of our beautiful river. The more who are aware,the more who care. Those upriver in Maryland need to take proper responsibility for helping with the clean-up.

ALPHONSO COLES, Ward 7

Bags are a waste, the harm the enviroment and are economically a bad move.

David Hartogs, Arlington, VA

This is another important step towards sustainability in the District.

Laine Cidlowski, Ward 1

I have been a surfer since I can remember and it makes said that we are hurting our oceans and the whole planet by not respecting nature. This petition represents a small intention but with huge benefits for the future. I work on matters that concern climate change, so I consider this petition a call out to the world, at least for the ones that care about it.

Joao Pelagio, Ward 2

I'm a member of the National Capital Area Women's Paddling Association and during the summer I paddle on the Anacostia nearly 5 days a week. The amount of trash found on the river is incredible, especially after it rains. I've also participated in river clean ups and have pulled out enourmous amounts of trash including plastic bags. The Anacostia is an amazing resource in the city and this would be a big step forward in returning it's natural beauty.

Karen Ostlie, Ward 6

I am a longtime resident and avid enjoyer of all this city has to offer. DC has incredible potential to make use of its river front - to make this city a more livable, more beautiful, and more sustainable place. The current state of the Anacostia river represents a policy and leadership failure of the highest degree.

Lyle Morton, Ward 1

I am a member of the National Capitol Area Women's Paddling Association that paddles out of the Anacostia Community Boathouse and utilize the river frequently through out the year. I have also participated in the Earth Day cleanups through Anacostia Watershed Society. This is an important issue to me and I think lessening the prevalence of plastic bags will help restore our river. I am a resident of Washington, DC and strong support this initiative.

Sincerely,
Connie Winterstein

Connie Winterstein, Ward 3

I do not want to see more pictures of birds walking with a plastic bag around them, let's respect their freedom

Beatrice Bornibus, Houston ,Texas

We need to reduce our litter, and move lost litter to safe repositories, particularly when it endangers wildlife.

Judd Warner, Ward 3

Overall destructive trends in our society can be reversed one backyard and one neighborhood at a time. Please support this petition to fight and reverse the trend of pollution in our area.

Sally Parker, Alexandria, VA

Its time we started acting like every other country in the world and incentivize the dis-use of plastic grocery bags. This has been the standard of every other Western country for 20 years. The U.S. grossly lags behind. If the federal government won't enact this standard, it is the responsibility of the localities like DC to do so.

Jason Rubin, Ward 1

There's no need for all of these plastic bags and we've proven we can't dispose of them properly.

Stephen Paylor, Ardmore, PA

I support this initiative because I see people constantly taking new bags at the grocery store and never reusing or recycleing them. It is a waste of valuable resources and is dangerous for the natural environment.

Allison Behnke, Ward 2

Not only it makes economical sense but also is one of the many ways to leave a responsible heritage to future generations. In Germany this fee is roughly $30cents per bag, and the bags are biodegradable... We ought to be able to do the same here in the US!

Alexandre Goncalves, Dunn-Loring, Fairfax

Ben Carter, Ward 1

I have been to places in the world where people through trash out of bus windows and litter ends up on the shores of oceans. It is amazing the lack of education. We are better than that, and our Mother Earth needs all the attention she can get.

Here's a song I wrote regarding all of this called "The Breeze":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE5eh02K_sg

"What will we do when the world stops turning?
The deserts are flooded and the oceans are burning...
What will we do when the sun starts to bleed and the sky goes to sleep with the oxygen we breathe?"

"How we live in a world of Saran,
where FOOD IN THE SEA IS THE PLASTIC FROM MAN?
What will you do when no fish swim in schools,
but ride in short buses and drown in our jewels?"

Thanks for your time.

Reed Dibeler, Bethany Beach, Delaware

This is such an important step to becoming a more sustainable city and protecting not only beautiful, but very valuable resources! Please take this positive step towards accountability and responsibility!

Tracy Churchill, Ward 1

This is a critical move that will provide long-needed and overdue funding to clean up the Anacostia and free wildlife from the dangers of plastic.

Cheron Carlson, Arlington, VA

As a Surfrider Foundation member and DC resident who works from an office on the banks of the Anacostia, I fully support this effort. It's about time we did something big to clean up this river!

Pete Beutler, Ward 4

I live near RFK and all the litter in our area is mostly made up of plastic grocery bags and plastic bottles. The non-profit I work for sponsors the yearly Anacostia Watershed clean-up every year and something needs to be done to keep it clean after the clean-ups! People in DC need to be educated on environmental issues and this is a quick and easy opportunity to teach residents, both new and old. Also DC is a city that can be a shining example to other cities trying to pass similar legislation. Thank you for proposing this bill and listening to our voices.

Elizabeth Gunter, Ward 5

I support this initiative because I see plastic bags floating around the district, and more importantly I see them floating in the river.

It's not hard to bring your own bag or reuse bags which most people already have in abundance. The plastic bag problem is starting to be an embarrassment for DC and the entire United States. People should have more respect for their own country, for wildlife and for future generations.

Audrey, Ward 5

I see the endless use of plastic bags, etc and people are not going to take action until they have to pay. Plastics never fully go away. When they dissolve into miniscule particles, marine life still ingest these and are harmed badly

Kelly Rossi, Frankford, DE

We need to take responsibility for our water - it is connected to everyting.

Lesley Weller, Ward 3

Finally we are paying closer attention to our natural resources. I support the lean up, learn up and keep it safe for this and future generations!!!! Good work!

wm russell watts, Ward 3

As a member of the Surfrider Foundation, I strongly support cleaning wetlands and watersheds. Please support this policy.

Brandon Anderson, Ward 6

Surfrider member who knows a good cause when he sees it. Support this

Jimmy Platt, Edgewater, MD

so often we are not able to see the direct impact our consumption has on our planet. this initiative will help both dec consumption and inc awareness as the $$ made will directly impact anacostia

katelyn stevens, southington, ct

The average citizen has a major role to play in reducing waste and the proliferation of plastic and this legislation will encourage that. The demand for plastic derived from petrochemicals will also be reduced along with greenhouse gas emissions.

Larry Chang, Ward 4

The state of the city's waste management system is outdated and inefficient. It's time to take bold action against one of the most prevalent sources of pollution in our communities and rivers. A mere five cent fee on each plastic bag will have lasting beneficial impacts on our environment without hurting our pocketbooks.

Jeff Gustafson, Ward 6

We can't afford to wait any longer, the river really needs this, plus we have a chance to set a great example for the rest of the nation.

Joan Casey, Bethesda, MD

This bill is important for many reasons, e.g, protecting our rivers, reducing solid waste, curbing global warming.
DC needs to align itself with those jurisdictions (e.g., Seattle) that lead the nation in adopting progressive environmental policies.

Thanks.

Jim Dougherty, Ward 6

At stores, when asked: "Paper or plastic?" My answer is "Neither!" There is too much trash everywhere -- especially in our rivers. This initiative is a very good starting point. Kudos to the councilmembers and the enviro groups behind it! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... and Compost!

Karen A. Szulgit, Ward 2

Let's join the burgeoning movement to curb the obscene amount of waste our nation produces.

Kartik Srinivas, Takoma Park, MD

Plastic bags not only pollute our environment, but they cost all of us billions of dollars each year in waste and litter management. It is time we followed the lead of the other large cities and ban the use of these toxic and wasteful products.

Nate Shaw, Haymarket, VA

It is nice to have a tax that you don't have to pay. Hopefully, most people will chose not to pay and bring bags when they are needed at all.

Bob Summersgill, Ward 3

Aside from the exponential cost the District will face with being out of EPA compliance we need to protect our water supply and this is by far the most cost effective approach. Creating a culture of awareness is creating a path of progress.

Michael Kiefer, Ward 5

The Anacostia is just in our back yard and is part of the larger Chespeake Bay Watershed. If we are to improve the quality of the water for more recreation, we need to take care of what is in our back yard.

Kurt Pluntke, Ward 6

I agree to make the initiative to change our behavior patterns and to reduce excessive waste.

Cindy Moore, Ward 6

I go walk or ride my bike along the river practically everyday. I am constantly shocked at all the filth, not only in the river, but in the wooded areas surrounding the river.

Forget development. Clean the place up, for crying out loud. There's no excuses for the state of that river. When Captain John Smith first sailed up the Anacostia in 1607 he remarked in his captain's log that the river was crystal clear and pure with all kinds of fish jumping up out of it. Now look at it 400 years later. It looks brown and dead. And who's to blame for that?

Brad Rumph, Ward 8

We need to be a forward thinking city, as the nation's capital we should lead by example and be one of the first cities in the nation to ban plastic bags. We have already made great environmental strides with requirements for green roofs and LEED certified buildings. Lets take it another step.

Richard Bensman, Ward 2

This initiative would add a negligible fee to customers' grocery bills while providing much-needed money to protect our waterways. The only way to make DC a "World-Class City" is to keep it clean, vibrant and healthy.

Commissioner Jack Jacobson, Ward 2

It is time to step up and take care of our world starting in our own community

Katie Hickok, Ward 5

I support this initiative for the same reason I support charging for parking. People should pay for the costs of their activities. No free lunch!

Diana Zinkl, Ward 6

Bayard Brewin, Ward 4

I've done an Anacostia River cleanup so I've seen thousands of the bags washed up on the banks of Kingman Island. I also live in a neighborhood where people throw their trash all over the street and sidewalk. Plastic bags turn into disgusting pancakes of trash on the street.

Lance Brown, Ward 6

There needs to be an incentive to change behavior patterns such that unwanted and unneeded plastic bags do not become litter. The problem of plastic bag pollution is not just limited to the Anacostia River but is also a problem in Rock Creek in Ward 4. Many of my neighbors who jog or walk in Rock Creek Park pick up the bags and use them to carry home even more of the litter that is found in Rock Creek.

If there is not a change in behavior patterns then the storm sewer rates will have to be increased and all of the people who pay water and sewer bulls will have to foot the cleanup bill for other people's litter.

James Collier, Ward 4

I support this initiative because using virgin plastic is a waste of oil; the bags kill wildlife; they are ugly; there are so many of them they have become ubiquitous in all our parks and waterways. It is easy to re-use a bag for grocieries. It's a very small thing to get used to. I have been doing it for years. If even I can make a good habit, anyone can.

Kristina Jones, Ward 3

Have you SEEN it down there? :-)

Tom Aloisi, Ward 6

Jesse Feinberg, Ward 1

We are responsible for the environment. I support legislation to reverse damage done to the Anacostia River.

Mary Beth Tinker, Ward 3

There's no reason to be getting a plastic bag from CVS--that you're just going to throw away--just to carry that pack of bubble yum 15 feet. These bags have a ecological consequences, and we should be encouraging both retailers and consumers to use less of them.

Travis Moore, Ward 1

Plastic bags suck.

Keith Parsons, Arlington, Virginia

This is a fantastic idea. Make the waterways more beautiful, save plastic, and with a little planning on the average person's part it doesn't really impact anyone.

Michael Hermann, Ward 6

Riers with all the flora and fauna they support add to the richness of our lives. Anything that can decrease the amount of debris in our environment is a good thing. glv

Gail Vossler, Silverf Spring MD

We need to dis-incentivize people from using plastic. Also, every grocery store, post office, and library should have a drop off for people to recycle their plastic bags.

Angela Carlson Mills, Ward 6

I am a recent west coast resident, having lived in DC for 13 years (in ward 6). This legislation is a great way to help protect one of the most underappreciated resources in the DC Area! I have found that people who work in the stores that use these bags as well as consumers don't even think about the number of these bags they are using, if they are necessary, or where they will end up (in the Anacostia!). A nominal charge for the bags is a great idea that will have minimum impact.

Erika Feller, Oakland, California

I think this is an important and necessary piece of legislation.

LiJia Gong, Ward 1

I am thrilled to hear about the legislation that was introduced to reduce our use of plastic bags. Not only do the bags end up in the Anacostia, they end up in trees and flowerbeds all over the District.

I hope this legislation will become law in the very near future.

Drew Courtney, Ward 6

I'm in support not only to reap the immediate benefits of cleaning up our local environment (especially the Anacostia River) but also to begin the important process of tranforming our relationship with the natural world. There is no need to waste precious resources by producing disposable bags nor to increase pollution and landfill use by using them and throwing them away. I would like my future children to grow up in a world where the beauty of the outdoors is still present. Thank you.

Sarah Perz, Ward 6

Dear Councilmember:

Please support the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act. Not only will this bill help protect the Anacostia River watershed, but it will save the City and DC residents money in the long-run by reducing the cleanup costs, trash and recycling costs, and EPA fines for exceeding trash limits. In addition to the major trash problem plastic bags cause, they photodegrade into toxic particles, which can infiltrate soil and water (http://www.googobits.com/articles/p0-1604-plastic-bag-pollution.html). This in turn harms wildlife and could potentially impact public health.

The effects of the bill could also generate revenue for local communities by helping to turn the Anacostia River, and all surrounding areas, into a desirable place to boat, picnic, etc. On a global scale, by providing people with an incentive to cut back their use of plastic bags, a petroleum-based product, this bill could also help reduce global warming.

I urge to support this important bill. Enforcing a five cent fee is a small price to pay for a cleaner environment and community.

Thank you for your time,
Anna

Anna McMurray, Ward 1

I am a Ward 8 resident and have been for 3 years, moving between Anacostia and Randall Heights, SE. There are many things that I love about this community and short list of things that I would like to see improved. Our councilmember is an embarassment and the Anacostia River is disgustint. There is so much wasted potential in this community that is beginning to be realized. This initiative would go a long way towards reducing trash and setting a tone for future improvement.

Marcus J. Clark, Ward 8

I strongly support any effort to clean and maximize the potential of the Anacostia - and the Potomac and streets of DC for that matter.

Mike McDonnell, Ward 1

$.05 is a small price to pay for the amount that must be spent each year in cleanup. Bring back the beauty of the Anacostia!

Meredith Larson, Ward 1

I am a Ward 3 resident, and I emphatically support this bill. The five-cent fee is de minimis. The fee only helps to remind and encourage people to carry their own bags, or, as so often happens, simply to decline putting a single item into its own plastic bag.

On windy days like today, plastic bags appear to be the official flag of the District. By allowing low-income people to receive free reusable bags, the bill ensures that this avoidable tax remains progressive.

Please support this bill, and future bills like it, to help DC become a city that leads on environmental issues.

Jeremy Joseph, Ward 3

There is so much more we can do on the Anacostia River, some of which will help the economy by providing jobs in the area, increase tourism on the river and last but not least increase our quality of life. Please pass this bill now.

Wendy Gerlich, Ward 6

There is no good reason why such a simple initiative can't take shape and be easily enforced, not to mention that a cleaner DC can be a more development friendly DC, helping over the long term to increase tax base, city revenue and overall quality of life. Moreover, it can open the door to continued efforts - like incorporating a recycle ring around the trash bins throughout the city, to further reduce the alarming levels of plastic clutter.

Thank you for your time and efforts!

Leor Somekhian, Ward 3

Having kayaked the Anacostia I know first-hand how much trash ends up there. Reducing plastic bag usage is a good idea. Let's get this done!

Mark Trimble, Ward 6

Good Afternoon~
This is a great idea. I think you should charge MORE per bag. I live in a transitional neighborhood and the amount of trash found on the street is appalling. Anything that can be done to reduce this would be great. Unfortunately, people do not tend to react until you hit their wallets, and this will do just that. I regularly bring my tote bags with me to Safeway and more often than not, I see cashiers who blithely are double bagging/half bagging food for other customers. This is a fantastic idea!

Maureen Benitz, Ward 6

It's a no brainer. Have you ever seen how much trash is in the Anacostia? It doesn't have to be that way. Please pass this bill.

Eric Sibley, Ward 6

Our city, and the Anacostia River in particular, is incredibly polluted with plastic bags. The Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 is a smart piece of legislation.

James Pearlstein, Ward 4

For the health of our environment, our community, and our world.

Nicholas Schmidt, Ward 2

Far too many plastic bags end up polluting the Anacostia and littering our streets. Fees for bags have been proven to reduce such litter; it's time to take this step in DC.

Tom Metcalf, Ward 5

I am encouraged that DC is considering legislation to discourage the use of plastic bags. Plastic bags are an environmental hazard, especially to the Anacostia River, but also to all our neighborhoods. Fort Totten Park, in my neighborhood has plastic grocery store-type bags all over - stuck in trees, on the ground.

I also support a complete ban of the black plastic bags that are not recyclable. Thanks so much for considering this legislation and I hope that you will support it.

Carrie Ansell, Ward 5

I try very hard in my own life to reuse, recycle, and cut down my use of plastic - in particular, plastic bags. I think that if businesses got in on the act in a much bigger way, we could really make a positive difference for our local (and global) environment.

Jordan Hirsch, Ward 1

"Free" bags from stores are hardly free. The environmental externalities cost millions of dollars to taxpayers. By placing a small surcharge on disposable grocery bags, we can substantially end their use, leading to the more sustainable and efficient use of reusable bags, which are already sold in some stores for as little as a dollar a bag. With the discount some stores already offer for reusing bags, these bags can pay for themselves, not only for taxpayers, but for individuals using the bags.

Adam Taylor, Ward 6

It pains me to see the proliferation of bags - I would be more than happy to have this monetary incentive to remember to bring my re-usable bags every time I shop.

Louise Brodnitz, Ward 2

Brie Anne Schwartz, Ward 3

Jaime Fearer, Ward 2

I have participated in numerous volunteer cleanups along the Anacostia River and its tributaries. The large items (the front end of a car, grocery carts, etc.)we collected at these events drew the most comments and discussion. However, what most disturbed me was the unbelievable volume of regular trash we collected, most of it plastic bags, chip bags, soda bottles, carryout containers and similar items. Clearly, current anti-littering laws are not doing enough and our city needs to do more to keep this garbage out of our waterways. While I feel we need a stronger stick to prevent littering (forcing those who litter to take part in cleanups perhaps), this bill will provide a good carrot while also providing the city with some resources to restore the Anacostia River.

Ralph Garboushian, Ward 6

This is a smart way to easily cut into the environmental degradation to which paper and plastic bags contribute.

Kevin Wadzuk, Ward 2

John Fitzgerald, Chevy Chase, MD

Jason Unger, Ward 6

Fred Joiner, Ward 8

Lobbyists from the plastic industries will tell you that their products are recyclable. While that may be true, it's not the point here. The point is to reduce the usage of items such as these to a point as close to zero as possible. Sure, we'll recycle but we can, but if we cut down on use from the beginning, our environment, our energy usage, and our city will all be better off.

Geoffrey Hatchard, Ward 5

It is extremely important for the neighborhood of Anacostia especially, where so much of the litter and trash on the street is single-use plastic bags. We would certainly do a lot for the beautification of the city if you pass this law.

David Garber, Ward 8

Lynda Laughlin, Ward 4

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