Should Beaufort ban plastic bags? The question is being asked

A plastic bag debate is in the air in Beaufort.

An online petition calls on the City Council to ban single-use plastic bags. And Councilman Stephen Murray said Thursday that council members could consider the issue soon.

He used Facebook to gauge public opinion.

“We haven’t had a conversation about it,” Murray said. “It’s new on our radar.”

Port Royal town manager Van Willis said he thinks his town will also consider a ban. Town Council will cover a wide range of issues during its annual retreat Saturday.

At the same time, state lawmakers are considering a bill barring local governments from banning the bags. The bill’s advocates say the bags support jobs and that a ban in certain municipalities could be a burden to businesses.

In addition to the environmental concerns surrounding plastic bags, Murray said the General Assembly proposal raises the issue of home rule, the municipalities’ right to govern themselves.

Isle of Palms banned plastic bags in 2015, and Folly Beach followed with similar rules restricting the bags in 2016.

The petition was posted on Change.org by the user Lowcountry Citizens Ready for Change and notes plastic bags’ negative effect on the water, soils and marine life. The bags from groceries, carry-out and convenience stores can end up in the marsh and waterways and affect sea turtles and birds, environmentalists say.

Turtles mistake the bags for jellyfish, and eating them can cause intestinal issues and starvation, said Rikki Parker, a project manager with the Coastal Conservation League. When the bags break down, smaller animals eat the plastic, which is then ingested by humans as seafood, she said.

The Coastal Conservation League has advocated for coastal cities to make their own rules related to the bags.

Alan Dechovitz, a former member of Beaufort’s redevelopment commission, responded to Murray’s social media query to oppose council members taking up the ban. He said the city should focus efforts on retaining young families and growing jobs.

“Council needs to spend their time working on economic development,” he said. “Not litter.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Should Beaufort ban plastic bags? The question is being asked."