City of St. John's says power to ban plastic bag falls to province, province says that could change

The power to ban the bag may fall to the City of St. John's after all.

St. John's city councilvoted unanimously Tuesday night to support a ban on single-use plastic bags. It's not the first time they've passed this vote.

"I believe this is probably the third time I've voted on this," said Mayor DannyBreen."I really don't want to vote on this a fourth time."

But council doesn't have the power to legislate a bag ban, said Breen. That power rests with the provincial government.

"Repeatedly we've sent this to the province, repeatedly there's been no action taken," he said.

100 million bags a year

This time around, the motion was presented in September by Deputy MayorSheilaghO'Leary. It calledfor lobbying efforts in support of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador's quest to ban single-use plastic shopping bags in the province.

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While calling for anofficial vote at Tuesday's council meeting, O'Leary said the provinceuses 100 million single-use plastic shopping bags each year. The city also spends thousands of dollars a year on litter screens to keep them from blowing out of the landfill, she said.

'Look at Costco'

DebbieHanlonis also a returning councillor, and has voted on this motion before.

"I'm certainly in support of banning plastic bags," she said."Look at Costco, they don't have any bags at all."

Hanlon says in order for the motion not to come before council again, the provincial government has to step up the power to change rules or legislation to enact a bag ban doesn't rest with city council.

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It rests, she said, with the provincial government.

"Come on, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, get this done for all of us," she said.

Province says power may shift

According to the province, a ban onplastic bags is a "major issue."

Eddie Joyce,minister of environment and municipal affairs, says the province has been working on it with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and conducteda study looking at bag bans across Canada.

He said that so far, no province has banned the bags. He also said that government is reviewing the Municipalities Act, and that could put the power to sack plastic bagsin the hands of cities and towns.

"There is potential to give municipalities the option that they can ban it, so instead of the province each municipality can say, 'Okay, we have the authority now toban plastic bags.'"