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Committee hears bill to ban sale of polystyrene packing peanuts
Summary
Senator Denise Tepler introduced LD 476 to prohibit the sale of loose polystyrene packing “peanuts.” Supporters cited marine pollution and health concerns; Department of Environmental Protection staff opposed the bill, saying existing law and the draft language could create confusion and unintended consequences.
Senator Denise Tepler, sponsor of LD 476, told the Environment and Natural Resources Committee that the bill would ban the sale of loose expanded polystyrene packing materials, commonly called packing peanuts, in Maine.
Tepler, who identified herself as representing Senate District 24, told lawmakers expanded polystyrene is “one of the most common forms of plastic pollution in our oceans” and that “styrene is poisonous to humans and fish and marine mammals.” She said the small pieces are easily blown out of landfills, reach coastal waters and can be mistaken for food by marine animals. Tepler described a personal trip to Ambergris Caye in which polystyrene washed up in mangroves and on beaches and urged the committee to “join me in…
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