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Palo Alto Settles Suit Over Plastic Bag Ban

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Jul 29, 2009 1:18 pm US/Pacific

Palo Alto Settles Suit Over Plastic Bag Ban

Environment & The Green Beat

PALO ALTO (BCN) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: People walk with groceries in plastic bags.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Palo Alto has settled a lawsuit over a measure banning plastic bags in local grocery stores.

City officials reached the out-of-court agreement Tuesday with the industry group Save the Plastic Bag Coalition. It won't require the city to pay out, but it requires officials to conduct a full environmental impact report before expanding the ban to other retail stores.

The current ban is scheduled to go into effect for grocery stores on Sept. 18.
The city adopted the measure in March, hoping to cut down on plastic debris.

The plastic bag group argues that paper bags are even worse for the environment. It also successfully sued the city of Manhattan Beach under the California Environmental Quality Act for issuing its ban without a full environmental impact report. The city has appealed that decision.