Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
SEWER DISTRICTS SEEKING BOTTLE TAX
Chuck Quirmbach
February 7, 2005
Sewage treatment districts are looking for more money to fund repairs and
upgrades to the nation's sewage systems. One idea they're discussing is a seven
percent tax on many types of bottled beverages. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium's Chuck Quirmbach reports:
A group representing 300 sewer districts around the U.S says a Clean Water Trust
Fund is needed for infrastructure projects. Ken Kirk is Executive Director of
the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies. He says there isn't enough
public money to maintain the sewers built decades ago and reduce sewer overflows
into rivers and lakes.
"We've gone from a grants program to a state revolving loan program which is
important but gets cut each and every year."
So Kirk's group will meet with industry lobbyists in Washington D.C. this month
and talk about other funding sources. One idea is to create a national tax on
all bottled drinks except for milk, juice, baby formula and health drinks.
Kirk says polling shows people support having a dedicated source of funding for
clean water. But a major brewer plans to fight the proposal. Miller Brewing says
forty-four percent of the price of its beer already goes to taxes.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I'm Chuck Quirmbach.
For the original posting, click here: http://www.glrc.org/story.php3?story_id=2550