THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 24, 2019 Page 17 Another SAVE victory Town Meeting votes to reduce polystyrene By Mark E. Vogler own Moderator Stephen N. Doherty told Town Meeting members Monday night that they needed a two-thirds majority to approve a bylaw reducing the use of polystyrene food containers. He was wrong, as zoning byT laws require a two-thirds majority – not the environmental article that was being considered. But it really didn’t matter. Town Meeting members voted 31-9 to approve an article authored by the Saugus Action Volunteers for The Environment (SAVE). That was more than three-quarters majority vote in what turned out to be another resounding victory for SAVE. Just two weeks after Town Meeting voted 27-14 for SAVE’s proposed bylaw to eliminate single use plastic check-out bags that are distributed in town while promoting the use of reusable bags, Town Meeting members approved another SAVE measure which lacked the support of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee had recommended that both articles be postponed indefinitely, because members preferred to see the state Legislature adopt comprehensive regulations for Massachusetts instead of adopting local regulations that might confl ict with state policies. In approving the bylaw, Saugus becomes one of about three dozen Massachusetts communities banning food container products made of polystyrene. “It really bothers me to see the symbol on the bottom [of cups] to recycle,” Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Ann Devlin said. She is also president of SAVE. “It goes to the incinerator and ends up in the waterways,” she said. Devlin noted that Dunkin’ Donuts has made a commitment to phase out its Styrofoam cups by next year. In a PowerPoint presentation she made using the screen on the stage at the front of the auditorium, Devlin cited “eight good reasons” to ban polystyrene. While addressing her colleagues, she displayed a coff ee cup and a food container made from polystyrene. The product is “a known hazardous substance,” “leaches into food and drinks” and is considered “principal litter,” according to Devlin. “Even in the landfi ll, it’s not safe,” she said. One of the opponents – Town Meeting Member Steven C. DiVirgilio of Precinct 10 – acknowledged that he’s “a big coffee drinker,” but doesn’t drink out of Styrofoam. “If you don’t like the product, don’t use it,” DiVirgilio said, noting that he doesn’t use various products that would be banned under the new bylaw. “I don’t need a town bylaw to tell me that,” he said. The motion to postpone the article indefinitely, as recommended by the Finance Committee, failed 6-34. “Please get rid of the Styrofoam in Saugus,” Ryan Duggan, a young town resident from Precinct 9 said. “I think I’m one of the youngest people in the room … I’m sick and tired of seeing it on the sides of the road … I’m sick and tired of seeing it in the restaurants,” he said. Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Ann Devlin wants to rid Saugus of polystyrene as she makes her case for an article reducing use of food container products made of the substance. The article was overwhelmingly approved by Town Meeting on Monday night (May 20). (Saugus Advocate Photo by Mark E. Vogler) “Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw” Use Regulations: Food establishments are prohibited from dispensing prepared food to customers in disposable food service containers. Enforcement: The responsibility of the Board of Health, which shall determine the monitoring process, which may be limited to responding to citizen reports. Penalties: noncriminal disposition fi nes – fi rst off ense, warning; second off ense, $50 per day; third and each subsequent offense, $100 per day. Eff ective Date: six months after approval of the bylaw by the state Attorney General’s Offi ce, or Jan. 1, 2020, whichever is later. The Board of Health could exempt a food establishment from the requirements for a period of up to six months upon a fi nding of undue hardship or if a food service establishment needs additional time to draw down an inventory of foam polystyrene disposable food service containers.
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