New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C-Canandaigua) today issued the following statement on the decision by Mayor Bill de Blasio to ban polystyrene food containers in New York City, effective July 1, 2015.

"The de Blasio Administration's decision today will put New Yorkers out of work. Banning polystyrene food containers will eliminate jobs, severely injure our manufacturers, and raise expenses on businesses. This is the latest regulatory insult that demonstrates why New York is not open for business. Any claim that polystyrene recycling cannot be done is simply false. For a responsible alternative, the Mayor needed to look only 20 miles north, where the City of Yonkers has a recycling program already up and running. At least 65 cities across the country, including Los Angeles, recycle polystyrene. Manufacturing is a cornerstone industry in the Finger Lakes region, employing thousands and securing our local economy. This ban is an affront to the hard-working men and women who rely on an industry now threatened by a misguided liberal agenda. Today, Upstate New York paid a steep price for an irresponsible, politically-driven regulation that will hurt more than it will help."