A few weeks have passed since the end of the Missouri legislative session. Efforts to remedy the “which plastic is this?” cooler comedy of chemical errors from 2009 died in committee in both houses of the Missouri General Assembly in 2010, so fans of polystyrene (trade name Styrofoam) coolers can relax for another year.

They tried. They really did. Senator Dan Clemens of District 20 (part of Greene/Christian/Douglas and Webster counties) introduced SB 941 to amend provisions of last year’s omnibus crime bill which made Missouri a bit of laughingstock amongst chemical engineers and others, and to prohibit the use of polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene (rather than expanded polypropylene) coolers from use on the state’s rivers. The bill was read twice and reported into the Senate Judiciary Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence committee on Feb. 18 where it remained at the close of session.

On the House side, HB 1744, introduced by Rep. David Day, (Laclede, Camden and Pulaski counties), was referred to the State Parks and Waterways Committee on the last day of session, May 14.

Meanwhile the provisions of RsMO 306.325 say that any cooler used in a canoe, kayak, or similar similar tip-prone watercraft has to be sealable, which generally means having a latch, or strap, or attached lid, to prevent the contents from spilling if tipped, and that it be closed except when actively being accessed. Many cheap polystryrene or foam coolers fail this test.

–information verified with the office of Rep. Michael Frame (Eureka) on June 10, 2010