River Hills Traveler Blog - Trav Talk » expanded polystyrene

Polystyrene cooler ban dies in 2010 session committees

Jo — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 03:41:01 +0000

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

Bills to fix polystyrene error in both Mo. houses

Jo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:52:33 +0000

House Bill 1744 and Senate Bill 941 are the ones to watch if you’re concerned about polystyrene coolers on Missouri’s rivers.

HB 1744, introduced by David Day of Dixon, and SB 941 by Dan Clemens, Marshfield, contain three nearly identical provisions having to do with boat recreation on Missouri’s rivers and lakes.

One provision provides that persons born after January 1, 1984 or those found guilty of certain boating safety infractions can substitute a non-driver’s license, with an appropriate certification that they have passed the mandatory boater safety course to operate a vessel. Another would require dock owners on Army Corps lakes and the Lake of the Ozarks to put their permit number and 911 address, (or nearest physical address) on their docks, in 3 inch high letters visible from the water. No rationale is given in the bills, but one presumes this would help the Water Patrol respond in the event of an emergency. All too often, boaters (who carry cell phones) have only a vague idea where they are on a large lake in cases where they call for assistance.

The third provision would change the word “polypropylene” to “polystyrene” in the regulation against beer bongs and excessive alcohol (more than four gallons) passed last year. Polypropylene is the material used in ski rope and certain “warm when wet” outdoors long underwear; expanded polystyrene is the crumbly white material that cheap, easily broken picnic coolers are made from. The law passed last year originally was intended to target polystyrene; through a comedy of last minute errors the wrong material was written into the bill. Polystyrene live bait buckets remain exempt: however there better be worms, crawdads or minnows in that “bait bucket.”

The House version has been read twice, but has not yet been placed on the calendar. The Senate version has been read twice and referred to the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee as of February 18.

Reporters confuse Tupperware on new river law

Jo — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:17:42 +0000

There’s been much hay made in the media the last few days about the Missouri legislature inadvertently banning polyproplyene containers, not the expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) coolers they intended to from the state’s waterways (exception for Lake of the Ozarks, and the big rivers, where the legislature plays, of course.)

While this law, (formerly SB 2 and SB 62, with provisions eventually making their way in a modified and watered down form into the Senate omnibus crime bill) was good intentioned. only two of the provisions (no beer bongs, and no alcohol containers over four gallons on the river) made it into law, along with the bungled effort to ban fragile, cheap, and crumbly white polystyrene foam vessels.

More than one reporter claimed that Tupperware was made of polyproplyene, the banned plastic, and made a great hoo-doo of this. I didn’t see a female reporter amongst them. If she had been there, she would have pointed out what anyone familiar with food preparation would have known immediately.

There are two kinds of Tupperware. The one usually pictured — milky white or pastel transluscent bowls with easily burpable lids is made of polyetheylene. Polyethyene is still legal, as is the polyurethane Old Town canoe underneath the tarp in the back of the photo. Most hard plastic coolers, (Coleman coolers, Big and Little Oscars, etc.), are mostly made of polyurethane or other blends.

Polypropylene Tupperware is the harder, more brightly colored storage plastic shown here with its fellow outlaw –glass. Other polypropylene products often found on the lake or river: floatable poly ski rope. Flexible bag coolers (like a plastic padded lunch sack, or sheet wrap for a case of beer or soda.) And don’t forget the ultimate polypro container: long, synthetic underwear and socks, commonly used for its warm when wet properties for outdoor activities on the three seasons when being wet and cold are not advisable.

Maybe the legislature will correct its error next year.