Grand Canyon officials say they’ll follow through on talks to ban plastic water bottles sales
By FELICIA FONSECA
Dec. 16, 2011
Grand Canyon (itsnature.com)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Disposable plastic water bottles in shops, vending machines, hotels and grocery stores at Grand Canyon National Park will disappear early next year under a plan by park officials to ban the sale of them.
But first they’ll have to demonstrate they’ve met guidelines issued late Wednesday by the National Park Service that require a review of water availability, visitor health and safety, cost and benefits, and get the approval of the regional director. Grand Canyon spokeswoman Shannan Marcak said Thursday that the park believes it already is positioned to comply with the guidelines.
“We need to fully review it, and it takes a little time to figure out if we have all those things covered,” she said.
Park Service director Jon Jarvis nixed a bottle ban at Grand Canyon late last year just weeks before it was to be implemented and said the agency would develop a national policy. Former Grand Canyon Superintendent Steve Martin raised suspicions that the action was due to influence from the Coca-Cola Co. — a major water bottle distributor — but the Park Service and Coca-Cola denied that.
Plastic Water Bottles
