Legislation that would have banned the use of plastic shopping bags in California was voted down in the State Senate on Tuesday. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, 3rd District, has vowed to create an ordinance that would ban the bags in unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County, and hopes it will serve as a model for other counties and municipalities throughout the state.

“The plastic bag has been a source of urban blight. They are called the urban tumbleweed because they blow around in the wind. They are just flying garbage all over the region,” Yaroslavsky said. “Aside from it being a quality of life issue, more importantly it is an environmental issue. They end up in the ocean and they harm marine life.”

Yaroslavsky said he is working on a motion to ban plastic shopping bags, and an environmental impact report (EIR) is currently being prepared in support of the motion. The Board of Supervisors will likely address the issue in October. He said the EIR is important because other cities and counties can use it to enact bans.

“I am not sure if we are going to try to ban only plastic bags or if there will also be some regulations on recycled paper bags,” Yaroslavsky added “The focus will be on plastic bags, but there will have to be public meetings and this will have to be vetted.”