Task Force Proposed for Cleaning River of Plastic

Dismayed at all the plastic trash in the Los Angeles River, Councilman Ed Reyes proposed creating a task force Tuesday to study how to raise money to keep the channel clean of plastic bags and other plastic debris.

The city is under federal mandate to reduce trash in the river by 80% by September 2006. A recent river cleanup found that nearly half the trash was plastic. Among other ideas, Reyes suggested that the task force study taxes on plastics and deposits for plastic bags.