(July 3, 2008)

BEEVILLE--There's a new green initiative getting some attention these days in Beeville. It's a proposed city ordinance preventing retail stores from giving customers plastic bags.

Beeville is ready to declare war on plastic bags. Some residents said the bags have to go. Vic Barris, a cattle rancher, says the bags can be deadly to his animals.

"Most of the time, they won't swallow it, but this year I did have one swallow a bag and suffocated," said Barris. 

Residents said the plastic bags make Beeville look trashy.

"Bags around Beeville is a real problem and it needs to be corrected someway," said Bill Hooten of Bee Proud Bee Clean Project in Beeville. "I don't know how drastic it will go, but anything to eliminate trash on the streets, I'm for it."

Some residents are against the use of plastic bags here in the small town of Beeville. Because of that, now city leaders are considering an ordinance to ban the use of those type of bags at retail stores.

"They've seen where other communities have eliminated or curbed plastic bags and they approached me with that so I've decided to go on and have a public hearing," said Kenneth Chesshir, Beeville Mayor. 

Only a handful of cities in Texas have jumped on the plastic bag bandwagon. While it's considered a go green plan, the initiative could impact stores like HEB and Wal Mart. They have no position, but plan to explain how customers may have to pay for its bags.

"I can't really say where it's going, but we are going to give the community an opportunity to pick and choose," Mayor Chesshir said. 

The public hearing is next Tuesday (July 8) at 6 pm at the Beeville City Hall.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com