Park Service Showed That Its Bottled Water Ban Worked — Then Lifted It

"Long before the Trump administration rescinded a ban on the sale of disposable water bottles in select national parks, the Interior Department was aware of a report from the National Park Service that the program worked.

The report was quietly made public at the end of the day Friday after organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act requests for its release. In 2011, the parks initiated a water bottle sales elimination program to reduce pollution and the costs of recycling plastic. It resulted in yearly savings of up to two million water bottles, according to an estimate in the report, and 'demonstrates the commitment of the [National Park Service] to environmental stewardship.'

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) introduced legislation to reinstate the ban, citing the May report. 'The Trump administration’s rationale for reversing the ban on water bottle sales in national parks is nonsensical and nonexistent, especially given the fact they actively ignored the Park Service’s own findings on the issue,' he said."

Darryl Fears reports for the Washington Post September 26, 2017.