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AB 2449 also includes a specific prohibition on the ability of cities and other local entities to impose a fee for each plastic bag used. Bans on Plastic Baas Adopted in Other Cities. While the State has created comprehensive plastic bag recycling regulations, some cities also have adopted outright bans on plastic bags based on similar environmental concerns. San Francisco. In 2007, the San Francisco adopted a plastic bag reduction ordinance which bans single use plastic bags at the point -of -sale checkout at "full -line, self- service supermarkets with gross annual sales of two millions dollars [or more] as well as "retail pharmacy with at least five locations under the same ownership [in the city] The stores subject to the ban have to instead provide recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags, or reusable bags. This San Francisco ordinance was supported by specific findings about the impact on the environment of single use plastic bags, including costs to clean such plastic bag garbage from city streets, that plastic bags cause mechanical problems at city garbage processing facilities, and that compostable bags will help the city achieve a higher recycling diversion from landfills. The San Francisco ordinance was adopted without analysis pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and was not challenged. It is currently being implemented. Oakland. In 2007, Oakland adopted a ordinance banning non compostable single use plastic bags at the point -of -sale of any "retail establishment, excluding restaurants with gross annual sales of one million dollars [or more]." Allowed alternatives were reusable bags, recyclable paper bags and compostable plastic bags. Oakland relied on a CEQA exemption that the regulation would have no significant effect on the environment [or it would actually improve the environment] when adopting its ordinance. Oakland's ordinance was challenged by groups in favor of plastic bags, particularly manufacturing and grocery store groups. The lawsuit was based on Oakland's failure to carry out CEQA analysis in the form of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), arguing that a ban on single use plastic bags will result in greater use of single use paper bags, and consequently more trees will be cut, more greenhouse gases released due to paper mill processing, bulkier transportation of paper bags, more space taken in landfills, no data showing that compostable plastic bags will actually be used by customers to compost, or that compost piles will get hot enough to break -down compostable plastic bags. It was argued that these were significant environmental effects that Oakland failed to evaluate. The Alameda County Superior Court ruled against Oakland in April 2008, finding that the challengers did raise legitimate issues under CEQA, and that Oakland improperly relied on the CEQA exemption of no environmental effect. Because of the lawsuit, Oakland never implemented its ordinance, and since the Courts decision requiring CEQA, Oakland has not further proceeded on this matter. Palo Alto. In 2008, Palo Alto convened a Reusable Bag Task Force comprised of city staff, and representatives of grocery stores, manufacturers, community members and the chamber of commerce. The group looked at single use plastic checkout bag restrictions, fees on paper checkout bags, restrictions on single use newspaper bags, reusable bag promotion programs, and city policies on plastics. Supermarket and pharmacy groups advocated that all single use plastic bags be considered, not just those used at their stores; and that restrictions should apply to all retail stores simultaneously. In March 2009, Palo Alto adopted an ordinance to ban single use plastic bags at checkout at only supermarkets (defined as full -line self service grocery stores with gross annual sales of $2M or more). Supermarkets were required to provide reusable bags or recyclable paper bags. [The other issues Page 3 of 9