The California Supreme Court upheld the right of cities to ban plastic bags, ruling Thursday that a full-scale environmental review may not always be needed to prohibit stores from giving bags to their customers.
Environmentalists lauded the unanimous decision, calling it a victory for environmental protection. But a lawyer for plastic bag makers said the manufacturers would continue to sue municipalities that impose bans without environmental impact reports.
The ruling overturned two lower court decisions and upheld a 2008 plastic bag ban by Manhattan Beach. Since that ban, nearly a dozen other local governments, including Los Angeles County, have voted to prohibit plastic bags, and other cities are considering such prohibitions.
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