"PHOENIX — The federal government announced Wednesday it will eliminate a policy that allowed national parks like the Grand Canyon to ban the sale of bottled water in an effort to curb litter.

The National Park Service said in a statement it made the decision to “expand hydration options for recreationalists, hikers, and other visitors to national parks.”

The rules were first put in place in 2011 after it became clear discarded water bottles were becoming a big litter problem in national parks. The policy did not stop the sale of bottled sweetened drinks."

Clarice Silber reports for the Associated Press August 17, 2017. [2]