Patricia Doxsey in The Daily Freeman reports Ulster County voted 16-7 to ban polystyrene cups and take-out containers in restaurants. If Ulster County Executive Mike Hein approves, the first phase of the ban will go into effect six months after the law is filed with the Department of State. Styrofoam is the trademarked name for polystyrene, a known carcinogen in test animals and classified as a likely carcinogen in humans. Independent restaurants would have until 2016 to comply with the law, with fines the penalty for any restaurant found using polystyrene. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.