Legislatures call on EPA to address plastic production crisis

WASHINGTON D.C. — Multiple members of Congress, including Rep. Jared Huffman, have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency to ask for expanded efforts to address what they call a plastic crisis.

Huffman, as well as Sens. Cory Booker and Jeff Merkley, wrote in the letter that oil and gas production has expanded in the U.S., leading to "...toxic pollutants that will further disproportionally impact the communities living in and around these areas as well as additional greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change."

The letter also contains actions the EPA could take to protect communities from climate damage and pollution, including:

• Creating new targets nationwide for single-plastic source reduction.
• Expanding the definition of covered facilities under theSolid Waste Disposal Act.
• Removing harmful chemical recycling technologies from the National Recycling Strategy.
  
• Establishing a program to prevent the release of microplastics into the environment and remove existing microplastics without causing further harm.

A full copy of the letter can be found here.