Democrats revive legislation against single-use plastics

The Senate has been holding hearings on plastic pollution concerns, but lawmakers are far from agreement on a response.

House and Senate Democrats reintroduced broad legislation this week to reduce plastic waste.

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Rep. Jared Huffman of California released the latest version of the "Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act" amid a series of hearings meant to generate momentum behind legislation to address solid waste.

"Plastic pollution is a public health crisis that can only be solved with bold actions,” said a statement from Merkley, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight.

The legislation would set reduction targets for plastic bottles and would ban certain single-use plastics that are not recyclable. It would also create a national plastic bag fee.

The bill would block new plastic facilities from being built pending new requirements and would establish a grant program to support reusable products, according to a fact sheet.

"Plastic pollution isn’t just a problem for our oceans and climate," said Huffman, "it's a massive environmental injustice."

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By:  Manuel Quinones, Ellie Borst
Source: E&E Daily

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