# Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act

This bill tackles a specific but significant source of ocean and water pollution: tiny plastic pellets that leak into our waterways during manufacturing and transportation. These pellets, called "nurdles," are the raw material that factories use to make plastic products. They're about the size of a lentil, and they escape into the environment through wastewater, spills, and runoff from plastic manufacturing facilities and during the shipping and handling of these materials. Once in the water, they're nearly impossible to clean up and can be mistaken for food by fish and other wildlife, causing serious harm to marine ecosystems.

The bill directs the EPA to create strict new rules within 60 days that essentially ban any discharge of these plastic pellets into waterways. This applies to all plastic manufacturing plants, molding facilities, and any other businesses that make, use, package, or transport plastic pellets. The rules would apply to wastewater, stormwater runoff, and any other water leaving these facilities. Companies would need to update their permits and follow these new standards to prevent even tiny amounts of plastic pellets from entering our water systems.

For everyday people, this means cleaner rivers, lakes, and oceans, which protects fish populations and the food chain we depend on. It also means less microplastic pollution accumulating in our environment. For plastic manufacturers and related industries, it means they'll need to invest in better containment systems, improved handling procedures, and wastewater treatment to catch these pellets before they escape. While this could increase costs for plastic production, it addresses a pollution problem that's been largely unregulated and is growing worse as plastic production increases worldwide.

Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act

Lowenthal, Alan S.

Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a final rule that prohibits certain discharges of plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic into waters of the United States.