H.R. 7543: Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act aims to regulate the pollution of water bodies caused by pre-production plastic pellets, often referred to as "nurdles." The bill requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement specific rules to limit the discharge of these plastic materials from certain facilities.
Key Provisions of the Bill
The bill establishes the following requirements for the EPA:
- Prohibition on Discharges: Within 60 days of the bill's enactment, the EPA must finalize rules that prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets or other pre-production plastic materials from:
- Facilities regulated under parts 414 or 463 of title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
- Point sources that manufacture, package, transport, or use these plastic materials.
- Permitting Requirements: The EPA's rules must be reflected in:
- All wastewater and stormwater permits issued under section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
- Performance standards applicable to facilities that handle plastic pellets.
The intent behind these regulations is to reduce environmental hazards associated with plastic pollution, particularly in water bodies. The bill seeks to ensure that discharges into water through wastewater and runoff from relevant facilities are controlled and eliminated.
Rationale and Goals
The overarching goal of the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act is to safeguard aquatic environments from pollution that can arise from the plastic production and handling processes. This includes mitigating the adverse impacts on wildlife and ecosystems caused by the presence of plastic materials in natural water bodies.
By instituting stricter regulations on well-defined point sources of pollution, the bill aims to create a framework for managing and minimizing plastic pellet pollution effectively.
Implementation and Oversight
Once enacted, the EPA would be tasked with monitoring and enforcing compliance with these new regulations. Facilities that fail to adhere to the prohibitions may be subject to penalties or other regulatory consequences as determined by the EPA.
Relevant Companies
- DOW: As a major manufacturer of plastics, Dow could be directly impacted by the new regulations regarding the discharge of pre-production plastics.
- PPG: PPG produces a variety of polymer products and might face stricter compliance costs and operational adjustments due to the bill's enactments.
- LSCC: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation uses plastics in its manufacturing processes and may be affected by new pollution control requirements.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
51 bill sponsors
-
TrackMike Levin
Sponsor
-
TrackNanette Diaz Barragán
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSuzanne Bonamici
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSalud O. Carbajal
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackAndré Carson
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackTroy A. Carter
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackKathy Castor
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJoaquin Castro
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJudy Chu
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSteve Cohen
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSharice Davids
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackMark DeSaulnier
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackMadeleine Dean
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackDwight Evans
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJared Huffman
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSara Jacobs
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackPramila Jayapal
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSydney Kamlager-Dove
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackWilliam R. Keating
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackTimothy M. Kennedy
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackRaja Krishnamoorthi
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackTed Lieu
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackStephen F. Lynch
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSeth Magaziner
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackDoris O. Matsui
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJennifer L. McClellan
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJames P. McGovern
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJared Moskowitz
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackSeth Moulton
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackKevin Mullin
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJoe Neguse
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackFrank Pallone, Jr.
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackChellie Pingree
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackMike Quigley
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackDelia C. Ramirez
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackRaul Ruiz
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJanice D. Schakowsky
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackHillary J. Scholten
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackKim Schrier
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackLateefah Simon
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackAdam Smith
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackMelanie A. Stansbury
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackLinda T. Sánchez
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackMike Thompson
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackRashida Tlaib
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackJill N. Tokuda
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackPaul Tonko
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackRitchie Torres
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackEugene Vindman
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackDebbie Wasserman Schultz
Co-Sponsor
-
TrackBonnie Watson Coleman
Co-Sponsor
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Feb. 12, 2026 | Introduced in House |
| Feb. 12, 2026 | Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. |
Corporate Lobbying
0 companies lobbying
None found.
* Note that there can be significant delays in lobbying disclosures, and our data may be incomplete.
