Pass the Protecting Communities from Plastics Act!
Prevent further harm to frontline communities and the climate by stopping the petrochemical's attempts to ramp up plastic production.
The Protecting Communities from Plastics Act would protect communities from the harmful effects of plastics, and reduce the production and use of plastics and other petrochemicals, including by directing the EPA to place a temporary pause on certain new permits for petrochemical facilities under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
Petrochemicals are at the root of both the climate crisis and the plastic pollution epidemic. As demand for oil and natural gas decreases in response to the shift toward clean and renewable energy, the petrochemical industry anticipates expanding plastic production. In fact, the International Energy Agency forecasts that plastics and other petrochemicals will become the largest driver of oil demand by 2050. According to industry estimates, production will exceed carbon emissions of coal-fired power by 2030, threatening to put our climate goals further out of reach.
Additionally, petrochemical, plastic production, and waste incineration facilities — which are disproportionately located in communities of color and low-wealth communities — release harmful air and water pollution with major human health consequences for surrounding communities, including increased incidences of asthma, cancers, endocrine disruption, developmental disorders, and heart disease. Moving the use of fossil fuels from the energy sector to plastic production is not a sustainable solution, and will continue to perpetuate existing climate and environmental justice harms.
The Protecting Communities from Plastics Act would crack down on the plastic production process, addressing the harmful environmental justice impacts of this growing fossil fuel sector, and advance our economy away from an overreliance on single-use plastic.
By establishing stricter rules for petrochemical plants, the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act would safeguard the health of American communities and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions fueling the climate crisis. It creates new nationwide targets for plastic source reduction and reuse in the packaging and food service sectors as well as federal incentives to spur expansion of reusable and refillable systems; and directs agency research to expand our understanding of the health effects of microplastics.