Comment submitted by Michigan Microplastics Coalition
AnonymousSupportAdvocacy
Summary: The Michigan Microplastics Coalition, represented by a retired Certified Industrial Hygienist, supports adding microplastics to the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List. However, they argue that the action is insufficient on its own and urge the EPA to immediately begin monitoring for microplastics through the UCMR6 to gather necessary data.
I am a retired Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Co-Founder of the Michigan Microplastics Coalition. We believe that adding microplastics to the CCL6 is a good first step, but it is not enough. Contaminants can sit on this list for years with zero action. We need action now! And that action is for USEPA to begin monitoring our drinking water now! We don't know the extent of a problem unless we have data and we cannot remedy the problem without data. The sooner USEPA can begin monitoring our drinking water, the less the human and environmental impact and cost. Microplastics have been proposed to be added to the UCMR6 because seven governors petitioned the USEPA. The proposed UCMR6 is currently under review by USEPA and would require the USEPA to begin monitoring for microplastics in our drinking water. We need the UCMR6 to include microplastics or we risk another 5 years before we can try again to add microplastics to the UCMR7. Human health and the environment are at risk if we don't start dealing with this issue and we know that microplastics have been identified in almost every sample of water tested. And it has been identified in every human body part tested. We cannot afford to wait any longer to start monitoring our drinking water.