Janelle Bynum
09/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/28/2026 15:00
Bynum Calls for Review of EPA’s Microplastics Monitoring and Research
Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Congresswoman Watson Coleman (D-NJ) led 21 of their colleagues in a letter requesting Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Brown, to conduct a review of the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to monitor and evaluate the risks of human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics.
The lawmakers argue that to continue protecting Americans' health, they need to understand what the EPA has accomplished in its work on microplastics and what progress still needs to be made. They also emphasize the urgency of this review amid emerging research connecting microplastics to adverse health consequences and serious environmental risks.
In the letter, the lawmakers write:
"Even as the EPA's FY2023-FY2026 research plan approaches its conclusion, Congress lacks a clear assessment of what the EPA has accomplished in its work on microplastics and what work remains necessary to support reliable monitoring, risk assessment and potential regulatory action."
Later in the letter, they write:
"Addressing microplastic pollution is critical for protecting the health of Americans and safeguarding our waterways and ecosystems. Our constituents deserve to know what microplastic exposure means for their families' health, and the requested information above will be critical in informing Congress's work in tackling this challenge."
The letter was also signed by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representatives Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Dave Min (CA-47), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Judy Chu (CA-28), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Mike Levin (CA-49), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), and Zoe Lofgren (CA-18).
In July, Rep. Bynum led a bicameral letter, urging the Environmental Protection Agency to add microplastics to the agency's recently published Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6). This letter urged the EPA to begin monitoring microplastics in America's drinking water, citing a growing body of research linking the emerging contaminant to serious adverse health effects.
Rep. Bynum also introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Microplastics Safety Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a study on the health impacts of microplastics in food, water, and other products. The new legislation is a critical step forward in better understanding the threat of microplastics to human health.
Background
Researchers at the Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) define microplastics as plastic particles ranging in size from 5 millimeters to one nanometer. Microplastics have been found in every ecosystem on the planet, as well as in food, beverages, and animal and human tissue. When Environment Oregon sampled 30 of Oregon's most iconic rivers, lakes, and urban waterways, they found microplastic fibers in 100% of the samples.
The full text of the letter is available here.
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Janelle Bynum published this content on September 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 28, 2026 at 21:00 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]