A powerful coalition of over 170 prominent environmental organizations has filed a formal legal petition demanding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urgently begin monitoring microplastic pollution in the nation’s drinking water supply. The groups argue that as evidence mounts about the scale and health implications of microplastic contamination, the EPA’s inaction on this growing threat is putting public safety at risk.
Microplastics, which are tiny fragments of plastic less than 5mm in size, have emerged as one of the most ubiquitous and alarming forms of pollution in recent years. These insidious particles are shed from clothing, tires, packaging and other plastic products, eventually contaminating the environment in staggering quantities. Research has detected microplastics in some of the most remote corners of the planet, from the top of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench.
The Hidden Danger in Every Glass
But it’s the pervasiveness of microplastics in drinking water that has public health advocates so concerned. A growing body of studies suggests that virtually every sip of water we drink likely contains a cocktail of plastic particles and associated toxins. As one petitioner ominously stated: “The emerging science paints a troubling picture – the average American may be consuming a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, without even knowing it.”
The potential health implications are chilling. Microplastics are known to absorb a range of hazardous chemicals like PFAS, pesticides, and heavy metals, essentially serving as toxic Trojan horses. Once ingested, they can release these contaminants into the body. Early research suggests microplastics exposure may be linked to a host of health issues:
- Inflammation and cell damage
- Disruption of hormones and fertility
- Heightened cancer risk
- Developmental problems in fetuses and children
- Brain, liver and kidney issues
EPA’s “Wait and See” Approach Drawing Fire
Yet despite the red flags, the EPA has so far taken a hands-off approach to microplastics. While it has identified the issue as a potential concern, concrete regulatory action has been lacking. The agency maintains it is still in an “information gathering” phase to assess whether microplastics pose a significant enough threat to warrant more aggressive measures like setting allowable contamination limits in tap water.
Critics blast this position as dangerously retrograde, pointing to the disastrous precedent of PFAS or “forever chemicals” – another class of toxins the EPA was slow to act on despite ample warning signs. “We can’t afford to take a ‘wait and see’ approach again while a largely unknown pollutant accumulates unchecked in our bodies,” argued a senior attorney for one of the petitioners. “The EPA needs to get ahead of this crisis before it’s too late by systematically testing for and regulating microplastics in drinking water.”
Monitoring as Critical First Step
Specifically, the petition filed under the Safe Drinking Water Act pushes the EPA to include microplastics in the next round of its Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). Updated every 5 years, the UCMR requires utilities to test for up to 30 potential emerging contaminants to determine their prevalence. This data then guides the EPA in deciding whether a pollutant warrants a formal drinking water regulation.
By passing on microplastics for UCMR5 in 2021, critics say the EPA squandered a critical window to begin quantifying the scope of contamination and advancing regulatory solutions. The petition stresses that microplastics must be prioritized for UCMR6, slated to be finalized in 2026, cautioning further delay could set back meaningful action by a decade or more.
“It is imperative that the EPA act with urgency to understand and address this threat. We’re talking about a pollutant that is already in all of our bodies and environment in massive quantities. UCMR6 is our best chance to lay the groundwork for finally getting microplastics out of our taps – we can’t afford to miss that window again.”
– Petitioner statement
States Taking Lead as EPA Lags
As the EPA deliberates, some states are forging ahead with their own monitoring efforts, tired of waiting on federal leadership. California made history in 2022 by becoming the first state to mandate microplastics testing by water utilities, an ambitious effort to establish baseline contamination data and inform potential state limits.
Early results from these state initiatives are expected to further ratchet up pressure on the EPA to follow suit nationally. Petitioners emphasize that a comprehensive federal testing and regulatory strategy is needed to protect all Americans equally, as contamination knows no state boundaries. They worry a piecemeal, state-by-state approach will create dangerous inconsistencies.
Clock is Ticking as New Admin Looms
Complicating matters further is the impending arrival of a new presidential administration in 2025. The UCMR6 process is already underway, but final determinations on which contaminants make the cut will fall to the next EPA leadership. Advocates worry that if microplastics aren’t locked in soon, a new, potentially unsympathetic administration could derail or weaken the effort.
Those concerns are magnified by signals that the incoming administration and its Congressional allies are angling to rewrite the Safe Drinking Water Act itself, a move that could make adding new pollutants like microplastics to the regulatory roster even more onerous. The petitioners assert that the EPA must move quickly to get microplastics solidly on the UCMR6 agenda before the political winds shift.
“This is our most powerful tool to finally shine a national spotlight on this problem and compel action – we have to seize that opportunity before it’s too late. Americans deserve to know what’s in their water.”
– Coalition spokesperson
All eyes are now on the EPA as it weighs this monumental decision in the coming months – will it heed the clarion call of science and public demand, or will microplastics remain the invisible epidemic silently contaminating the drinking water of millions? For the petitioners and their backers, the stakes for the nation’s health and environmental justice couldn’t be higher.
