Contact: Nora Naughton, nora.naughton@sierraclub.org
Lansing – Sierra Club’s Legislative & Political Director, Tim Minotas, testified before the Michigan Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture Tuesday in support of a new package of legislation for the prevention and clean-up of microplastics pollution.
The proposed legislation consists of three bills sponsored by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp), Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), and Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor). The three bills aim to reduce microplastics at the source, monitor their presence in water, and build long-term strategies to protect public health and the Great Lakes and make Michigan a national leader.
“These bills represent a vital step toward protecting our drinking water, Michigan’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation and tourism economy, and the health of our communities for generations to come,” said Tim Minotas, legislative and political director of the Michigan Sierra Club. “We’re just now beginning to understand the long-term damage microplastics can have on our precious Great Lakes, and Michigan has both an opportunity and an obligation to lead the region in preventing microplastic pollution.”
You can read Legislative & Political Director Tim Minotas’s full joint testimony the Michigan Environmental Council below:
Thank you for your consideration of the following testimony in support of Senate Bills 503, 504, & 505 that support the mitigation of plastics pollution in Michigan and the Great Lakes.
Plastics are a modern problem, and we are still just beginning to understand the full consequences of the material. They became popular in the 1950’s, being celebrated as cheap and disposable, thus becoming a part of our everyday lives. Nothing goes away when we throw it “away” when we are done using it, and this is especially true for plastics that fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, persisting in the environment and spreading into the air, soil, water, and ultimately our own bodies.
Despite over 70 years of widespread use across the globe, we’re still working to gain a better understanding of the long-term health impacts from life-long exposure and what it might mean for children born today when they reach mid-life. We know microplastics are harmful, but we don’t yet know the full extent of the long-term health impacts. This is why more research on the issue of plastic pollution is critical. We need to work towards closing the gap between what we currently know and what the long-term impacts will be on our health, environment, and economy.
Microplastics Pollution Prevention in Michigan
With over 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, Michigan is well positioned to lead efforts to understand and address plastic pollution in a basin that supplies drinking water to
approximately 30 million people. Plastic pollution is now so pervasive that microplastics have been detected in air, water, soil (impacting agriculture productivity), food, and our own bodies. Humans become exposed to micro and nano plastics primarily through ingestion and inhalation, and to a lesser extent, dermal exposure. Research has shown that these exposures may disrupt reproductive health in all people, raising concerns about long-term impacts. Wildlife across Michigan, from fish to birds to land animals, face similar exposure and impacts.
Research is a critical prevention strategy against plastics pollution. These bills would support the prevention of persistent health and environmental risks through informed policy and proactive public health protections. It serves as a critical first step to future mitigation and intervention efforts. In addition to research, proactive bans on certain types of microplastics, like microbeads, can prevent harm. Since the 2015 federal microbeads ban law went into effect, manufacturers have begun using microbeads in products not covered by the ban. Expanding the ban is a logical first step because preventing plastic pollution at the source before it reaches the Great Lakes helps protect environmental and human health and frameworks around this currently exist.
Proactive Protections & Vulnerable Populations
The precautionary principle is centered around taking action to prevent harm rather than awaiting causal evidence. This approach is especially important for children and pregnant persons, who are among the most vulnerable to environmental exposures. We learned from lead and PFAs contamination that delaying proactive measures can lead to irreversible harm that can impact an individual for their entire life.
Plastic particles have been detected throughout the human body. Of particular concern is that they’ve been identified in the blood, urine, and breastmilk of pregnant persons. This indicates that children can be born already carrying plastics in their bodies, and/or be exposed as a breast feeding infant. Because early development is a critical period, children are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxins. Exposure can lead to lifelong health consequences, and it’s our duty to ensure future generations grow up in a healthy and safe environment where they can thrive. This evidence underscores the urgent need to take proactive measures to limit plastic pollution and our exposure to it. These bills will help protect all Michiganders, especially the most vulnerable.
Economic and Public Support
Michigan has more freshwater shoreline than any other state, and our economy depends on clean water. Recreation on the Great Lakes – including world-renowned boating, hunting, and fishing opportunities – generate more than $52 billion annually for the region. Tourism in Michigan supports 50,000 jobs and composes approximately 60% of all economic activity derived from the Great Lakes. All of which can be undermined by unchecked pollution, including plastic pollution. Research consistently shows that investing in clean water pays off: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative recently found that every $1 spent on Great Lakes research generates more than $3 in economic returns. Unless action is taken, microplastic are expected to significantly increase, leading to increased impacts and costs, especially on local communities. Other states are starting to take action now, but Michigan must respond to this challenge and lead.
Recent surveys show that over 80% of Americans are concerned about microplastics in food and water. This concern cuts across age, income, political affiliation, and ethnicity, reflecting a broad consensus on the importance of clean water. A 2024 International Joint Commission poll found near-unanimous support for protecting the Great Lakes, with more than nine in ten residents calling both their protection and government investment in them important. The growing visibility of plastic pollution, combined with rising awareness of its health risks—including microplastics found in human bodies—has made addressing the plastics crisis a widely shared priority.
Closing
In closing, Michigan is defined by its water — our lakes, rivers, and wetlands are the heart of our economy, recreation, and way of life. Anglers report pulling fish from the Great Lakes with bellies full of plastic fragments. Hunters and birders have noticed plastic pellets in the stomachs of water fowl. Even when we can’t see them, microplastics are in the water and the air. This is not a distant, abstract threat. It’s here. It’s in our environment, and in our bodies.
Every piece of plastic we prevent is one less fragment in a fish’s stomach and one less particle in a child’s drinking water. Acting now ensures that future generations inherit clean water to drink and recreate in, food to eat and safe air to breathe.
Right now, Michigan doesn’t have a complete picture of where microplastics are coming from, how much is out there, or the full risks to people and wildlife. These bills will allow us to gather this information.
These bills are a common-sense, science-based balanced first step that starts to prevent pollution at the source, and will allow Michigan to make data-driven policy decisions to protect public health, our environment, and our economy. We ask for your support and look forward to working with the legislature in taking this critical step toward a cleaner, healthier Michigan.