Sponsors (50)
The bill would substantially reduce plastic pellet pollution and improve water quality and recreational safety for communities, but it imposes meaningful compliance costs on facilities and additional administrative burdens on permitting authorities.
Urban and rural communities: manufacturers, transporters, and related facilities will be banned from discharging plastic pellets, reducing pellet pollution in waterways and improving water quality and wildlife health.
Recreation users and downstream residents: fewer microplastics and visible pellet contamination in rivers and on beaches, improving public safety, recreational enjoyment, and aesthetic value of water bodies.
Facilities and businesses (including small manufacturers and waste handlers): will incur increased compliance costs to prevent pellet discharges, such as containment upgrades, wastewater controls, and monitoring.
Permitting authorities (EPA and state/local agencies): must revise permits and standards on a rapid timeline (within 60 days) and will face added administrative and enforcement burdens to implement the new requirements.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs EPA to ban discharges of plastic pellets and pre‑production plastic materials and to require those bans in CWA permits and performance standards.
Prohibits discharges of plastic pellets and other pre‑production plastic materials to waters from covered facilities and point sources, and directs the EPA to issue a final rule to implement that ban within 60 days. The rule must require that the prohibition be included in all Clean Water Act Section 402 permits and in applicable performance standards under the Clean Water Act.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Mike Levin · Last progress February 12, 2026