FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- After the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban microbeads, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is calling for the Senate to also approve a ban of the additive, which poses a hazard to Long Island Sound.
Murphy called on the Senate to pass the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, legislation that would place a federal ban on polyethylene and polypropylene microbeads typically found in personal care products and that have proven to harm aquatic life, water quality and public health.
Murphy is a co-sponsor of the legislation.
“Microbeads are tiny plastic particles that go down our drains right into our lakes, rivers, and oceans. For much of Connecticut, that means they end up in Long Island Sound, polluting the water and harming plants and animals," he said.
"Connecticut has taken serious steps to protect our waterways, but one state can’t solve this alone. It’s a national problem that needs a national solution,” Murphy added. “I’m glad the House passed this important legislation today, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to follow their lead as soon as possible.”
In response to a Southern Connecticut State University study that revealed plastic microbeads are polluting the Long Island Sound, Murphy called on retailers earlier this year to discontinue the sale of products containing the harmful plastic microbeads.
This year, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a law banning the sale of microbeads by 2017.
