WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Fred Upton says U.S. House legislation banning microbeads has passed the Senate and is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.
Upton, R-St. Joseph, says there was a need in the Great Lakes to pass the prohibition on the little plastic scrubbing particles found in soaps, cosmetics and toothpaste.
“They’re so small, they pass through the filtration and get collected by fish, and we eat the fish — I mean, it’s just a bad cycle,” Upton said.
He drafted the bill after other states passed similar laws.
“Rather than having 50 different standards, let’s just get rid of this,” Upton said. “Let’s just have one national standard.”
Upton anticipates Obama to sign the bill, which will halt the manufacture of microbead-containing products by July 2017.
– Anthony Pollreisz
