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119-s-4181119th Congress

Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act

Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

Introduced

Summary

A ban on discharges of plastic pellets and other pre‑production plastic materials from regulated facilities and point sources. This bill would require the EPA to issue a final rule within 60 days that prohibits those discharges and to put the limits into wastewater, stormwater, and other permits and into performance standards under the Clean Water Act.

Show full summary
  • Manufacturers and transporters of plastic pellets: Would be barred from discharging pellets from any point source that makes, uses, packages, or transports them and would need controls to prevent pellet runoff into wastewater or stormwater.
  • Facilities regulated under 40 CFR parts 414 and 463: Would see explicit permit limits aimed at eliminating pre‑production pellet discharges.
  • State permitting programs and EPA-issued permits under section 402 and performance standards under section 312(p) of the Clean Water Act: Would be updated to reflect the ban and broaden oversight to associated point sources.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New ban for facilities handling plastic pellets

This bill would require EPA to issue a final rule within 60 days of enactment. The rule would ban discharges of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic into wastewater and runoff from point sources that make, use, package, or transport those materials. The ban would explicitly cover facilities regulated under 40 C.F.R. parts 414 and 463. EPA would have to put these limits into NPDES wastewater and stormwater permits and into related performance standards, which could clean up waterways but would require regulated facilities to change operations and comply with new limits.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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