EPA Adds Microplastics to Drinking Water Watch List but Michigan Lawmakers Push for More Action

Trump Administration Designates Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals as Priority Contaminants

The Trump administration announced Thursday it will add microplastics and pharmaceuticals to the EPA's list of drinking water contaminants that may be regulated in the future. The designation comes amid growing concern over pollution in the Great Lakes, where about 22 million pounds of plastic waste enter the water each year.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said listing the pollutants under the Safe Drinking Water Act will prioritize them for funding, research and potentially future regulation.

"EPA is sending a clear message," Zeldin said. "We will follow the science, we will pursue answers, and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of every American family."

Michigan Lawmakers Push for Stronger Monitoring and Regulation

The announcement drew a mix of responses from Michigan environmental groups and lawmakers. State Senator Sue Shink, R-Northfield Township, has introduced legislation to combat microplastics in Michigan drinking water. Shink said she is glad to see federal attention but emphasized that action is better than talk.

"I'm glad that microplastics are getting some attention in the news today. I have seen from talking to people that it's a bipartisan issue. At the same time, talk is great, action is better," Shink told WEMU.

The EPA's move is being watched closely in Lansing, where several active bills dealing with microplastics are awaiting votes in the state Senate. These include proposals to phase out microbeads, require drinking water providers to monitor for microplastics, and create a statewide microplastics plan.

Critics Say EPA Action Falls Short

Environmental advocates argue the EPA's announcement doesn't go far enough. They want the EPA to add microplastics to the government's official list of contaminants in drinking water that must be monitored under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.

"We really should be taking action to protect people's health," said Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who frequently sponsors legislation related to plastic pollution. "But we expect so little from the Trump administration, even their acknowledgement that we're going to look at this and collect data is probably a good thing."

Art Hirsch, co-founder of the Michigan Microplastics Coalition, said the problem requires more than vigilance. "We're never going to get rid of plastics," Hirsch said. "They're too fundamental. The problem is, we make too much."

Hirsch called for regulating the plastic supply chain to effectively curb microplastics pollution.

Michigan Conducts Its Own Testing Program

While the EPA moves slowly, Michigan has taken its own approach. The state will conduct a pilot to test five different drinking water systems for microplastics contaminants. Michigan will also test about 200 of its inland lakes and streams for microplastics over the next three years.

Samantha Pickering, who leads the public and environmental public health program at the Michigan Environmental Council, said Michigan is ahead of the federal government in tackling the problem.

"Having the Great Lakes ecosystem, and so much Great Lakes shoreline, we're a bit more responsible for our stewardship," Pickering said.

Pickering noted that California has already passed a law requiring the adoption of a system for testing drinking water supplies.

The Growing Threat

Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments of 5 millimeters or less, about the width of a pencil eraser. They come from litter that breaks down in the environment, fleece clothing that sheds fibers with every wash, car tires that grind away on road surfaces, and many other sources.

In the Great Lakes, a drinking water source for 40 million people in the US and Canada, about 22 million pounds of plastic waste enters the water each year. Research on humans is limited, but animal studies have linked microplastics exposure to learning and memory issues, reproductive problems and other concerns.

Pharmaceuticals, which range from anti-anxiety drugs to antibiotics and pain relievers, enter water supplies through human waste, improper drug disposal and intensive livestock operations. They have shown up at sampling sites across the Great Lakes and in the drinking water of tens of millions of US residents.

"We're consuming this stuff, and we really don't know what the risk is," Hirsch said.

Public Comments Deadline

The EPA's proposal to designate microplastics and pharmaceuticals as priority contaminants is open for public comments through June 1.

The proposal comes as environmental advocates continue to call for more aggressive action. Whitmer in December joined six other Democratic governors to petition the EPA for a monitoring requirement, arguing it would "lead to meaningful methods of reducing the risk to the public's health."

The Trump administration is due to publish an updated list of contaminants that require monitoring – known as the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule – by the end of 2026.

Ongoing Legislative Efforts

State lawmakers have introduced multiple bills to address microplastics, but none have moved beyond the legislative process. Past efforts to let local governments ban plastic bags, expand recycling programs and ban cosmetics and over-the-counter drugs containing plastic microbeads have all stalled.

At the federal level, Congress passed 2015 legislation phasing out personal care products containing plastic microbeads and directed EPA in 2020 to develop a national strategy on plastic pollution. Several other efforts to rein in plastic use have stalled, while President Trump last year reversed a Biden-era effort to phase out federal use of single-use plastics.

The proposal to designate microplastics and pharmaceuticals as priority contaminants will be evaluated by the EPA, which has faced criticism for rolling back environmental regulations including drinking water limits on PFAS forever chemicals.

What to Watch

Michigan's testing program will provide important data on the extent of microplastic contamination in the state's water systems. The results could inform future legislative action and potentially pressure the federal government to take stronger measures.

Meanwhile, the public comment period gives Michigan residents and advocacy groups a chance to push for more aggressive federal action on this growing environmental threat.