Bauer proposal to protect Indiana environment gains endorsement from House committee

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana House committee today passed legislation authored by State Rep. B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) banning the use of synthetic plastic microbeads because of harmful effects on the environment, wildlife, and public health.

The ban is contained in House Bill 1185 which was passed today (Wed., Jan. 28) by the Indiana House Environmental Affairs Committee.

Non-biodegradable microbeads are less than five millimeters in size and can be found in personal care products such as sunscreens, toothpaste, shampoo, facial exfoliators, moisturizers, lipstick, and fragrances.

“Indiana can keep the momentum going to ban and remove harmful products from the market. We might not be the first state to ban microbeads, but we can be the next,” said Bauer. “Destructive materials can easily be replaced with natural alternatives that are biodegradable such as colloidal oatmeal, apricot shell, and coconut shell.”

Rep. Bauer also presented an endorsement of the microbead phase-out from the Personal Care Products Council. The Council manufactures, distributes, and supplies the vast majority of finished cosmetic and personal care products marketed in the U.S.

Testifying on behalf of HB 1185, Dr. Tim Hollein of the University of Loyola Chicago explained how synthetic microbeads and plastic fibers from clothing are not filtered out at water treatment plants because of their miniscule size. As the tiny plastic materials pass through the purification system, they collect bacteria before the pollutants re-enter and become trapped in lakes and rivers for extended periods of time.

Dr. Hollein has conducted extensive research on rivers located near water treatment facilities. He found synthetic plastic microbeads and fibers in every water source that was examined.

When studying pollution in the Great Lakes, Dr. Sherri Mason of the University of New York at Fredonia expected bags and bottles to be the predominant garbage contaminant. However, 80 percent of the particles found were less than one millimeter in size. Her research also shows that the microbeads are being eaten by wildlife and are then moving through the food chain.

“This issue is particularly concerning to scientists because the smaller the particle, the more easily it can be ingested,” explained Dr. Mason during her testimony on behalf of HB 1185. Synthetic plastic microbeads can also cause bleeding of the gums in humans and animals.

The measure passed with a vote of 9-0 and will now advance to the full House for consideration.