{"id":7682,"date":"2026-03-11T10:58:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/irwin\/?p=7682"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:59:45","slug":"protecting-waterways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/irwin\/2026\/03\/11\/protecting-waterways\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Committee Advances Legislation Addressing Dangerous Microplastics, Protecting Waterways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span><i data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Senate Bills 503-505 would\u00a0combat\u00a0bioaccumulative microplastics\u00a0found in water sources and everyday products<\/i><\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><p>LANSING,\u00a0Mich. (March 11, 2026) \u2014\u00a0Yesterday, the\u00a0Senate Committee on Natural Resources\u00a0and\u00a0Agriculture\u00a0passed\u00a0Senate Bills<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWA3e135767-bd5b-eb20-3f26-d5eb9157ae50\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/Bills\/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0503\" data-linkindex=\"3\" title=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/Bills\/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0503\">503<\/a><\/u><\/span>&#8211;<span><u><a id=\"OWAfe4643e0-22c0-79eb-3362-682817f39428\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/Bills\/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0505\" data-linkindex=\"4\" title=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/Bills\/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0505\">505.<\/a><\/u><\/span>\u00a0Sponsored\u00a0by\u00a0Sens.<span>\u00a0<\/span><b>Jeff Irwin<\/b>\u00a0(D-Ann Arbor),<b>\u00a0Dayna\u00a0Polehanki<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(D-Livonia),<b>\u00a0<\/b>and<b>\u00a0Sue Shink<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(D-Northfield Twp), this legislation would create solutions to assess and prevent further microplastic pollution in Michigan watersheds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMicroplastics are increasingly found throughout our ecosystem and\u00a0even in\u00a0our bodies,\u201d\u00a0said Sen.<span>\u00a0<\/span><b>Irwin<\/b>. \u201cIt would be challenging to eliminate all sources of microplastic contamination, but one of the most straightforward steps we can take is to stop manufacturing them and intentionally adding them to products like blasting abrasives. I\u2019m glad Senate Bill 503 is moving forward so we can protect ourselves and our Great Lakes by cutting off microbead pollution at its source.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Senate package would:\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" role=\"presentation\"><b>Senate Bill 503 (Irwin):<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Ban the sale or manufacture of products\u00a0containing\u00a0plastic\u00a0microbeads. \u00a0<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" role=\"presentation\"><b>Senate Bill 504 (Polehanki):<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Create a program at the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to test public drinking water supplies for microplastics, make a risk assessment, and recommend actions for future monitoring and mitigation.\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" role=\"presentation\"><b>Senate Bill 505 (Shink):<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Create a statewide microplastics research and monitoring plan to assess the scale of microplastic contamination and the risks it\u00a0poses, and\u00a0make recommendations for policy changes as part of a comprehensive strategy for addressing microplastics.\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><p>\u201cAccess to safe, reliable drinking water is a fundamental human right \u2014 but here in Michigan, the concentrations of dangerous microplastics in our water and environment are only continuing to rise,\u201d said Sen.<span>\u00a0<\/span><b>Polehanki<\/b>. \u201cMy bill will ensure that the state can better study where microplastics are appearing, how they move through our drinking water, and what risks they may pose. I\u2019m proud to champion this meaningful legislation that will better protect our communities from the detrimental public health and environmental impacts of microplastics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Microplastics are about the size of a grain of rice or smaller and widespread in our environment, where they are found in water, sediment, wildlife, and even the air we breathe. Some are intentionally manufactured to be that size, such as microbeads, and others are the result of larger pieces of plastic breaking apart into smaller pieces, like litter and textiles. This persistent pollutant has been found in drinking water drawn from the Great Lakes, where\u00a0the<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWAb94fc3f0-cb41-dcbf-e0f2-66e749dd2289\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ijc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/SAB_MicroplasticsReport_2024.pdf\" data-linkindex=\"5\" title=\"https:\/\/ijc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/SAB_MicroplasticsReport_2024.pdf\">concentrations of microplastics in fish<\/a><\/u><\/span> are some of the highest in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to take steps to protect our environment and overall public health from the multiple harms of microplastics,\u201d said Sen.<span>\u00a0<\/span><b>Shink<\/b>, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee. \u201cAs we find out more about microplastics and the science and research surrounding them advances, we have to adjust policy accordingly. I am gratified to see this legislation advance and will continue working on solutions to keep Michigan\u2019s water safe for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once ingested or inhaled by humans, microplastics can accumulate in the body over time,\u00a0including in\u00a0critical organs like the<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWA5bde5ebe-87ed-94f3-5680-6dded258cbe1\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-024-03453-1\" data-linkindex=\"6\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-024-03453-1\">brain<\/a><\/u><\/span>\u00a0and<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWAc040c77a-7040-84ab-fa0a-a4369481bbcd\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/toxsci\/kfae060\" data-linkindex=\"7\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/toxsci\/kfae060\">reproductive system<\/a><\/u><\/span>. While the research on human<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWA22c125a5-a6dc-bfdc-5634-8f4d771eaf54\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32069998\/\" data-linkindex=\"8\" title=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32069998\/\">health effects of microplastics<\/a><\/u><\/span>\u00a0is ongoing, microplastics have been associated with inflammation, cell damage, immune system dysfunction, and neurological issues. Microplastics\u2019 tendency to<span>\u00a0<\/span><span><u><a id=\"OWAf1f587f7-87d3-f28e-9900-7461d12d649b\" class=\"x_Hyperlink x_SCXW2364090 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10643389.2020.1845531\" data-linkindex=\"9\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10643389.2020.1845531\">carry other harmful chemicals<\/a><\/u><\/span> into the body adds to the urgency of addressing microplastic pollution and reinforces the need for policies that prevent it.<\/p>\n<p>This legislation now heads to the full Senate floor for consideration.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" style=\"text-align: center;\">###<\/div>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Bills 503-505 would\u00a0combat\u00a0bioaccumulative microplastics\u00a0found in water sources and everyday products\u00a0 \u00a0 LANSING,\u00a0Mich. (March 11, 2026) \u2014\u00a0Yesterday, the\u00a0Senate Committee on Natural Resources\u00a0and\u00a0Agriculture\u00a0passed\u00a0Senate Bills\u00a0503-505.\u00a0Sponsored\u00a0by\u00a0Sens.\u00a0Jeff Irwin\u00a0(D-Ann Arbor),\u00a0Dayna\u00a0Polehanki\u00a0(D-Livonia),\u00a0and\u00a0Sue Shink\u00a0(D-Northfield Twp), this legislation would [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","twitterCardType":"","cardImageID":0,"cardImage":"","cardTitle":"","cardDesc":"","cardImageAlt":"","cardPlayer":"","cardPlayerWidth":0,"cardPlayerHeight":0,"cardPlayerStream":"","cardPlayerCodec":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-release"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - 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