Well come to order. I may look like congressman huffman but im not. Know its a shock. Im congressman lowenthal and is back in sonoma dealing with the wildfires and get back here to to washington. That, you ll hoping know, that the fires subside, that, you know, many people are safe, and that mr. Huffman soon. S so with that, the subcommittee oceans and wildlife will come to order. The subcommittee is meeting hear a testimony on a sea of problems. The impacts of plastic pollution wildlife. And format, anytee rule oral Opening Statements at the hearings are limited to the minority the Ranking Member, the vice chair and the vice Ranking Member. Hear from llow us to our witnesses sooner and help eople help members keep to their schedules. So therefore i ask for unanimous members hat all Opening Statements be made a part of the hearing record. F they are submitted to the subcommittee clerk by 5 00 p. M. Oday, or the close of the hearing, whichever comes first. Objections, so ordered. Ill open up and welcome all the witnesses. Pressing ussing a environmental issue and thats plastic pollution. Certainly Single Use Plastics made life easier but these aterials come at a much higher cost than many would like to admit. Instics last for center tris the Natural Environment and are found nearly everywhere on our planet. Impactar i witnessed the wildlifec pollution on in antarctica, one of the few relatively s been untouched by human activity but not untouched by the scourge of plastics. Personally ive been involved in trying to tackle the growing years. For over 20 working with my constituent and friend, captain charles moore, created the scientific and who organization, research f the early on the plastic garbage situation. Here is an estimated 8 Million Metric Tons of plastics that enter the oceans each year at a garbage truck ne per minute. Threatening biodiversity and accumulating in the food that we eat. Plastics have been found in samples right here in the capitals visit center. Making clay also mat change worse. The global life cycle emissions years plastic production throughout the united the same as 462 coal fired power plants per year and that number is rising. Plastic production is an Environmental Justice issue also. Petro chemical factories and incineration facilities are located in low income communities where local Health Quality impacts are quite significant but ignored. Y are finally, in the subcommittee we eed to look at solutions to deal with, for example, fishing gear, fishing gear thats been continues to t catch fish. Marine mammals, turtles, birds and corals. Clear that we need to reduce plastic pollution. Commitments and bans and taxes on single use plastic items can be part of the but we must expand our tools to address this growing health ental and public problem. In this committee, we switched pitchers and glasses for water rather than the disposable plastic Water Bottles see so often around the capital. Easy t every switch is as and not everyone has the option. Cleaningcial burden of up pollution should not be on solely on the taxpayers. Its imperative that the ompanies that manufacture and sell these products take ownership of their environmental impacts. Congress needs to step up. It is for this reason that ive een working on comprehensive legislation with senator udoll. Our legislation seeks to create circular approach by extended place an producer responsibility program. Recycling content tandards, as well as phasing out certain single use items with more sustainable alternatives. To announce we have a discussion draft of this esolution quite soon which and idisseminate publicly you to let me f your comments. Noah recently funded 14 new aspects of ressing this problem. The 2. 7 million provided to come projects doesnt even close to addressing the scale of the oceanplastic problem. Is this we need to do more. E need to look at a broader range of solutions, that will revent wildlife from being strangled and to keep microplastics from ending up on our plate. I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses ideas and i will now member to ranking share his remarks. Thank you, mr. Chairman. To subcommittee meets today hear testimony on plastics and their impact on our oceans. Rom the written testimony it appears that the majority is blaming American Consumers for the plastic wasting that reaches oceans and is proposing to place restrictions on them that ill dramatically reduce the convenience and Higher Quality of life that plastics have modern ted to our society, while increasing costs dramatically. Blaming America First seems to be a recurring theme but the facts paint a very different picture. 2017 study published in the Environmental Science and Technology Magazine found that 88 and 95 of all the lastic debris that enters our oceans comes from 10 rivers, none of which is anywhere close to the United States. Eight of those rivers are in asia and two are in africa. 2015 study the top 20 Marine Plastic polluters 10. 76 d as much as Million Metric Tons of plastic debris. The United States generated just tons. Llion metric barely 1 . Indeed the entire United States less water borne plastic pollution than north korea. The majority blame for this . American consumers. Kilpatrick once observed they always blame America First. Epa, americans have increased Plastic Recycling tons in 1980 to 3. 1 2015. On tons in thats a 155 fold increase. Consumers go to great engths to properly dispose of Plastic Waste and the numbers show that. American consumers are heroes, fight lains, in this against plastic pollution of our oceans. We should be celebrating them punishing them. Yet thats just what draconian on plastic use would do starting with the 1. 7 illion families who depend on plastics manufacturing to put food on the table, roofs over heir heads and taxes in our government coffers. The single largest state remains my home state of california where 80,000 californians are directly plastics n the industry. Misplaced object of the lefts re appears to be single use plastic containers. The toothpaste tube, shampoo plastic bag. They criticize being wasteful ince the plastic is used once, discarded and yet takes between 50 and a thousand years to decay. Disposed e properly of, and americans do, i have to that hat exactly is problem . The most common single use packaging of the ancient world we had progressed from nimal skins and gourds was a ceramic, a massive hill called mount in rome, is composed of discarded which have not degraded in nearly 2,000 years, world is not worse for it and the romans were better off for it which begs the question . If were going to ban single use containers exactly what will replace them . How about your toothpaste . Toothpaste came in collapsible metal tubes. The opponents of plastic find environmentally friendly container . The toothpaste tube was invented consumers from the unhygiene knick practice of getting toothpaste in glass jars and dipping your toothbrush into them. Shall we return to glass jars . Powderedat, it came in form in cardboard boxes which required mixing a batch every to brush your teeth. Plastics have largely replaced container the best to protect food against food spoilage. Before aluminum it was tin. It takes four pounds of boxi dad mining and ip strip 7 1 2 kilowatts of electricity to make one pound of aluminum do. Plastic critics really think an environmental friendly alternative is to return to the metal containers . Before metal containers glass was commonly used. Takes roughly a million years to decompose, a thousand times longer than the longest for plastic decomposition. I suppose we could go back to i dboard and paper but remember the campaign decade ago to ban paper bags as wasteful environmentally offensive so we dutifully replaced them with plastic bags which have now ire of the he environmental left. Single use plastics, properly of, means greater convenience and lower prices for American Consumers and a much environmental footprint than all of the different packaging materials that they have replaced. So im very interested in hearing today why americans, who exemplary record of responsible plastic disposal and recycling, are to blame for the of other people in other countries and why those same americans should now be with higher prices, less convenience, and a lower standard of living. I would like to know what are the plastics critics propose as an alternative to they c containers that havent already rejected over years . I yield back. Im going to ask for unanimous consent that the person from new mexico, representative of holland be to sit on the dias and participate. Ordered. Objection, so now im going to introduce our witnesses. Ur first witness is mr. Ed ansda ted danson. Es also the vice chair of the board of directors at oceana, involveds been closely since its inception. Our next witness will be mr. Parras, who is the founder nd executive director at the texas Environmental Justice tejas. Cy service, or ollowing him well hear from jenna jambeck, an associate at the university of on plastic impact. And d finally, a president c. E. O. Of the plastics industry association. Let me remind all witnesses our Committee Rules they must limit their oral statements to five minutes but their entire will appear in the hearing record. When you begin, the lights on witness table will turn green. After four minutes, the yellow light will come on. Time will have expired when the red light comes on and it please comet o your statement. Ill also allow the entire panel testify before questioning witnesses. The chair now recognizes mr. To testify. Welcome to our committee. I would like to thank the Ranking Member and the committee to testify. m vice chairman of oceanas board of directors. Oceana is the Largest International advocacy solely toon dedicated ocean conservation. I have been working on ocean than 30 years, in the late 1980s, i cofounded he american oceans campaign, which then joined with oceana in 2002. To testify today about the growing problem of plastic ourution thats threatening oceans. Almost from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, faced with throwaway plastic. We face it when we brush our of h with a toothbrush made plastic and squeezed toothpaste out of plastic tube. Hair with wash our shampoo and conditioner from plastic bottles. Routines f our daily might include one or several coffees and cups with plastic lids. Plastic takeout containers, with plastic shopping, nd grocery where single use plastic is unavoidable. There isnt a place on earth the pollution from all of this plastic. He list of marine animals affected by plastic pollution grows. Lastic has been consumed by an estimated 90 of seabird species. Species of every sea turtle. Even our corals are threatened. Polluting the marine environment, plastic poses a risk to human health. Seeing plastic in our soil, air, and , bodies. Plastic particles have been everything from honey and beer to salt and tea. Affecting our climate. If plastic was a country, it fifth e the planets largest emitter of Greenhouse Gases. Plastic production rates anticipated to increase, so will lastics affect some of the climate and oceans. The most important thing to emember about plastic is that it lasts for centuries. This is what makes single use so profoundly flawed. They are created from a material to last forever but are designed to be used once and thrown away. Simply improving recycling rates will not solve the plastic crisis. Of all the Plastic Waste ever 9 has been y recycled. That means the vast majority was landfill, incinerated or ended up polluting our Natural Environment including our oceans. Recycling is like trying to mop from an overflowing bathtub while the faucet is still running. Facet to turn off the and reduce the production of plastic. Companies need to significantly the amount of single use on to they are putting the market and offer consumers plasticfree choices for their products. Unfortunately, companies arent doing enough and thats why we need your help. Policies governing the production and use of single use these are effective and policies are becoming more common around the world and country. Is the e. U. , peru, chile and canada announced or are implementing policies to reduce plastic pollution. Cities, counties, and states have taken the initiative assing policies to reduce Single Use Plastics, but ultimately, comprehensive u. S. Action is needed. This committee should use its authority to tackle the problem. Applaud you for stopping the use of plastic Water Bottles in hearings. The National Park service had a policy to encourage National Stop selling water in plastic bottles. Unfortunately the policy has reversed. The committee should make our ational parks, wildlife refugees, marine sanctuaries and other federal lands and waters single use plasticfree zones. Pass federal s to legislation that stops plastic pollution at the source that. Significantly reduces the of this everlasting ollutant, and that holds corporations responsible for this Global Crisis and enable states and cities to continue to lead the way on solutions. Dont fall for the false promise of recycling. And please dont stoop to incineration. The runaway increase in plastic production and reduce the amount of plastic that companies are making and forcing on us because they will last for centuries. To waste. More time thank you. Thank you, mr. Danson. He chair now recognizes mr. Parras to testify for five minutes. Welcome to the committee. I, too, thank you, mr. Ranking lowenthal and member im want parras with texas Environmental Justice advocacy services. This for working on over 16 years. We work at the intersection of human rights and social justice issues. We call houston home and share the largest petro complex in the nation, the second largest in the world. Also the averagest city petro meaning that chemical plants and other industries and infrastructures on the fence line of communities bordering them. Of plastic relies on fossil fuels. Produced they cs come from oil. The explosion of natural gas roducts has led to an ever increasing demand form national gas liquid, reaching the block of, the building lastic production, its a product of oil refining. Ts eat key element of plastic production. And others [inaudible] exposed to a dangerous mix of toxic pollutants, both authorized and nonauthorized, released by many sources industrial located along the ship channel. Overly the last several years complex has emical been expanding. Post Hurricane Harvey we began realized missions and that the expansion in our communities were related a growing market plastics. At terminals, all center around one thing, production of plastics. This erstood that expansion was focuseded on lg facilities. However, we now understand the and gas mic oil shifting from traditional production into new forms of utilization. However, as they expand, so, the instability of this the chemical plants and weve seen chemical e of disasters in the houston ship channel. In the most recent fire 37 people were injured, some with thirddegree burns. Initially evacuated but later required to reenter the plant as the fire was still burning. Compound the problems the ommissions quality monitors malfunctioned during the event the five Community Members to protect their health. When those Community Members ere unaware of proper shelter in place, exxonmobil, 20 billion in their expansion for the gulf of texas. Disasters the 2019, the fire in fire were held hostage under plume 47 miles long and 1 miles wide. On july 31, l fire 019, where 37 workers were injured, and on september 20, chemical barges collided after Tropical Storm vanished evacuation routes. In a recent report for the center for international environmental, they found if trends in the Oil Consumption continue as expected the the entire of oil by plastics sector will account for consumption by 2050. Uncovered 2 3 of the plastic related facilities in the houston region violated pollution control laws over the last five years and were environmental enforcement. But many more exceeded their not penalized. E compound in emissions including an increased risk for cancer and other health conditions. Plastic [inaudible] from our dinner table to the of the ocean, every art of the chain that creates plastic harms us. Plastic is being produced near ulnerable communities, predominantly people of color, poor people, indigenous and who have to pay the price, shortening the children and ur elderly, and i have exceeded my ill submit the entire document, thank you. Parras. K you, mr. The chair now recognizes dr. To for five minutes. Welcome to the committee. Lowenthalou, chairman and Ranking Member mcclintock and the rest of the subcommittee. To be here to testify. My name is jenna jambeck. Professor of environmental engineer at the university of georgia. Ive been conducting research on solid waste for over 23 years with related projects on marine especiallylf for 18, projects regarding location and spatial analysis, quantification characterization, and global Plastic Waste management. I have also witnessed and in the oceans sailing across the atlantic in 2014. Codeveloped a mobile litter retractor, which was funded by the noah Marine Program in 2011, where over two million items have been logged by people all over the world. Previously testified to the senate on this issue, to the subcommittee on fisheries, im also a participant in the International InformationalSpeakers Program department. S. State this has brought me to 13 Different Countries and world, to round the engage with governments, ondemics, ngos and citizens this issue. I have committed a written document that my testimony today based upon my background and experience Cutting Research on marine waste. C and when i testified previously to congress in 2016 i spoke to educate and raise awareness of based upon my research but we now know we have a major problem with plastic our environment and in the oceans. The science on this issue has been increased rapidly, just in four years. We now know weve produced 8. 3 billion metric tons of plastic of 2017, and since about 40 of this is used for packaging use items it means that 6. 3 billion of that had 2015. E waste by done with we begun that that waste . It. Recycled about 9 of on average globally weve recycled only about 9 . Another 12 had been incinerated so that means 79 has ended up ither in a landfill or in the open environment. As a result of weathering an exposure to sunlight plastic in doesnt onment biodegrade. It simply fragments into smaller with an er pieces, and unknown fate i would say of the smallest particle that we cant even measure yet. So you heard the number in our science paper in 2015. We estimated the global quantity plastic entering the oceans at 8 Million Metric Tons in 2010 about a dunkual to truck of plastic entering every minute. O although there have been actions taken globely to stop the business as usual projection input doubling by 2025, plastic production use and population growth are all riving factors that have resulted in an increase of plastic use and in our waste we ams so we can all agree want to keep plastic out of the ocean in the first place. There is a tremendous continued for bipartisan support and action on this issue. In the intervention framework i in 2016, we start all the way upstream with reducing waste generation, especially in with hyper person waste generation rates like here in the usa. Rate is twoneration to six times that of many ountries around the world, especially still economically developing countries and this eduction can be obtained through a combination of individual choice, policies and industry led changes. Packaging, do need there needs to be a more distinct connection between endgn, material choice, and of Life Management of materials. Currently the Waste Management system has to deal with whatever their way. This is one contributing factor o the historical practice of exporting nearly 50 of our Plastic Recycling to other of tries, primarily those lower income, which contributes to the environmental pollution in their country as well. Engagement of all stake holders across all points of this issue from production to use to critical, to make sure all voices are heard. And so one reminder i always there are people behind all the numbers i gave you and so we need to collectively come up with socially and culturally appropriate solutions, because were all you, today presenting to im optimistic we can do that and i will continue to work hard policy, e to inform that everyone has an Important Role to play. Points i want to two rage you to try experiments. For the next 24 hours take note of everything that you touch plastic. From this you will see how useful it and how is, but also the right times and right places to use them. Go outside on a Scavenger Hunt for litter. Far ont likely have to go and look at each as a message for you, the figure active and bolt, ask message in a yourself three questions. One, what is it . Two, how did it get here . Three, what are we going to do about it . Collection sed data and Citizens Science within a framework and structure can data bute to critical needed to inform management and communities and i believe empowers like these can citizens and ngos, corporations nd policymakers like you to take the most relevant and impactful actions for your and community. Thank you. Beck. Ank you, dr. January he chair now recognizes tonya radoszewski to testify. Welcome to the committee, mr. Radoszewski. Good afternoon, chairman lowenthal and Ranking Members of subcommittee. My name is tonya radoszewski and of the ident and c. E. O. Plastics industry association. The term short and proudly. Billiard balls. Ivory was expensive and the it was of collecting gruesome and inhumane. So they developed a material but at aved like ivory fraction of the cost and a fraction of the environmental impact. Thats been the story of genesis to m their today. Its a material that meets or exceeds the performance of other a erials and does so at fraction of the cost and with lower environmental impact. Ince it was first developed plastics have gone on to make hospitals safer, surgeries less invasive, patientcare for safer, effective and affordable, in the century and a alf since they were invented and other made cars things safer. Toed water brings freshwater people and takes water away in the most environmental and sustainable way. Have also made food last longer improving health and afety to millions across the world. The plastics industry employs United States. State, california. I can say with confidence that none of them got into this business in order to pollute our oceans and waterways. I can also say with confidence that many of them entered the ndustry with a passion to improve the state and quality of a lot of people. That our products end up where upsets me and im sure every one of those nearly Million People who work in this way. Try feel the same but its a fact. Its also a fact that a staggering eight million tons of ends up in the worlds ocean each year. 0 percent of which comes from 10 rivers in Southeast Asia and africa the remaining 10 comes from world. Else around the thats a great deal of value being wasted when they end up ultimately in the oceans. Our industry agrees with everyone that there is a Plastic Waste problem. He urgency of the situation cries out for a solution more thoughtful than simply saying no to a material that lowers Greenhouse Gas emissions is more efficient to produce than other materials like metal, paper and and has delivered numerous benefits to society as a whole. One after study including conducted recently by the California Water board has shown that banning Plastic Products drives consumers to other less sustainable materials. Bans have a very minor impact on if they have any impact at all. Plastics are used in such a iverse array of applications because they are the best option when all considerations are evaluated. In a Free Market Society consumers decide which products provide the best value and performance. Applications, the chief characteristic of plastics, that is, their lower flexibility,ility, and versatility, constantly make competingior to other materials. Plastic bags became popular due treescerns about how many were being cut down. Dont s are lighter and break down as much as paper once. When disposed of properly they a smaller environmental footprint than products made by other materials. Rather than trying to deny the plastics we need to head in the opposite direction enhance o preserve and their value so they are worth too much to waste. This can happen by investing in and Waste Management infrastructure. E continue to legislation for state and local entities to improve recycling infrastructure which is what we need to close loophole on these, i. Eve also supported the act which aims to protect marine debrises and has seen action in committees, e having been introduced here in the house. The industry itself has stepped p to this challenge by innervating like it always has. Developing new chemist industries, investing in new and collection technologies, developing ways to convert Plastic Waste into energy and creating the supply meet the demand for recycled plastic content. Still, we need the support of ederal, state and local authorities to ensure that no american has to wander if the bottle they toss in the blue bin will end up being recycled orened up as landfill fodder. Sum up with a d recent quote from japans prime we shouldnt treat lastic as an enemy nor ostracize those who use it. Whats needed is an appropriate management of trash and to earch for solutions through variation. On a personal note, i love this industry. Ive worked in it for nearly 40 years. I sincerely believe that plastics are among humankinds reatest innovations and that they have delivered enormous benefit to Public Health and commerce all over the world. To learn how to live with these materials because i can assure you, we would never want to have to live without them. Forward to d i look your questions. Thank you for your testimony, radoszewski. Im going to remind the members 3d he committee, that rule impose as five minute limit on questions, and now the chairman to recognize members for any questions they may wish to ask. Members of the panel, the witnesses, and im going to recognize myself for five minutes of questions. My first question goes to dr. Jambeck. To follow you on something that you said but also something that Ranking Member his introduction, where he said there is no real here in the United States, the real amount of ocean really e come from other countries. Sian countries and african countries. So dr. Jambeck, you know in your is how much of the waste entering the oceans from china, ietnam and other southeastern asia countries. Can you tell us, is this the origins of of the the waste . Can you tell us more about the full impact of the united in contributing to oceans debris. And plastic weight and has that been partially hidden by our exporting our waste to primary asia. You kind of give us respond to that. Thats how it was framed. Big question, a but certainly when we first did those calculations of the global input of plastic into the ocean, we couldnt take into account importexport aspect, and so what we did see were these so really factors, rapidly developing economies wherein from a structure to that comes he waste with the increased waste generation that comes with conomic growth, that infrastructure was lagging behind. That have been referred to here, many of those rapidly developing economies is we saw the most leakage but as i mentioned in our testimony, our per person two to six ate is times that within the u. S. And if we look at leakage as a of what we generate, the only the u. S. Is high income country within the top 20 countries within that because of ouris waste generation rate. So in terms of a contribution to the global plastic quantity of million that i mentioned billion, excuse me, contributor. So what has become an issue that started in the 1990s, in terms our single stream recycling to make it easier, we can put that hing in one bin, meant our commodities as well as global encouraging needing d china material for manufacturing, to become the manufacturing hub of the world that set up this rapid of our in exporting Recycled Materials and for me, we looked at recycled plastic, half of that had been going to china until they at the end of 2017, which caused a cascade industry the recycling within the u. S. Itself. And so that has been a major relying ecause we were on lower Income Countries to manage that material. Having cases, china trouble managing their own, and then us exporting on top of hat, so that contributes to pollution in shows countries as well. O its very interconnected and complex but i hope that clarifies some. Thank you, i want to talk a some questions right, we know bout the waste, of plastics, and how much is going into the ocean but the question is, how species . Impact is, weve st question ust had i hope i pronounced it right, report that was released earlier this year that plastic pollution as a threat to marine biodiversity. Threat. Een as a the first question is, do you now, mr. Danson, if plastic is affecting species that are in danger of extinction . We want to understand not only how it gets into the ocean but are . Some of the impacts some of the impacts, turtles, of turtles is either on the endangered species list or close to, and every turtle has ingested plastic. Away c doesnt go completely. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Turtle or a sea mammal or ingest that may plastic. They think they are full because their stomachs are full of they stop eating, to death. Tarve dipping into up what they think is a sorry, some sort, Something Like like eat in the water but its plastic, then they feed it to bird, hild, their little and the bird dies for the same reason, they starve to death. Impact, ts having an on whales, on many species. Thank you, i think my time is and so im going to yield and call upon representative graves, who looked very good side g on the democratic there for a while, and we welcome him back. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Ive recruited a number of your members to your side. Coming to my district this weekend . I look forward to it and i note, mr. Lowenthal and i, i was arguing with him a said, you need to come see the people that i represent, communities that i whyesent, so you understand i say the things that die and why i vote the way i do and to he came down and spent three dias in louisiana and i put him on an air boat and airplane, a n helicopter maybe, took him all over the place. Him eat crawfish. Free crawfish, and i look forward to coming over to part of the country to see if we can talk some wisdom into people. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. The friendship and im looking orward to an opportunity to meet with some of your constituents. Thank you for being here want to be clear, i very much appreciate ll of your efforts to remove plastic from the waste stream. Share that i very much and represent. Part of the coast of louisiana commercial he top and Recreational Fishing destinations and producers in United States, and not just fishing for fun, but for a really e, its important part of our culture, ommunity economy in southeast louisiana. We could talk end game for a im curious. There is a huge part of the waste stream that exists right now. Plastic in the oceans. Youve got plastic that is chain re in the recycle as we know with what china has done. Just o we do right now, putting the long term aside, ooking at the incredible waste streams that are in the ocean, and im in support of some of he legislation that weve pushed out of the house to deal with that but what do we do with current waste stream of plastics, the way stream thats recycled but with the china ban its created problems with workers. Plastics do with the in the ocean . If you were king for the day and make any decision what would you like to nson, i would ask all of your opinions . I would reduce single use plastic. Be to live o forever and yet you use it once away. Hrow it take easy things like that, that arent really necessary. Can i just clarify my question. Though, youve got plastic thats already been some thats ed and already somewhere in the way stream, whether nits our oceans, in the shipping or somewhere, where its going enter inycled but its the way stream already. How do we handle that way stream . Im not sure, if its in the ocean, im not sure you can. Once its in the water you cant get it out. You may be able to scoop some of pieces out and beach cleanup but really compared to the amount of plastic thats in the nextproduced 20 to 30 years, its going to be scaled up. Compete with the amount of plastic production by recycling and picking up on the beaches. You, mr. Parras . What i see in our neighborhoods and communities over the country, plastic is actually made to be disposable, like. Ms its affordable because it is that c so what happens is people just dont consider it as trash or valuable, so they get it and until we start actually either start charging more for the production of have major we can cleanups, that may help. Thank you. Reemphasize, im alking about the existing road thats there and im interested to hear our last witness talk a about some of the technologies moving forward. Sure. Quickly, whats already in the easiest obably thing to grab, something that with they s familiar are one of the materials typically, nylon, very valuable, recycled. E the problem with what already existes is the diversity of the ic thats there, challenges with recycling that getting f it is landfilled here in the united tates, and so thats not the best thing. We wish more of it could be recycled. You. Ank thank you. Today our industry, the four components of our value chain all are actively engaged n recycling and reuse of these products ranging from sorting to the plastics that are most used in recycling, polyethylene, and also develop enough of a way in am so they can be used applications. The other technology that is being used are chemical we can take the products back to their basic form. And use it in it food contacting packaging. These are technologies that actively involved in right now. Thank you. Thank you. Recognize representative kase for five minutes. Thank you, chair. Ranking member asked two, i think, good questions. The first is, what exactly is problem, and the second question that he asked was, why blame americans take the for the excesses of the rest of the world . Those are two good questions in this debate. As for the first question, ill give you a couple of examplesle from my perspective . State of hawaii we have the largest marine monument in ur country, a National Marine monument and there we get somewhere around 52 metric tons all of e debris, almost it goes to fishing gear every year. Every year. Problem . Is that a it wrecks coral reefs which are endangered around the world, and degrades into smaller parcels which then are ingested by our marine life. We have 1,400 hawaii monk seals left in the entire world and declining. This et entrapped in debris and die. Hat species is highly endangered. We have Invasive Species from lsewhere in the world hitching ride on goes fishing gear to hawaii, the endanger species capital of the world, where we externale that kind of impact. Theave in hawaii, i went on first world wreath day on june 1 oahu to a r, to beach, where i tried to clean up a clothesline with sustainable hawaii, one of many grassroots organizations across our country trying to do a ething about it on microlevel. A beach that i used to walk on pretty white, is now all didnt colors. Green, yellow, red. Very small particles of plastics, not degraded, but down into the level of ingestion at the very lowest levels of marine life. Is. Ts what the problem now, as to the Ranking Members why should we , the the hit when the rest world isnt doing anything about it . Climate change, where the same question is posed, why should we reduce our of the s when the rest world arent doing that . That leads us to National Agreements which i can see as to g one of the only ways get at this problem from an perspective. Mr. Danson, does oceana Partner International organizations towards an international in the to plastics ocean, given that it does put us disadvantage for us to unilaterally curb our plastics from several perspectives, and yet, we need to do it. Cities and counties and states the country are doing that. Are you partnering with the rest of the world to try to find those interNational Agreements . Are. Es, i believe we i think there are literally thousands, at least a thousand around the world working on plastics. Effort. A united i can get you more specifics when i talk to the staff of oceana. I mean, we havent talked about Climate Change and greenhouse plastic is such a huge that story. I dont see how we cannot address our plastic, our Greenhouse Gas emissions without and if we dont do expect the rest of the world to follow along, so, yeah. Sorry. Okay. Thank you very much. You stated in , your testimony that you are of, you and your industry are a support of save 2. 0. Oceans introduced in both the house and the senate and that calls for studies and inisnt advertise at the federal level and also calls for pursuing that ational agreements would curb plastic use especially single use plastic the world. I just want your testimony sounded to be inconsistent with position, that part of save our oceans 2. 0. Of pursuing rtive interNational Agreements whereby the entire world would agree to plastic use and a reduction of dumping plastics oceans . E i would say were involved in working with international rganizations to find solutions to the problems that exist today. Engaged, whether its the british plastics union, canadian plastics industry association, new zealand plastics ssociation, work in consortium with them to define the ability to minimize the waste in the in the land as well. Okay. So that doesnt sound like what im talking about. Sounds like youre working with the rest of the plastics industry around the world to into the ocean but not necessarily reducing it. Or reusing or recycling, there are a lot of s that were ion save our seas 2. 0. There are many parts that we look at and negotiate with. Thank you. I now recognize the Ranking Member for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Case was listening very said. Lly to what i i was referring to specifically to properly dispose of plastics. In landfills, none of which gets into the ocean and counts for america less than 1 of plastic marine pollution. O even if we went to the extreme of banning all plastics in the United States, and, in act, in addition to having a devastating effect on the economy, it would at best affect in 1 of plastic pollution our oceans. Mr. Radoszewski, dr. Jambeck very intriguing question. Think about how much plastic you touch every day. An indication of how useful plastic has become in our daily lives . Absolutely. If you look at what plastics have replaced in the past, paper, its glass, steel, aluminum, the reason why is its so much plastic the best choice in terms of many of the packaging applications. Also a her question warning of how our quality of life would decline if the left successful in restricting or banning it . I would think a lot of things taken for granted today would be gone and the food ibility to those stufts th tuffs that give us a Higher Quality of life, not only to americans on the east coast and west coast, in the middle of the poorer areas as well, availability to get foods to different parts of the world of lower transportation costs and the foods stay safer and healthier and fresher are why the quality of life not only in the United States but across the world has increased. Dr. Jambecks question also begs a corollary question. Lets think about everything single day. H every everything. Either mined or grown, is it not . I think that would be right. I dont know of a single exception to that, and that then that a new question, and is, whats the alternative to plastics . I use the example of a tube. Paste what would be the alternative to that . And i think even in your original testimony you mentioned used to be. So far as we know, only thing we can do is go back to what it that would mean glass bottles. Hat would mean lead, i think, was once used in toothpaste tubes because of the softness of it. Backwards youre talking about materials that have a higher carbon footprint, ake more energy to produce, usually way more so the transportation costs also increase so you have that aspect as well. So at this juncture in our echnology and science and advancement of our civilization, most cs are the environmentally friendly alternative that we have, if commerce ngage in the that makes our civilization possible, is it not . I think thats very right. Go back to the point, packaging, at food any ty to get bratworse to place in the country, because it has a foam board package, it accessible, your meat stuffs, your sausage containers, padys, they are all packaged in plastics because the product to the shelf economically, safely and fresh. How are we going to get our toothpaste, for example, how do ou propose that we package our toothpaste . You want to ban plastic containers and go back to metal jars . Or glass i dont know the answer to that. Thats the problem, isnt it . Not heard a single alternative offered by the critics of plastics. I think its become very clear that plastics, weve found be a far better solution, conomically, and environmentally, to the materials that weve used in the past. Radoszewski, tell me, how a ban on Single Use Plastics would impact the overall economy . I think it would be detrimental to it. It could have an effect of work. G people out of i dont think there is a Quick Response to supply the demand marketplace has created for these products, so you would have a shortage of goods. Would you have an economic decline because of lack of that tion of materials were seen in the plastics industry. There are a whole host of things hat would be affected immediately. What would happen to Consumer Prices . They would go up. Of supply and e demand. If the demand is not satisfied by the supply automobiles, for example, instead of using plastic materials, would go back to materials. These are plastic. In a previous day they were brass. Expensive. And much harder on the environment to mine, is that correct . It is. In fact, if you look at the cafe standards one of the reasons why the Automobile Industry has been meet those standards over the last couple of decades is because of the incorporation performing plastics that do the same performance as metal. Once again, its blame first, lets harm the american so once again it is a blame America First and then arm of the American Consumer even though the American Consumer is responsibly disclosing Plastic Products and without any alternative. To me that almost sounds childlike. I will yield back. Thank you, Ranking Member. I will now call upon mr. I will now call upon mr. Representative cunningham for five minutes for questions. Thank you mr. Chairman and thank you for holding the hearing on an issue that is near and dear to my heart and also our constituents in the First District of South Carolina which stretches from Charles De Gaulle the way to help and. This issue is certainly on the minds of South Carolina and if any of them to keep their free time to support local beach cleanups in an effort to preserve our beautiful godgiven Natural Resources and im proud to represent so many of these conservation leaders. The local Surfrider Foundation chapter in my Congressional District hosts beach cleanups almost every single weekend. We also have andrew wimberly, the charleston water keeper livelihoode it his likelihoo to protect and restore the quality of the waterways while fighting for the rights to drinkable and fishable water. And today i actually came up here from charleston with some of the plastic treasures that were recently found on our shoreline over the weekend from the Goose Creek Reservoir which is the source of the water supply. So lets see what we got here today. This was just found this weekend. Got a usedwe have piece of styrofoam here. Got a plastic water bottle here. A single use plastic bag and this looks like it has been shredded or enable one or more then likely ingested by some kind of Marine Wildlife so what is left of it right now. Another straw and weve all seen the pictures of sea turtles and the damage that causes. Jar and a potato chip bag, plastic. This is an abnormal unfortunately, its become the norm of what washes up on the shorelines or enters the waterways every single weekend , and a lot of people in this room are aware of it. And in fact earlier this year, noaa published a report on the Economic Impact of the marine debris. I would like to, without objection i would like to enter this report for the record. Not surprisingly the report found getting rid of debris from our beaches can have a significant positive impact on our tourism economy. Thats kind of a nobrainer. Every year the International Coastal cleanup report shows the most frequently found items on the beach. In 2017, data showed for the first time that the top ten most commonly found items were all made of plastic. The trend continued in 2018. So, what items, what you saw today is this simple but the items typically found in beach cleanups in your experience, and how does this, these discoveries help shape the policy . They are all Single Use Plastics, which is something we would like to reduce. They are all very convenient and easy for us to use in our everyday lives, but create incredible problems everything from Greenhouse Gases to see animals die from ingesting them. So, that is our disposable lifestyle of which i am part of. Its very hard to live without. People are coming up with solutions. Theres a toothpaste that now comes in a little jar its a powder and you add water and it creates jobs and money and taxes. So there are alternatives we need to find. Its been incredibly useful and dont become incredibly dangerous, and i think that is the argument, not a the left or the right has any monopoly on being smart about things. This is a problem for all of us and we all need to find ways to do it and i do believe that we are capable. I appreciate you all being here today. Unfortunately, my time is coming to a close but i know theres been some discussion today of course where the United States is as far as polluting and clean up and everything that i think we should all agree that the United States of america is the leader and we should lead on this issue. And no matter where we fall on the list of polluters, we should be leading by example and being more responsible, being more norm, if you will. Just you know, being out in the front on this and recognizing that this is not sustainable and we have to do every single thing in our power to make that come to an end, so i appreciate what you all are doing it at the time today, and ire yield back. Thank you mr. Cunningham and i now recognize the congressman for five minutes of questions. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman, for holding todays hearing. In my first few months here in congress by first year, i had this naive thought if there was a possibility for some Committee Members to get on an airplane and fly over this garbage bits patch that is in the pacific. Now it has a new name actually. It is the Great Pacific garbage patch, and its located just a little north of hawaii and right place called micronesia. I come from a part of micronesia. Theres a lot of small islands together. You take all of those islands together, all of them come up with them together and its hardly a large part of this garbage patch. We have in the islands that are conservation islands and unless you are a scientist with a permit you can get on this island. But there have been scientists that have gotten permits and found to their dismay they had to collect bags and bags of garbage, plastic garbage. I dont mean any disrespect to all of you. Thank you. Thank you very much for so many. I have so many wonderful hours of great entertainment. I enjoyed your shows. I also noticed among the sir witnesses on the table,. Thats ok. Call me tony, how about that. Among the witnesses you are the only one with a plastic bottle of water. Right. You really are for your product. If you would like me to comment on that. Im not asking for a comment, just an observation. You didnt have to bring that because there are glasses of water in front of you. But you see, this micronesian island, yeah, we probably contributed to some of this debris, but we are not responsible for that debris. That thing is floating and growing and its one day going to cover micronesia. Micronesia is the area the size of 48 states so what do we do about that . How much effort and resource would you think that it would be to clean up this garbage patch . So, what is floating out there is only about 3 of what we think is going in every year. So its not a large amount, but youre absolutely right in that what is floating often ends up on islands like yours that sort of interrupt currents. To be honest, the best way to sort of way to get that out is if it is ending up on land and then cleaning that like they do in hawaii. There are folks that are trying to Design Systems to collect out in the Great Pacific garbage patch, but there are a lot of that. Ces that go into that is similar to the analogy of mopping up your bathroom floor while the tap is on. Just imagine what it would be like for hawaii is garbage gets any closer and just keeps coming. I dont have an answer to the problem, i really dont. I do have a serious concern because you know, i eat a lot of fish, reefcaught fish, tunacaught by trolling and everything. I agree things get in to the fish, so get into what i eat. It will most likely, but i dont know. I dont have an answer. Im not as smart as the four of you at the witness table. But we do need to take some steps and get something going and try to find a way to resolve this and maybe i dont know, find an alternative to plastics. Thats not going to hurt peoples jobs. There has to be something. We are a much better nation than we think we are again we give ourselves credit for. My time is up. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you. Next, the chair recognizes you for five minutes of questions. Thank you mr. Chair and thank you for hosting this important hearing. While at the topic of plastics and water it cannot be more pressing on a study by the u. S. Geological survey its sound plastic was found in 90 of the rainfall samples in denver and boulder, colorado, which happens to be the particular area that i represent in congress among many others. An earlier study found people are swallowing an average of 5 grams of plastic about the weight of a credit card. For my constituents suffering from this reality every day, ultimately for the people across this nation in the world during the same, it is imperative that we address this issue. It just happens, mr. Chair, quite fittingly, literally one week ago october 16, a constituent of mine named annie , a sophomore at fort collins Expeditionary Learning School in my district wrote to me about this very issue, the issue of micro plastics in the worlds oceans and Water Systems at large. And in her letter she said sent on such a small part of this world and i want to do everything i can to fix this problem. Im certainly inspired by her commitment to fixing this problem and im heartened by his decision to separate the hearing and my fellow Committee Members and their attempt to address this issue collectively, and of course to the witnesses that have joined us and their testimony. I had a number of competing scheduling commitments from the hearing perspective as well as meetings, but i was watching the testimony and some of the exchanges on the television in our office, and there was one exchange in particular that was interesting to me. I had noticed you didnt have the opportunity to really respond to the question being posed by the gentleman from california, so i would like to go back to the point that he made about the toothpaste. In 1984, how old were you . If you are comfortable sharing it of course. I was born in 47. Would you do the math for me . I am a lawyer, not a mathematician unfortunately that that would put you at i think 43. Thats right. Im old, go on. I dont want to get stuck on your age. What kind of car were you the 1980s. K in 1980s, ford explorer. And i take that it probably was not an electric car. No, but i did have the first ev one. And i suspect you may have been renting back then or owned a home. Did your home have solar panels . No, they did not. The reason i ask, i was born in 1984. I am 35 today. I have a daughter that is 14 months, and i think a lot about the world of if she will inherit , and much of the work we do here in this committee and this congress is about fighting to make sure the world she inhabits is a better one than we did. The transformative changes that happened just in the last 35 years since i was born has been dramatic. You have chosen among many other citizens in our country and of course several of the panelists here to try to make a difference to adopt strategies in your own life and the way you conduct yourself to be environmentally conscious, taking advantage of the Technological Capabilities that have also changed. So, this notion that we cant adopt and removing micro plastics suddenly we all would be witnessed in the realities of trying to replace the plastic that carries toothpaste to me that is a false choice. Fundamentally we all collectively are going to have to adopt a strategy that enables us to move to a future in which micro plastics are not polluting our planet and in the communities they are all so lucky to call home. Thats to be is what this should collectively be about. Extent, if you care to respond further. I know you do. I know you did talk a little bit about some of the alternatives that toothpaste containers and brushes that are nonplastic options, but if you care to also elaborate further. I know people will invent new things and create more jobs and not create stuff that is worse. Just in general if you talk about your children, youre talking about Climate Change. You just are. You are talking about greenhouse in the middlere of a committee talking about ocean plastic, you have to acknowledge the plastic is coming from petroleum and chemicals, and that lifespan from the time of production to lying on a beach is the equivalent all of the plastic is the fifthlargest emitter of Greenhouse Gases. So, if you want to take care of your children, you have to start addressing these incredibly inconvenient things that we have all gotten used to and enjoy but they are no longer good for us, and they are going to land on our children and grandchildren in a huge way. Thank you. I yield the balance of my time and apologize for revealing his age. With that i will yield back. How old are were you . 35. Oh right. [laughter] thank you. Id like to thank the witnesses for their valuable testimony and the members for their questions. I found this very interesting. The members of the committee may wish to have additional questions for the witnesses and we are going to ask you to respond to these in writing. Rule 30,mmittee wil members of the committee must submit what this questions within three Business Days following the hearing and the hearing record will be open for ten Business Days for the responses. Just before i end i want to introduce into the record a journal article from volume nine of the Climate Change of 2019 , which was a study that showed the global lifecycle Greenhouse Gas emissions were conventional from conventional plastics which were produced in 2015, where 1. 8 were 1. 8 billion metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent. This is approximately the annual emissions as i pointed out in my introduction of 462 coalfired power plants. Thats what we are just talking about in terms of co2 emissions. I went to get that formally in the record. [inaudible] i am just introducing something into the record. Thank you. If there is no further business, without objection, the committee stands adjourned. Journal,s washington coming up. The impeachment process. Rosemary gibson talks about her book. Be sure to watch cspans washington journal sunday morning. Join the discussion. Sunday night, campaign 2020. Cspan speaks with candidates. The former governor talks about his background, friendship with barack obama, in his late entry into the crowded democratic field. I think the primary think that has been more than confirmed since the visits ive had in new hampshire, california, nevada, and South Carolina. Folksis a lot of room for who want an ambitious agenda and a record of delivering. Then senator Michael Bennet on why he decided to run for president. I know how important the idea that america is, and it is not that we are perfect, but we are a beacon to the rest of the world. I believe that reestablishing that place in the world is one of the things the next president will have to do. Watch cspan this weekend. Collins, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the chairman regarding an upcoming hearing on the impeachment expectedwith testimony from a panel of constitutional scholars. In the letter, he writes i request an expanded panel and a balanced composition of academic witnesses to opine on the subject matter at issue during the hearing. He says i further request that you allocate those witnesses to. E minority and the majority the hearings continued next week. Coverage live wednesday, december 4, 10 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan three. Chairman nadler extending an invitation for the president and his counsel to appear before the committee. You can follow the impeachment inquiry life on cspan3, online at cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. , senator john warner talks about his political career in a form on the future of democracy, followed by a panel discussion. The c