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Opinion | Protecting our Great Lakes from microplastic pollution
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One of the largest threats to our precious Great Lakes is too small to see with the naked eye. Microplastics — smaller than 5 millimeters — are one of the fastest growing forms of pollution in our lakes and rivers, seeping toxins into our drinking water, soil, wildlife, and even our own bodies.
At a recent cleanup organized by the Cleanup Club, volunteers removed 3,681 nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in manufacturing — from the Clinton River Spillway in just one event. And the problem goes far beyond one site. Data from beach cleanups show that 86% of the trash collected along our Great Lakes shorelines is plastic. But you don’t need statistics to grasp the scope of this pollution — just walk along any Michigan beach. You’ll see fragments of bottles, foam, and film scattered in the sand, reminders that our plastic waste never really disappears; it only gets smaller.
The Great Lakes are a critical source of clean drinking water for millions of people, and the health of these waters directly impacts our own public health. Some 22 million pounds of plastic enters the Great Lakes every year, bringing with it toxic chemicals and fragments that can carry dangerous diseases.
These waterways also sit at the heart of our economy. Recreation on the Great Lakes, including boating, hunting, and fishing, generates more than $54 billion in annual revenue for the region. Michigan’s tourism industry, inextricably linked to our world-class beaches and waterfronts, supports some 50,000 jobs and accounts for roughly 60% of all economic activity in the Great Lakes region.
Microplastic pollution puts all of this at risk. These tiny particles – which never fully degrade – are rapidly tainting our waterways and beaches, even when we can’t see it happening.
Why we must act now
This is not a problem we can kick down the road. The tiny and resilient nature of microplastics makes them easier to spread and nearly impossible to contain once they enter the environment. Though research on their impacts is still emerging, we already know they can enter our bodies through the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe, and even through our skin.
So far, these particles have been detected in our blood and urine, and even in the breastmilk of pregnant people – seriously raising concerns about long-term health effects.
We in Michigan are painfully aware of the consequences and human toll of delayed action on pollution mitigation. The fallout of lead and PFAS in our drinking water has made international headlines. We know the damage caused by toxic pollutants in our water can create devastating ripple effects into our communities and our economy, felt by generations of Michiganders.
Our responsibility
Michigan, the Great Lakes State, stewards more than 3,000 miles of coastline in the freshwater basin that supplies drinking water to around 30 million people. It is our responsibility not to repeat history, and to instead lead the way in preventing and cleaning up microplastics pollution.
We have the opportunity to take a first step forward with a new package of legislation in Lansing. Three bills (SB 503/HB4766, SB 504/HB 4768, and SB 505/HB 4767) would expand upon federal action to reduce microplastic pollution at the source by phasing out plastic microbeads in products, require statewide monitoring of microplastics in drinking water, and create a long-term research and action plan to protect public health and the Great Lakes.
These bills are a practical, science-based pathway to prevent pollution at its source and give Michigan the information needed to make smart decisions that protect public health and our economy for the long term.
Research has also shown that investing in cleaning up and protecting our Great Lakes quite literally pays off. For every $1 spent on Great Lakes research, another $3 in economic returns is generated, according to The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The Great Lakes define who we are as Michiganders. The proposed legislation on microplastics offers a lifeline for our state, and our elected officials in Lansing have a duty to prioritize this pressing threat to all Michiganders.
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