Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA) has been reintroduced to the 117th Congress! We’ve written and spoken at length about this bill in the past and are enthusiastically supporting it again this year. Some of the highlights of the BFFPPA include: a nationwide bottle deposit program, a nationwide fee for single use plastic bags, a ban on several common single use plastics, extended producer responsibility, stops exports of plastic waste, and implements a three year moratorium on plastic production facilities. The Surfrider Foundation has excellent information that you can check out here! This is also a great time to let your federal elected officials know why aggressively addressing the plastic pollution crisis is important and why they should support the BFFPPA! If your Congressperson isn’t on this list: Representative Connolly, Representative Scott, and Representative Luria, use this form from Oceana to contact them and ask them to sign on!

Plastic Waste and Organized Crime

Plastic waste in a Fairfax County creek. Photo Credit: Clean Fairfax

Another reason for us to get control of our domestic plastic production- we are fueling international organized crime. Three years ago when China stopped accepting 99.5% of our plastic waste, we didn’t make any changes. The US isn’t using fewer plastics and we haven’t improved our domestic recycling capabilities. What isn’t being burned in incinerators or left sitting in landfills is still being shipped overseas to countries without the infrastructure to handle the waste, creating a new market for organized crime. This has led to an increase of plastic waste often found being burned in the open or left to pile up in forests. Read about how organized criminal gangs are exploiting the plastic crisis harming local communities and the environment here.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Permitting

Developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) have been hoping to quickly complete the pipeline despite pushback from residents and regulators. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has requested an extension from the Army Corps of Engineers to allow adequate time for DEQ to complete the necessary studies. MVP had been hoping to use Nationwide Permit 12 to cross bodies of water in the path of the pipeline, but legal challenges have forced the MVP to secure individual permits. MVP is still planning on all disputes to be resolved by July of this year, but DEQ is hoping to extend the permitting process to March of 2022. When stopping pipeline expansion, a delay isn’t the ultimate victory, but it does provide the ability to continue working to stop the MVP. Read the developing story here!

Maryland Working to Ban Chemical Conversion Facilities

Plastic waste that wouldn’t be accepted in a chemical conversion facility. Photo Credit: Clean Fairfax

As Virginia was inviting the chemical conversion (advanced recycling) industry into the state during the 2021 General Assembly, a group of Maryland legislators was working to ban the industry from coming to Maryland. Delegate Love has introduced a bill that would ban any plastics to fuel facility from being constructed in Maryland. She properly identified chemical conversion as a Trojan horse for the petrochemical industry- these facilities are nothing more than a way to make another fossil fuel. You can read about her bill here and if you have some time you can watch the committee hearing about this bill here. The chemical conversion debate starts at the 1:14:05 mark.

Future of Smart Growth

As Virginia looks to create a sustainable future, we need solutions to the car centric suburbs that make up much of the state. Smart growth strategies can help, but these strategies must be implemented with intention rather than solely on outward appearances. As “town centers” are designed, feet and bicycles should be the focus, not the ability to drive. One of the greatest benefits of smart growth is a reduction in carbon footprint for the businesses and people in the area. Just as with any sustainability initiative, smart growth needs to be implemented equitably. The ability to live in a pedestrian friendly neighborhood should not be linked to a high income. Supervisor Walkinshaw is leading the push for local smart growth and see’s this an opportunity for Fairfax County to be a leader in sustainable growth. Implementing smart growth principles for future development will enable Fairfax to reduce the county’s carbon footprint and also increase the availability of affordable housing. Read about the future of smart growth in Virginia here!