Wastewater Wall on the Brink of Collapse

A crew from the Army Corps of Engineers are working overtime in the effort to prevent a collapse of a wastewater pond in Manatee County, Florida by pumping millions of gallons of fertilizer waste into Port Manatee on Tampa Bay. This waste is known to be bad for ecosystems, causing fish kills and, in some cases, making humans sick. The state’s Environmental Protection Agency has said the water meets quality standards, but then names exceptions that did not meet standards, including a host of nutrients known to cause algal blooms. Manatee County, Florida is yet another example of the crumbling water infrastructure in the U.S. and how natural waterways pay the price of private corporation negligence. Here’s the article with the full story.

Crumbling Infrastructure Gets Climate Change Makeover

The President’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan goes beyond just roads, bridges and housing to take on climate change. Infrastructure such as wastewater treatment facilities (see, Florida) and stormwater infrastructure must be “stronger and more resilient to face the climate change impacts that we are seeing right here right now”, says EPA Administrator Michael Regan. Wealready see evidence in our local communities that water systems need to be modernized (e.g. Flint, Michigan) and now with Biden’s pricey infrastructure plan, new work will be done to address these issues, along with many other climate initiatives that are good for people and planet. Check out this article for more information on other climate initiatives  and this article provides details of where the trillions of dollars go.

Problems Across the Pond: Dumpster Fires Continue to Cause Climate Change

The European Union faces a stalemate in cutting carbon emissions because of its long-standing embrace of “waste to energy” or trash incineration. They have halted providing funding towards making new incinerators, but still do not plan to include these massive sources of greenhouse gasses in their Paris Agreement commitments. “Burning plastic in a climate emergency, that’s insane,” said Georgia Elliott-Smith, an environmental engineer who is suing the British government over its decision to exclude incinerators from its new emissions trading system. Transforming our trash to treasure is a false fantasy plastic and waste producers want us to believe. This problem is not unique to the EU, we have one of the largest waste to energy facilities in the US right here in Fairfax County. Check out the article for more detail on the growing concern in the European Union towards their once much loved waste solution.

Go Big So We Can Stay Home

A group of scientists is asking the U.S. government for $100 million to research technology, called solar geoengineering, to artificially cool the climate– by blocking sunlight before it can warm the earth. No, this is not an opening to a dystopian science fiction novel, and yes there are potential, devastating risks associated with such technologies. These scientists argue that the social risk is worth it and think this sort of drastic solution may jolt the public into taking climate change seriously by providing an extreme and dangerous solution. The U.S. does not take curbing its greenhouse gas emissions seriously, but may be willing to strike fear in the hearts of Americans for a potential, quick fix– allowing big polluters to keep on polluting. Check out the article for more information on how scientists frame this technology.

Blossomed Out from Climate Change

Have you noticed cherry blossoms flowering earlier and earlier each year? In the hundred year blooming National Park Service record, bloom dates have jumped forward about a week. Earlier bloom dates make cherry blossoms more susceptible to spring freezes and if blooms are damaged during freezes they no longer flower and fruit for the rest of the season. Scientists cite climate change and urban heat island effect (i.e. cities are warmer than rural places because more concrete absorbs and holds more heat) as reasons behind premature blossoming. Cherry blossoms are not only a national treasure, but an important food source for pollinators! Check out this article for more detail on how cherry blossoms, both in Japan and the U.S., are peaking earlier and earlier.

Climate Confuses Crops

Some crops are finding it harder to grow due to climate change; changes in temperature and water resources impact more delicate, but much loved, crops. Wheat, peaches, coffee, and almonds were all mentioned as at risk crops in a 2018 NPR article. Peach trees, like cherry blossom trees, require enough “chill time” in the winter in order to bloom properly, which becomes an issue as winters warm. Additionally, almond trees are also at risk due to climate change, because the primary water source for these crops is snow melt. When it snows less, or snow melts quickly all at once, the water needed to irrigate these crops is no longer available for these thirsty crops. We are well aware of the negative impact climate change has on crop production, but significant changes in greenhouse gas reduction have yet to be a priority in the U.S. Check out the article for more information on how wheat and coffee are also impacted by climate change.

Climate Confuses Crops– and Cause Quakes:

If you weren’t worried about the crops in the previous news article, you may be alarmed to hear that avocado trees are similarly affected by climate change and wreaking environmental havoc. Farmers say “screwy” weather patterns have caused their trees to be “totally confused” and one study estimated California avocado trees could be cut in half by 2050. What’s even more alarming is increased demand for avocados, or “green gold”, has not only caused extensive biodiversity and soil loss, but also continues to cause small earthquakes to occur! Check out these two articles to find out more about the stresses this crop faces and the incredible environmental consequences of the “green gold” rush.

Natives to the Rescue

Native plants are an important asset to our local ecosystem; they provide food and shelter for butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. Natives are already at home in the weather and soil conditions that our yards have naturally and do not require harsh chemicals to control pests. Overall, natives are easier to care for AND better for the environment! NoVA Natives has posted a call for volunteers in their April update and visit their website for more information. Happy planting!

Tons of waste with nowhere to go:

Forty-two million metric tons of plastic waste was contributed to land and sea by the United States in 2016. This ends up being 286 pounds of plastic waste per person a year! Where does all of this plastic waste go? Almost 90% of all US recyclable plastic is exported to countries with inadequate infrastructure. The solution to the plastic pollution crisis is to reduce plastic production at its source! The authors of this article talk about how to reduce the enormity of plastic waste in our country and the environment. Plastic producers, production companies, and the United States’ FEDERAL government must take action regarding plastic waste disposal and recycling. We agree that it is beyond the scope of individuals to address the obscenity of this issue. Check out the article to find out more details about how scientists have gathered information on the United States’ contribution of plastic waste!

One country’s trash is another country’s… trash

Malaysia became the top importer of the world’s plastic waste after China banned imports in 2018. Recently, the country sent back 267 shipping containers of now illegal plastic waste, and is in the process of returning 81 more. It’s also important to mention that of 150 containers returned, 17 were from the US. This news reiterates the fact that the United States does not have the capacity to deal with its own waste and has a history of pawning off its environmental pollution on developing nations. Companies must be held accountable for the waste they create to sell their products with things like extended producer responsibility– taking the burden of addressing plastic product pollution from the consumer to the ones who create the product in the first place. Check out the article to learn more about Malaysia’s drive to stop other countries’ from smuggling their waste into Malaysia’s borders.

Plastic pollution takes on new front in the remote arctic:

Microplastics in the arctic? Are we surprised? Microplastics (i.e. tiny plastic particles, fibers or fragments less than five millimeters) have been documented across the globe, from city centers, remote uninhabited islands, and on the ocean floor.These tiny plastics are carried by wind currents and found throughout the arctic. Plastics absorb heat more than ice or show, which can accelerate snow and ice melt that is already threatened by global warming. Plastic pollution has become intertwined with the climate crisis and we cannot hope to mitigate climate change without taking a deeper look at how our trash causes irreconcilable harm to the environment. Read the full story here. 

Basic? We think Starbucks new green initiative is anything but. 

Hold on to your inner basic, millennial white girl, because Starbucks has recently piloted a new green program at their headquarters in Seattle. Customers pay a one dollar deposit when they order their drink and return their cup at their next visit, receiving a one dollar credit in addition to ten reward points. This program will kick off as a two-month trial in five Seattle stores, and we hope this sustainable initiative provides an effective alternative to disposable hot cups. Check out the article for more info on other trials Starbucks has run and sustainability contests run by Starbucks and McDonald’s.

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

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

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!

Governor Northam signs the ban on expanded polystyrene

Virginia is joining a handful of states and the long awaited ban on expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and beverage service containers has been signed into law! Large chain restaurants have until July 2023 to phase out EPS containers. Businesses with less than 20 locations have until 2025. This bill passed because of sustained grassroots effort led by Environment Virginia. The 2021 General Assembly wasn’t a 100% success, but we can definitely feel good knowing we’ll have one less plastic problem for our communities and waterways. Read the entire story here!

Virginia’s single use plastic bag fee

The momentum for localities in Virginia to implement the $0.05 fee for single use plastic bags is growing! Fairfax, Arlington, Loudon, and Prince William counties have begun preliminary discussions on what it will take to implement the single use plastic bag fee. The latest news is out of Prince William County where they are discussing using the revenue from the bag fee to start an office of environmental sustainability.

While this isn’t the good news that the first plastic bag domino has fallen, it is encouraging that localities around the state are looking to a sustainable future and using the single use bag fee as a catalyst. We anticipate that when one locality adopts the single use bag fee, others will quickly follow. Read the entire story about Prince William’s push for a single use plastic bag fee here!

Another ban on single use plastics!

In 2018, Queensland Australia banned single use plastic bags and saw a 70% reduction in plastic bag litter. That same year the Australian state started a bottle deposit program, this program has resulted in 3 billion beverage containers being returned. Queensland is building on their previous success with a ban on several common single use plastic items including: straws, cutlery, stirrers, and expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers. This action may be on the other side of the world, but it is always encouraging when any location takes aggressive action to prove that life without single use plastics is feasible. Read about the exciting plastic waste reduction initiatives happening in Australia here!

Environmental destruction from our addiction to single use plastics

One of the most disturbing stories to come out recently was about researchers finding 2,000 plastic bags in a camel’s stomach. This is an important reminder that plastic waste isn’t only a hazard to marine life. Plastic pollution impacts every ecosystem and every living organism on the planet. Nothing that is used for a few minutes should exist for hundreds of years only to cause death and destruction around the planet. You can read the tragic story of the camel here.

The 2021 General Assembly is coming to an end and there were definitely environmental successes. We will forever remember the 2021 General Assembly by the words of Senator Chap Petersen, “The great polystyrene compromise of 2021” and Senator Hanger’s defense of chemical conversion, “I believe my friends in the environmental community will, once they understand what this actually does, I will be nominated by the Sierra Club as Environmentalist of the year”. This was a legislative session full of concessions. We expect there to be some compromise between legislators and concessions from the environmental community; we don’t expect our legislators to provide a Sophie’s Choice to appease the petrochemical industry.

“I believe my friends in the environmental community will, once they understand what this actually does, I will be nominated by the Sierra Club as Environmentalist of the year”

Sophie’s Choice- The “Great” Compromise

The bill to ban single-use expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and beverage containers (HB 1902) and the bill to classify chemical conversion as a manufacturing process (SB 1164) were connected from the start, despite reassurances from elected officials. The Coalition for Consumer Choice, an industry funded lobbying group that includes the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) and  the American Chemistry Council (ACC), led the attempt to stop HB 1902 and were the main proponents of SB 1164.

On the Coalition for Consumer Choice Opposition to HB1902 to oppose HB 1902:  “Passage of HB 1902 will diminish the opportunity to attract Advanced Recycling technology to Virginia. In order to continue to attract Advanced Recycling investment in Virginia, it is essential that there be a supportive regulatory environment for the industry. Banning polystyrene, a feedstock for Advanced Recycling, would discourage investment in this 21st century technology in the Commonwealth.” We’ve written at length as to why these claims are simply not true, and you can read about them here. Chemical conversion (advanced recycling) should be subject to the same regulations as every other solid waste management facility in Virginia.

The connection of these bills is not based on speculation, it was confirmed by Senator Petersen on the Senate floor- “To the extent that we get this bill off the floor and pass it, I think it’s important that there will be a reciprocal understanding on the other side of the hall that recycling also needs to be respected and the recycling industry needs to be respected.” The senator continued with, “There’s no such thing as a quid pro quo in this business, but I will tell you that this is part of a large compromise”.

The large compromise or as we like to call it, “holding good legislation hostage to clear a path for bad legislation,” was that the Senate would not pass the ban on styrofoam food and beverage containers unless House members caved to their pressure to classify chemical conversion as a manufacturing process. Immediately after the chemical conversion bill passed, the ACC published a press release exclaiming how excited ExxonMobil, Shell Chemical, and Chevron-Phillips were to see their efforts rewriting state laws are succeeding around the country.

Chemical conversion passed the Senate with a 34 Y- 4 N vote and passed the House with a 90 Y- 8 N vote. 34 Virginia state senators and 90 Virginia state delegates supported a bill championed by the most polluting and plastic-creating corporations on the planet as a means to solve the plastic pollution crisis- Fox, meet henhouse. There is no indication from industry that they will be taking consumer plastic waste (the stuff we find most in streams and at cleanups) such as water and drink bottles, plastic wrap or film at any of these facilities despite what the legislators believe. 

It is a huge win for single-use expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers to be banned in Virginia and this win should be celebrated. Although it will take several years before these products are phased out in Virginia, this advancement was not seen as a realistic possibility under any circumstances even three years ago. Several groups across the state were involved in this campaign, led by Environment Virginia. Despite the setback against chemical conversion, the opportunity for better policies is not over. We can all work together to protect Virginians as the plastics industry attempts to expand chemical conversion facilities across the Commonwealth.

Intentional Balloon Releases

HB 2159 the bill to ban intentional balloon releases has passed the House and Senate, but not the version we were hoping to see, this bill was watered down in the name of “compromise”. As the bill reads now, individuals 16 years of age or older are liable for a $25 fine per balloon intentionally released.

The environmental community was hoping to see a blanket ban on intentional balloon releases and a $250 fine, which received accusations of targeting kids with questions like, “are you going to fine a six year old who accidentally releases a balloon?” Obviously the goal is to not target loose-gripped children; the purpose of the legislation is to solve a problem. The most effective way to create widespread community change is with legislation that circumscribes the problem and enforcement to ensure legislation is followed.

Any fines collected from this penalty will be deposited into the Game Protection Fund, which we expect to see exactly zero dollars from this legislation. Why don’t we expect to see these fines issued? The previous Virginia law allowed for the intentional release of 49 balloons an hour, with a $5 fine for any additional balloons released. Fines were supposed to be deposited into the Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Endowment fund, overseen by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). DWR could not tell us how much money they’ve collected from these fines. The state fiscal impact statement declares, “Historically, DWR has not collected any penalties from this law”.

You’ve seen intentional balloon releases at college and high school football games or at weddings when 100s or 1000s  or more of balloons are let go in the name of “celebration.” These are egregiously bad–akin to just deliberately dropping 1000s of pieces of trash in the ocean. It is a good thing that you can’t release 49 balloons an hour without penalty anymore, but Virginians did not receive the bill that should have been passed. 

Illegal Dumping

HB 1801 which addressed fines for illegal dumping, was also introduced and passed but was also watered down in the name of compromise. The initial proposed legislation would have increased the minimum penalty to $2,500 and the maximum to $5,000 in addition to increasing community service hours in lieu of jail time from 10 hours to 40 hours. The bill that passed mandates a $500 minimum and a $2,500 maximum with no change in community service hours. 

The most glaring issues with this bill is that it provides no enforcement mechanism and most importantly it does not address the root cause of illegal dumping. Illegal dumping occurs because of a lack of access to waste management facilities; people need to be provided with more options for dealing with the kind of trash that can’t be put out on the curb. The ability to dispose of big household items and trash responsibly should not be dependent on a person’s financial ability to pay. If we want a clean Commonwealth we need to prioritize policies that will facilitate better behaviors.

WE Are So Close To The End–one way or another!

SB 1164, the bill that will classify chemical conversion as a manufacturing process will be heard on Wednesday afternoon (2/17) by the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. This bill will exempt polluting facilities from permits mandated for similar facilities under Virginia law. Waste processing facilities- incinerators, landfills, and waste transfer stations- are all regulated by the same Virginia laws. Chemical conversion facilities, which are essentially the same as a solid waste incinerator with just slightly different technology but all the same materials going in (solid waste in the form of plastic) should be no exception!

The chemical and plastics industries should not write our laws especially when they have a long track record of environmental terrorism! This bill does not and will not remove plastic pollution from waterways and communities because it does NOT take household plastic water and soda bottles from your recycling bin, or from our creeks and streams–instead it trucks in industrial plastic from container ships, increasing plastic production and creating a new fossil fuel source. You can read about this bill in more detail here.

Here is how you can help stop this today!

Contact YOUR elected state representative and tell them why you oppose allowing corporate polluters to influence our state’s laws. You can access a one page talking point document here.

Virginia Grassroots provides access to an excellent spreadsheet with all the contact information for Virginia’s elected officials. Follow this link to get their email address, phone number, Twitter handle, and Facebook page information. You can also provide written testimony for the committee hearing with this link!

If you have ten minutes, send the members of the House Agriculture Committee an email or give them a call and tell them to vote no on SB 1164. Tag members of the House Ag Committee in Tweets to keep the conversation public and spread awareness. Virginia will not be controlled by the plastics industry! The Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club has an excellent thread on Twitter (@vasierraclub) that you can help spread!

If you only have two minutes, our colleagues at Waterkeepers Chesapeake have provided a form to contact your elected officials about SB 1164. Take a couple minutes and fill out this form so your elected official knows you oppose SB 1164!

Here are some sample Tweets

“Please vote no on #SB1164, don’t sell Virginia’s future to the petrochemical industry. Protect vulnerable communities!”

“Would you put a chemical conversion facility in your district? Then vote no on #SB1164 which is a sneaky way of allowing this sort of thing with minimal permitting”

“Chemical Conversion should be regulated with the same standards as other solid waste management facilities in Virginia. Vote no on #SB1164”

“The solution to the plastic pollution crisis is reducing production, not creating a new source of plastic! Vote no on #SB1164”

Here is a sample email

“Good afternoon XXXX,
I am your constituent at (insert address). I oppose SB 1164 to classify chemical conversion as manufacturing. These facilities should be subject to the same regulations as every other solid waste disposal facility in Virginia. Virginians have worked extremely hard to ensure our future is not intertwined with fossil fuels. This bill does not and will not remove plastic pollution from waterways and communities, it increases plastic production and creates more waste. Reducing regulations for chemical conversion facilities in Virginia is not only a danger to our air and water quality, fossil fuel and chemical facilities around the country disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities”

Written testimony can look something like this

“I strongly oppose SB 1164 because it will enable dangerous, polluting fossil fuel facilities to proliferate across Virginia. This bill does not and will not remove plastic pollution from waterways and communities, it actually increases plastic production and creates more waste. It enables harmful, polluting facilities to expand across Virginia with the most severe impacts placed on vulnerable populations with fewer restrictions and reporting requirements of a Landfill for similar.
Thank you to Delegate Plum for striking HB 2173 from the docket and we hope it is the will of the committee to oppose SB 1164 as well. Thank you.”

The General Assembly has been extended and there are a few bills we’re hoping to see over the finish line.

Expanded Polystyrene Food and Beverage Containers: HB 1902 which bans Single Use Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), usually called Styrofoam, food and beverage containers has made it through the House. The bill will probably be heard early next week in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee. As you know from our many posts and pictures–we find so much EPS in our rivers and streams! Our colleagues at Environment Virginia have led the push to ban EPS food and beverage containers, even collecting more than 50,000 supporting signatures in Virginia! Use this link provided by Environment Virginia to tell your state senator to go foam free! You can read more about their Wildlife Over Waste campaign here. 

Intentional Balloon Releases: HB 2159 bans the intentional release of balloons. The balloon release bill is also set to be heard by the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee next week. Released balloons are killing wildlife, 51 species of seabirds are known to ingest balloon waste. Over 50% of all sea turtles have ingested plastic, often mistaking balloons and plastic bags as jellyfish, a favorite food source. Environment Virginia has provided a contact form to tell your state senator to save our wildlife from balloons!

For more detailed information on why Virginia needs to ban EPS food and beverage containers and intentional balloon releases, you can read this white paper we authored with Environment Virginia and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.

Tree Replacement and Conservation: SB 1393 Gives a locality the ability to exceed general requirements in its tree replacement and conservation ordinances. This bill also directs the development of a stakeholder group that will provide recommendations to the state and local governments to promote tree conservation during development. Increasing tree cover has wide ranging benefits; it helps to mitigate flooding, reduce pollution and litter runoff, improves soil quality, provides habitat for wildlife, increases property values, and improves air quality. This bill has passed the senate and has made it to the house floor.

Increased Littering Penalty: HB 1801 this bill increases the minimum fine for dumping or disposing of litter, trash, or other unsightly matter on public or private property from $250 to $500. Originally this bill would have increased the maximum fine from $2,500 to $5,000 and increased the number of community service from 10 hours to 40 hours in lieu of jail time. This bill has made it through the house and is waiting to be heard by the Senate Committee on Transportation. 

Chemical Conversion: SB 1164 that will classify chemical conversion as a manufacturing process instead of a Solid Waste facility /process will be heard by the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee next week. We’ve written extensively about this bill- for more detailed information about how the petrochemical industry, being led by the American Chemistry Council, is attempting to change Virginia’s laws to benefit powerful polluting corporations read our recent blog post and expect to hear more about it in the near future.

Crossover, which is a like a legislative version of the “Red Rover, Red Rover” game has happened at the General Assembly and all bills have transferred between the House and Senate.

SB 1164 the bill that will classify chemical conversion as a manufacturing process instead of a Solid Waste facility /process will be heard by the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee on Monday (2/8) morning! We’ve written extensively about this bill- for more detailed information about how the petrochemical industry, being led by the American Chemistry Council, is attempting to change Virginia’s laws to benefit powerful polluting corporations check out our most recent blog post.

Despite the many assurances by the members of the Senate’s Agricultural Committee who get all their talking points from the American Chemistry Council apparently, this bill does not and will not remove plastic pollution from waterways and communities, it actually increases plastic production and creates more waste. It enables harmful, polluting facilities to expand across Virginia with the most severe impacts placed on vulnerable populations with fewer restrictions and reporting requirements of a Landfill for similar.

In addition, Chemical Conversion is not economically or environmentally sustainable and this bill is being used to kill HB1902 to ban EPS food and beverage containers. The solution to the plastic crisis is reducing waste at its source, not dangerous downstream approaches.

Delegate Plum had a companion chemical conversion bill (HB 2173), but because of public outreach, Delegate Plum requested his bill be stricken from the docket! Grassroots advocacy works! We need to recreate that success one more time. Today is the last chance to take a couple minutes to let your elected official know you oppose SB 1164 and chemical conversion! Send your elected official an email or a Tweet so they know where their constituents stand. While you’re at it thank Delegate Plum for removing HB 2173 from consideration! There won’t be any public comments during the committee hearing, but you can provide written testimony by following this link. You can access a 1 page talking point document with this link.

Virginia Grassroots provides access to an excellent spreadsheet with all the contact information for Virginia’s elected officials. Follow this link to get their email address, phone number, Twitter handle, and Facebook page information.

Here are some sample Tweets

“Please vote no on SB 1164, don’t sell Virginia’s future to the petrochemical industry. Protect vulnerable communities!”

“Would you put a chemical conversion facility in your district? Then vote no on SB 1164 which is a sneaky way of allowing this sort of thing with minimal permitting”

Here is a sample email

“Good afternoon XXXX,
I am your constituent at (insert address). I oppose SB 1164. Virginians have worked extremely hard to ensure our future is not intertwined with fossil fuels. Enabling fossil fuel facilities to expand in Virginia is not only a danger to our air and water quality, fossil fuel facilities around the country disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities”

Written testimony can look something like this

“I strongly oppose SB 1164 because it will enable dangerous, polluting fossil fuel facilities to proliferate across Virginia. This bill does not and will not remove plastic pollution from waterways and communities, it actually increases plastic production and creates more waste. It enables harmful, polluting facilities to expand across Virginia with the most severe impacts placed on vulnerable populations with fewer restrictions and reporting requirements of a Landfill for similar.
Thank you to Delegate Plum for striking HB 2173 from the docket and we hope it is the will of the committee to oppose this bill as well. Thank you.”

This short legislative session has been a real test on our one last good nerve.

In reference to SB 1164, the bill that would classify chemical conversion (chemical recycling) as a manufacturing process, the bill co-patron had this pithy quote aimed at environmentalists who have been working overtime presenting testimony and data for why it is a bad bill: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”.

He’s right, it is a cigar, because chemical conversion facilities in Virginia will give Virginians cancer.

At that same hearing of the Agriculture, Conservation, and National Resources Committee, another sitting Virginia state senator quipped to the environmental community we didn’t know what we were talking about in reference to SB 1164. Senator Hanger’s full quote was, “I believe my friends in the environmental community will, once they understand what this actually does, I will be nominated by the Sierra Club as Environmentalist of the year”. To insinuate the environmental community does not understand the severity of allowing the petrochemical industry to have free rein in Virginia is insulting. We spend our days advocating to protect Virginia’s residents and environment, while Senator Hanger is pushing forward a bill that was hand delivered by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

What’s our beef with the ACC? I hope you’ve got some time to read.

The ACC is the lobbying arm of the chemical industry- representing companies like, BASF Corporation, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, DowDupont, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Shell Chemical LP, Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc.

Despite several other legislators’ condescending admonishments, we are not anti-plastic. Plastics are an important invention in our lifetime and absolutely have their place in the world; sterile plastics are necessary for medical purposes; they help reduce fuel costs by making cars and planes lighter. However, we are anti-plastic pollution and we are anti-plastic LIES. These chemical conversion facilities will not reduce plastic pollution in Virginia, they simply create a new source of plastic production and a new fossil fuel produced in toxin emitting facilities. The ACC is making a concerted effort to introduce similar legislation in state houses around the country, Virginia is their latest push.

The ACC Member Companies Promoting Chemical Conversion

BASF Corporation is currently working on expanding their plastic production, their global expansion will increase their plastic output by more than 750,000 tons every year.

In 2018, Chevron Phillips began operating a new $6 billion ethane cracker to manufacture virgin plastics in Texas. This facility can produce 1.5 million metric tons of ethylene, which is used to make plastics. This facility will turn the ethylene into plastic resin to be shipped around the world. The local economic development authority approved the highest tax abatement possible under Texas law. This abatement will eliminate 90% of the company’s property tax liability for the facility, a multi-million dollar savings for Chevron Phillips.

In 2018, DowDupont announced a plan to invest $100 million over two years to increase their virgin plastic production at their Sabine River Works plant. Dow is the world’s largest producer of polyethylene, which is used to make grocery bags and plastic containers. Dow is expecting to boost their plastic production by 1.4 million tons every year!

At the end of 2019, ExxonMobil began construction of a new $7 billion plastic production plant in Texas. In 2020, ExxonMobil began construction on a new $2 billion plastics polymer unit, that will produce more than 400,000 tons of plastic polymers every year. These facilities were granted several hundred million dollars in tax breaks over the life of the facilities.

All of these companies include increasing virgin plastic production as part of their business plan. It is in their investor relations reports, it is in their press releases. These companies are not focused on reducing plastic pollution, they are focused on growing profits and shareholder returns by any means necessary. You can tell them we said it.

These companies have been lobbying the federal government to pass the Recover Act as a solution to the plastic pollution crisis. What does the Recover Act actually do? The most important aspect of the Recovery Act is that polluting corporations would contribute $500 million that would be matched with a $500 million grant from the federal government (read that as $500 million paid by taxpayers to prop up extremely profitable businesses) which would be used to improve domestic recycling infrastructure. Continuing to throw money at this problem without addressing the root problem has created this disaster, WE NEED TO PRODUCE LESS PLASTIC! The new chemical conversion facility being built in Virginia has a price tag of $31 million. The Recover Act could only fund 32 of these facilities and leave no money to address the glaring problems of domestic waste disposal infrastructure. Chemical conversion will increase the amount of plastic waste we have to deal with and do absolutely nothing to reduce the plastic pollution crisis.

Alliance to End Plastic Waste

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is an industry funded advocacy group they claim is being used to reduce plastic pollution around the world. The top polluting corporations, including the ones mentioned in this post, have all committed to provide a combined $1.5 billion over a five year period to combat plastic waste in the environment. The same companies that are currently spending at least $20 billion to increase their plastic production rates. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste gave $5 million to Renew Oceans to develop a trash interceptor in the Ganges River. Chevron Phillips used a video of Renew Oceans workers in the Ganges in a sustainability promotional video. This project was touted by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as, “One of the best projects”. When this project was announced it was expected to remove 450 tons of plastic waste every year. This project was ended after less than two years and less than one ton of plastic waste removed from the Ganges.

The Chemical Conversion Business Model

Braven Environmental is currently constructing a chemical conversion facility in Cumberland County, VA. It is going to cost $31.7 million to bring this facility online and received a $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and $65,000 from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. The public information on Braven is pretty minimal, but we found a presentation they gave for the Southeast Recycling Development Council about their Zebulon, NC facility that provides helpful facts to understand their business model. 

This facility in North Carolina is not recycling plastic waste generated in the state. Braven has a 20 year contract with Sonoco Packaging, and international company who pays Braven to take their plastic waste. Sonoco Packaging is shipping plastic waste into North Carolina. Braven hasn’t actually released any data about their products, but have said their new Virginia facility will produce 14.4 million gallons of PyChem. PyChem is a fossil fuel that is going to be burned, generating greenhouse gas emissions. THIS IS A PETROCHEMICAL PRODUCTION FACILITY. Our elected officials are selling us out to the fossil fuel industry.

Nexus is a company that is often highlighted as a success story by the ACC. What is Nexus actually doing? Nexus has a chemical conversion facility outside of Atlanta and a partnership with Shell. The ACC really likes to say Nexus is taking plastic waste from Atlanta area neighborhoods, but are they? Nexus sources more than 75% of their feedstock from regional plastic brokers (these are companies that sell plastic scrap). Nexus does say they participate with the Hefty Energy Bag program where residents of Cobb county can purchase orange Hefty bags to fill with difficult to recycle items. The Hefty Energy Bag program was the greenwashed brainchild of Dow, one of the leading plastic pollution offenders. Nexus has not released any information about how much plastic waste the Hefty program has collected.

This program also forces people who want to recycle to pay more money to recycle products manufactured by the wealthiest corporations on the planet, because they have to buy the specific bags for their plastic to be collected. Nexus also participates in Atlanta’s CHARM program. The CHARM program is a city funded drop off station where people can PAY to leave their difficult to recycle items (plastic film, styrofoam, etc.). Again, this is another tax on regular folks who want to do the right thing. People are essentially paying Shell to take their plastic waste back.

Agilyx, located in Oregon, is another “success” story that the ACC likes to talk about. In 2016 this plant was shut down because it was unable to remain profitable producing fuels from plastic and retrofitted to produce styrene. In 2018, this facility sent 49,000 tons of waste styrene, which is a known toxin, to be burned in cement kilns in low income communities. The minimal “high quality” styrene this facility produces is sent to a facility in Louisiana to produce polystyrene. In 2019, more than 30% of polystyrene this plant produced was lost during processing. For every 1 kilogram of Styrene the Agilyx produces, it generates 3.23 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

This change in strategy has not helped Agilyx become a profitable company, as of September 30, 2020, Agilyx had a negative income of $5,961,000. This company received over half a million dollars from the state of Oregon and continues to operate in the red. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives has a great case study about chemical conversion, and we highly encourage you to read it.  

Reduce Plastic Waste at its Source

So, if we don’t want chemical conversion facilities, what do we want? Polluting corporations must play an active financial role in reducing plastic pollution. They must change their business model so the onus to clean up this mess is not left on regular people and cash strapped municipalities. We want the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA). The BFFPPA is the solution to the plastic pollution crisis that the ACC is trying to stop. Why do they want to stop the BFFPPA? Because it will force ACC member companies to play an active role in cleaning up the mess they have created. The BFFPPA will implement a nationwide bottle deposit program, ban common single use plastics, place a 3 year moratorium on permitting new plastic manufacturing facilities, and implement extended producer responsibility (EPR). EPR would mandate that these companies are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products. If a company produces 1,000 tons of plastic, they will be mandated to collect 1,000 tons of plastic. Not allowing corporations to skirt their duty of being responsible members of society is the answer to the plastic pollution crisis.

In 2020 Shell had earnings of almost $5 billion. In 2019, ExxonMobil has profits over $14 billion. In 2019 BASF had over $10 billion in profits. In 2019, Chevron Phillips had almost $3 billion in profit. In 2019, Total Petrochemical & Refining has close to $12 billion in profits. These are the wealthiest corporations on the planet, their wealth has been built by regular citizens across the planet. Fairfax County is expecting a budget shortfall of $40 million dollars in FY 2022, why are we asking cash strapped localities to prop up the profit margin of wealthy corporations?

We’ll end this by asking you who you believe? Are you going to take the word of corporations that have spent decades polluting the planet making absurd comments, or people who are actively working to protect our communities and natural spaces from corporate polluters who are only looking to extract profits. Our elected officials think the petrochemical industry is going to save us, we’ll point to climate change and the disturbing amount of plastic pollution overwhelming the planet to say they won’t. Because sometimes a cigar is just a (cancer causing) cigar, right? Right.

Let your Virginia elected official know you oppose SB 1164!