About You First Name (required) Last Name (required) Your Email (required) Address City State/Region/Province Postal/Zip Code Subject: Thank you for working to get plastics out of our rivers, oceans, and water supply! Dear Secretary Kennedy, I was happy to see your recent speech at the "Alternatives to Plastics Leadership Network"(1) in which you stated that the Trump Administration will work to get plastics out of our rivers, oceans, and water supply. As you know, rivers are a major source of plastic pollution flowing into our oceans. The U.N. Environment Program(2) estimates that over 5 million tons of plastic per year flows into oceans from rivers, and much of that is single-use disposable plastic consumer products like bottles and bags. This problem is not limited to other parts of the world because rivers in the U.S., including the Mississippi River, are major plastic polluters(3). This pollution not only poisons fish and other aquatic animals in rivers and oceans, it also breaks down into microplastics that enter human water supplies and food. The U.S. EPA website states(4), "According to the United Nations Environment Programme, microplastics have also been found in human livers, kidneys, and placentas. Additionally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature finds that carcinogenic chemicals found in plastic products can leach into tap water, which may cause developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders. Some animal studies have raised similar concerns about endocrine-disrupting effects." I strongly encourage the Trump Administration to tackle the plastic pollution problem in our waterways, and I support the concepts you mentioned in your speech including changing marketplace incentives as well as increasing regulations. Thank you! Sincerely, 1. https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1924130814318518463 2. https://www.unep.org/interactives/wwqa/technical-highlights/riverine-plastic-pollution 3. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/mississippi-river-plastic-pollution-initiative-reveals-major 4. https://www.epa.gov/plastics/impacts-plastic-pollution
