Bill
HB 6164
Michigan establishes a state microplastics program to baseline and quarterly test public drinking water, with findings and recommendations due by January 1, 2029.
Overview
- HB 6164 would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act (1976 PA 399) by adding a new Section 6a and by updating Section 5 to require attributes of the department’s rulemaking and administration related to drinking water quality and operations.
- The core purpose is to establish a state-run microplastics program to determine baseline conditions in public water supplies and monitor microplastics quarterly, with the goal of informing risk assessment and future protections.
Key Provisions
- Legislative basis and rulemaking
- The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (or its successor) would promulgate and enforce rules under the Administrative Procedures Act to implement the act.
- Rules must cover: reporting and design/operating plans for waterworks, state drinking water standards and monitoring, certification of water system operators, capacity assessments, continuous reliable water supply requirements, and the establishment of the microplastics program (Sec. 5(1)(f)).
- Rules existing prior programs may continue, and no rule may require adding a substance for preventive health care unrelated to drinking water contamination.
- Microplastics program (new Sec. 6a)
- Timeline: July 1, 2025 through July 1, 2028 (baseline establishment and testing window).
- Activities: the department must establish and administer a microplastics program to establish baseline microplastic conditions in public water supplies and monitor/test quarterly.
- Methods: sampling and analysis must align with recognized standards (e.g., International Joint Commission, ASTM, EPA, ANSI, California, or best available methods/technology).
- Scope of assessment: includes Great Lakes shoreline surface water sources, major water supply tributaries, inland surface water lakes, groundwater used for drinking near agriculture, groundwater or drinking water within 1 mile of landfills, the size of the public water supply, and environmental justice considerations.
- Deliverables: by January 1, 2029, the department must prepare and submit a report to the relevant Senate/House standing committees and appropriations subcommittees, and publish the report on the department’s website.
- Contents of the report:
- Summary of quarterly test findings (drinking water source/location, sampling date, testing method, microplastic shape and polymer type where available, potential sources, etc.).
- Quantities of microplastics in public water supplies and in source waters.
- Recommendations for next steps, including toxicity limits based on best available research or EPA findings, a preliminary risk assessment, findings overview, and recommendations for continued/expanded monitoring and public protection.
- Definitions
- Environmental justice: equitable treatment and meaningful involvement regardless of race, color, national origin, ability, or income.
- Microplastics: solid polymeric material with chemical additives or other substances, at least 3 dimensions, less than 5 mm in size; excludes naturally occurring polymers not chemically modified.
Affects and Implications
- Who is affected: public water supplies in Michigan, the state department administering drinking water standards, and communities—particularly as environmental justice considerations are included.
- Practical impact: requires quarterly microplastics sampling and reporting, potential adjustments to monitoring programs, and a framework for risk assessment and future protections.
- Transparency and accountability: mandated reporting to legislative committees and public posting, with a formal long-range data collection and analysis process.
Timelines to Note
- July 1, 2025 – July 1, 2028: microplastics baseline establishment and quarterly testing.
- January 1, 2029: mandatory report to committees and public release of findings, including recommendations for further action.
Status
- Introduced and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. The version circulated is the November 26, 2024 electronically reproduced text.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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