Attorney General Bonta investigates plastics industry over pollution, subpoenas ExxonMobil
SACRAMENTO - California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries on Thursday, accusing them of deceiving the public about plastics and their damage to the environment.
"Plastic pollution is seeping into our waterways, poisoning our environment, and blighting our landscapes. Enough is enough," Bonta said in a statement.
According to Bonta's office, worldwide plastic production has skyrocketed to 300 million tons annually, up from 1.5 million tons in 1950. Much of the plastic ends up in waterways, with tens of millions of tons of plastics entering the oceans every year.
In California, Bonta said plastic pollution is "pervasive" in the state's rivers, beaches, bays and ocean waters. Cleanup and prevention are costing the state an estimated half a billion dollars annually.
Along with polluting waterways, Bonta said microplastics are also becoming an issue, being found in drinking water, food and in the air. According to NOAA, the plastic particles, which are 5 millimeters and smaller, come from multiple sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces.
The attorney general also accused the plastics industry of "perpetuating a myth" that recycling can solve the issue of plastic pollution.
Bonta claimed that in response to proposals in the 1980s restricting or banning plastic products, the industry began what he described as "an aggressive - and deceptive - marketing and advertising campaign" convincing the public that they could recycle their way out of the problem.
"The truth is: The vast majority of plastic cannot be recycled, and the recycling rate has never surpassed 9%," Bonta said.
As part of the investigation, Bonta issued a subpoena to ExxonMobil seeking information, saying the company's polymers account for more single-use plastic waste than any other company.
"This first-of-its-kind investigation will examine the fossil fuel industry's role in creating and exacerbating the plastics pollution crisis - and what laws, if any, have been broken in the process," the attorney general said.
Additional information about the investigation can be found on the California Office of Attorney General's website.