FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Plastic Pollution in Oceans

Original title: OVERSIGHT HEARING ON A SEA OF PROBLEMS: IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION ON OCEANS AND WILDLIFE

January 1, 2020

plastic pollution ocean conservation wildlife protection environmental policy waste management

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

This hearing served as a formal fact-finding session for federal lawmakers to evaluate the scope of plastic waste in marine environments, which informs future legislative efforts regarding environmental regulation and waste management standards.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Plastics Industry Association

The organization represents the interests of plastic manufacturers and processors who are subject to potential environmental regulations discussed in the hearing.

Environmental advocacy groups

These groups provide data and testimony to influence federal policy regarding plastic waste reduction.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held an on October 29, 2019, to examine the environmental impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and wildlife. The session featured testimony from environmental advocates, academic researchers, and industry representatives regarding the scale of the problem and potential policy responses.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on October 29, 2019, in the Longworth House Office Building.
The session was an oversight hearing focused on the impacts of plastic pollution on oceans and wildlife.
Witnesses included representatives from Oceana, the University of Georgia, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), and the Plastics Industry Association.
The committee received written testimony and supplemental materials from the Ball Corporation, the Department of Energy and Environment, and academic researchers.
The hearing record includes official submissions regarding strategies to reduce the global carbon footprint of plastics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The purpose was to conduct oversight on the impacts of plastic pollution on oceans and wildlife to inform the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

Who testified at the hearing?

Testimony was provided by Ted Danson (Oceana), Dr. Jenna Jambeck (University of Georgia), Juan Parras (TEJAS), and Tony Radoszewski (Plastics Industry Association).

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift80% confidence

Focus on Plastic Lifecycle

The inclusion of testimony from both environmental justice advocates and industry associations indicates a broad scope of inquiry into the entire lifecycle of plastic production and disposal.

TEJAS Plastics Industry Association

Connected Entities

personJuan Parras“Witness and Founder/Executive Director of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy S”Map →

personTony Radoszewski“Witness and President/CEO of the Plastics Industry Association.”Map →

personTed Danson“Witness, actor, and board member of Oceana.”Map →

personJenna Jambeck“Witness and Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia.”Map →

personAlan S. Lowenthal“Presiding member of the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife“The congressional body conducting the oversight hearing.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy30
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools