Press Releases

House Passes the WIPPES Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2964, the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, Sponsored by Congresswoman Mary Peltola (AK-AL) and Congresswoman Lisa McClain (MI-09) the bipartisan, bicameral WIPPES Act would require the Federal Trade Commission to create a uniform label for products that have and/or require a “Do Not Flush” label.

“During the COVID pandemic, Anchorage wastewater workers reported pulling up to 6,000 pounds of wipes daily out of the sewer system" said Rep. Peltola. "To address this issue, I'm proud to be a leader on the WIPPES Act, a common-sense bill that would take a significant step towards reducing the amount of trash that ends up in our sewers, rivers, and oceans. Every step that we can take to improve our wastewater infrastructure and marine habitats is worth it, especially when it’s as simple as adding a sentence to a package. It's time to wipe out this problem for good.”

“With thousands of products on the market, it is past time a standardized label for non-flushable products be created to alleviate confusion and protect our water systems,” said Rep. Lisa McClain. “Every year, millions of pounds of non-flushable products are sent into our sewer systems, leading to massive blockages that cost millions of dollars to remove. The WIPPES Act will help to provide much needed consistency and clarity over which products consumers can flush and which ones need to be disposed of elsewhere.”

The WIPPES Act is lead in the Senate by Sen. Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Collins (R-ME)

“When wipes are improperly disposed of, Oregon’s wastewater facilities face costly repairs,” said Senator Jeff Merkley.  “These wipes can also break down into harmful microplastics. By accurately labeling these products as ‘non-flushable,’ we can help keep our water clean. I applaud the House for passing this bill.”

“Many consumers who use wet wipes are unaware that flushing these products creates significant problems for plumbing, wastewater treatment equipment, and septic systems,” said Senator Collins. “This legislation would require manufactures to label non-flushable wet wipes, providing consumers with the information they need to safely dispose of them. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that will help prevent homeowners and taxpayers from having to pay for expensive repairs.”

Background

Our wastewater infrastructure is critical to the everyday function of our communities, and when there are blockages, they cost taxpayers millions to fix. There are uniform product labels on almost everything we purchase, indicating how to use and dispose of them. It is in our best interest to simplify the labeling for non-flushable products, for consumers using the products, for the company’s manufacturing them, and for our wastewater infrastructure. This bill will save taxpayers millions and prevent many future headaches.

To read the full legislative text, click here.


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