ST. PAUL, MN—The House passed the omnibus
Environment and Natural Resources Omnibus bill Friday evening with strong bipartisan support on a 78-52 vote. The bill included a provision by Representative Mark Uglem, R-Champlin, to phase out microbeads, which are found in soaps, face washes, and other products, and ultimately run into the ecosystem due to their extremely small size. The bill is supported by environmental groups, as well as product manufacturers who produce microbead products. The phasing out of microbeads begins in 2017, with all products phased out by the end of 2019, giving manufacturers sufficient time to redesign and reintroduce products that currently contain microbeads.
"Getting rid of microbeads is good for our state's waters, and will help our ecosystem and water quality in rivers, lakes, and streams across the state," Uglem said. "I'm grateful for the broad bipartisan support, and the compromise involved by environmental groups and product manufacturers."
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