LETTER TO NY STATE GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO about Micro Plastic Contamination of Drinking Water

Dear Governor Cuomo,
I'm very concerned about this problem. Last spring I learned about plastic pollution in our oceans, and I wrote to you and many of our public officials at the local level (in the NY's Capital Region), at the State and in Washington. I'm doing the same thing now, writing you and other leaders again, because yesterday I learned about another ominous threat to our health and our existence on our planet. Micro-plastics are now in our drinking water!

According to 2 articles in the British publication, The Guardian, the world's drinking waters are polluted with micro plastics. Their most recent article titled: "We are living on a plastic planet. What does it mean for our health? (5 September 2017), talked about a study which revealed high levels of plastic fibers found in tap water around the world.

In the 2nd article, (published a month ago), The Guardian said the following- clearly- without mincing words; "Plastic fibers found in tap water around the world, study reveals. Recent tests show that billions of people globally are drinking water contaminated by plastic particles, with 83% of samples found to be polluted. Micro plastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health."

HERE'S THE GUARDIAN MAIN POINTS
"Scores of tap water samples from more than a dozen nations were analyzed by scientists for an investigation by Orb Media, who shared the findings with the Guardian. Overall, 83% of the samples were contaminated with plastic fibers.

"New studies reveal that tiny plastic fibers are everywhere, not just in our oceans but on land too. Now we urgently need to find out how they enter our food, air and tap water and what the effects are on all of us."

"The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibers found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York. Lebanon and India had the next highest rates".

Lots of the micro plastic "debris is washed into wastewater treatment plants, where the filtering process does capture many of the plastic fragments. But about half the resulting sludge is released back on to farmland across Europe and the US, according to recent research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. That study estimates that up to 430,000 tons of micro plastics could be being added to European fields each year, and 300,000 tonnes in North America."

"It is striking that transfers of micro plastics – and the hazardous substances bound to them – from urban wastewater to farmland has not previously been considered by scientists and regulators,” the scientists concluded. “This calls for urgent investigation if we are to safeguard food production,” they say in a related publication."

"Cities also appear prone to the extensive pollution. Another recent study, again the first to shed light on the topic, revealed a rain of micro plastics falling on Paris from the air, dumping between three and 10 tonnes a year on the city. The same team found micro plastics in an apartment and hotel room. A leading scientist, citing this work, says we are likely to be breathing micro plastics."

Governor, it is evident, imperative and urgent, that our public officials; our governments at all levels/everywhere (in our counties, in our rural areas, in towns, our villages and our cities, and then at the State and federal levels) work together to eliminate this threat to our health and our planet...before it is too late! If isn't already! 
As Boyan Slat (the young European engineer who head of The Ocean Clean up Project) says: "Technology made this problem and technology will solve it."
However, technology alone won't be enough, we must unite, work hard and effectively in this effort- the process of cleaning up our planet. We owe it to ourselves, but most of all we owe it to our children, our future.
I know you care for the environment and our health and I hope that you will address this problem in our State.

I would like to offer some suggestions in reducing this threat;
Ban plastic bags and/or any plastic that is used only once and then thrown out, increase our recycling capacities, including the increase in the deposit for redeemable to 10 cents/item. Encourage and reward schools in teaching about how to protect the environment. Encourage families/businesses/schools and reward them financially when they encourage and implement green living (e.g, use Eco-friendly/green products, by applying the 4Rs of: reducing waste, reusing products, recycling and refusing plastics and other pollutants).
We care for our planet and our health, and it also makes economic sense! We save money when we do these sensible things. Thank you!

Find additional info and video visit:
 https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-09-05/if-youre-drinking-tap-water-youre-consuming-plastic-pollutants