[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56633-56634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19939]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Request for Public Comment on Report on Microfiber Pollution

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NOAA's Marine Debris Program and Environmental Protection 
Agency's (EPA) Trash Free Waters Program, on behalf of the Interagency 
Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), is soliciting public 
comments regarding the draft Report on Microfiber Pollution. The Save 
Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 requires the IMDCC to complete a report on 
microfiber pollution. This Report will provide Congress with an 
overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path 
forward for Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, 
to address this problem.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 17, 2022, 11:59 
p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by the following method: Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Submit electronic 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal and search for Docket 
Number NOAA-NOS-2022-0061.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public 
record. All personal identifying information (for example, name and 
address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information. NOAA will accept 
anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required fields to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ya'el Seid-Green, Executive 
Secretariat, IMDCC, Marine Debris Program; Phone 240-533-0399; Email 
[email protected] or visit the IMDCC website at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/IMDCC.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The IMDCC is a multi-agency body responsible for coordinating a 
comprehensive program of marine debris research and activities among 
Federal agencies, in cooperation and coordination with non-governmental 
organizations, industry, academia, States, Tribes, and other nations, 
as appropriate. Representatives meet to share information, assess and 
promote best management practices, and coordinate the Federal 
Government's efforts to address marine debris. The IMDCC was 
established in 2006 by the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954). The NOAA 
representative serves as the Chairperson of the Committee.

Why develop the report on microfiber pollution?

    Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-224) 
requires the IMDCC to complete a report on microfiber pollution that 
includes: (1) a definition of microfiber; (2) an assessment of the 
sources, prevalence, and causes of microfiber pollution; (3) a 
recommendation for a standardized methodology to measure and estimate 
the prevalence of microfiber pollution; (4) recommendations for 
reducing microfiber pollution; and (5) a plan for how Federal agencies, 
in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on opportunities to 
reduce microfiber pollution during the 5-year period beginning on the 
date of the Act's enactment. This Report will provide Congress with an 
overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path 
forward for Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, 
to address this problem.
    Microfibers have been found almost everywhere that scientists look, 
including in surface waters and throughout the water column, sea ice, 
deep-sea and coastal sediments, terrestrial soils, and indoor and 
outdoor air and dust. These fibers are released from clothing, carpets, 
cigarette butts, and other fiber-based products and are one of the most 
pervasive types of microplastics found in many environmental 
compartments. However, additional research is needed to improve our 
understanding of microfiber sources, pathways, fates, and impacts so 
that effective mitigation strategies and prevention measures can be 
developed. Microfibers are a highly complex and diverse type of 
contaminant and research on the subject is particularly challenging due 
to a lack of standard definitions and research methods, which make 
comparisons across studies difficult. In the course of addressing the 
five requirements specified in Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 
Act, this report also provides an in-depth review of these topics, 
recommendations for addressing research data gaps, and solutions to 
mitigate this source of pollution.

Summary of the Report on Microfiber Pollution

    NOAA's Marine Debris Program and the EPA's Trash Free Waters 
Program co-led the development of this report on behalf of the IMDCC, 
with support from the consulting firm, Materevolve. The draft report is 
approximately 90 pages in length. Section 1 of the report provides an 
introduction to the report and microfiber pollution issue. Section 2 
focuses on establishing a proposed definition of `microfiber'. This 
section summarizes existing definitions from the environmental science, 
textile industry, and government sectors, and explains the issues that 
complicate efforts to define the term `microfiber'. It proposes an 
initial definition of microfiber that can serve as a starting point for 
building consensus around a standard definition that could be adopted 
by the United States Government. Section 3 of the report

[[Page 56634]]

covers an assessment of the sources, pathways, and prevalence of 
microfiber pollution in the environment. Environmental and human health 
impacts from microfiber pollution are also discussed. Section 4 covers 
the challenges and data gaps associated with creating standardized 
methodologies to measure and estimate the prevalence of microfiber 
pollution and recommendations for overcoming these challenges and data 
gaps. Section 5 provides an overview of current solutions for 
addressing the issue of microfiber pollution. Section 6 covers key 
research needs and recommendations. Section 7 contains a plan for how 
Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on 
opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution over a 5-year period. This 
plan was developed in collaboration with representatives from twelve 
Federal agencies.

How Comments Will Be Addressed

    NOAA's Marine Debris Program and EPA's Trash Free Waters Program, 
on behalf of the IMDCC, invite comments, feedback, and recommendations 
on the Report on Microfiber Pollution, including Section 7, which 
contains a plan that outlines opportunities to reduce microfiber 
pollution. Following the comment period, the feedback provided will be 
reviewed and the report will be updated as necessary. An appendix will 
be added to the report describing how comments from the public comment 
period were incorporated into the report. The final report will be 
posted to https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/IMDCC.

Scott Lundgren,
Director, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-19939 Filed 9-14-22; 8:45 am]
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