Microplastics appear on a federal contaminant watchlist for the first time, and the regulatory path forward remains far from certain. Megan Quinn, senior reporter at Waste Dive, breaks down what the EPA's proposed Contaminant Candidate List 6 actually means for water utilities, landfill operators, and chemical manufacturers, and why the lack of standardized test methods could slow any future regulation significantly.
Quinn explains how the CCL process works, who sits on the newly reshuffled Science Advisory Board, and why the parallel push from the MAHA movement adds political complexity to what is otherwise a science-driven process. The conversation draws on direct parallels to how PFAS moved through the regulatory pipeline over more than a decade, from early CCL listings to drinking water standards to hazardous substance designations, offering a framework for understanding how microplastics and newly listed pharmaceuticals might follow a similar, lengthy trajectory.
The episode also covers the dissolution of the EPA's Office of Research and Development, New Mexico's move to regulate PFAS as a hazardous waste, the Department of War's updated PFAS destruction and disposal guidance, and what the rollback of certain PFAS drinking water standards signals about the current administration's regulatory priorities. The public comment period for the draft CCL 6 closes June 5, 2026.
Megan Quinn covers state and federal recycling policy, PFAS, chemical recycling, environmental justice, and EPA regulatory changes for Waste Dive.
0:00 Introduction and Megan Quinn's Background
1:55 What Is the Contaminant Candidate List 6
5:00 Public Comment Period and Finalization Timeline
6:45 Science Advisory Board Changes Under Trump
8:45 Who Is Affected by CCL 6
10:30 Should Companies Begin Sampling Now
13:00 Lack of Analytical Methods for Microplastics
15:10 EPA Research Capacity and Budget Cuts
17:30 Private Industry's Role in Federal Research
19:15 Public Concerns and Red Flags
21:00 PFAS as a Regulatory Roadmap for Microplastics
25:45 How Waste Dive Covers EPA Announcements
28:00 New Mexico PFAS Rules and PFAS Incineration
30:15 Advice for Stakeholders Watching CCL 6
33:30 Who Is Monitoring for Microplastics Now
34:30 Closing Remarks
