Plastic Pollution Action Team
The Plastic Pollution Action Team seeks to reduce the environmental presence and impact of plastic pollution, and oversees research to determine the effects of microplastics on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Meetings
No upcoming meetings.
Plastic Pollution Action Team Fall Meeting
Plastic Pollution Action Team Meeting - March 2024
Plastic Pollution Action Team Fall Meeting
About
The Plastic Pollution Action Team (PPAT) seeks to reduce the presence and impacts of plastic pollution on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The PPAT will begin to address this issue by overseeing research to determine the effects that microplastics have on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. This will be accomplished by the following actions:
- Providing oversight to the development of preliminary ecological risk assessments (ERAs) of microplastics for one or more subwatersheds to the Chesapeake Bay;
- Using the results of the preliminary ERAs to develop a strategy that identifies and prioritizes gaps in information concerning the effects of microplastics pollution on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, highlighting future research questions that need to be answered;
- Present results from ERAs to the Management Board in order to guide future action on addressing plastic pollution; and
- Monitoring policy advances at the state and federal level that could potentially impact, advance or complement this work to inform the science strategy and to identify potential policy or management options that could be utilized for source reduction strategies.
Publications
Framework for Monitoring Plastic Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay
Publication date:This report includes recommendations for plastic pollution monitoring strategies throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
View document [PDF, 6.6 MB] Framework for Monitoring Plastic Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay
Updated (2022) Conceptual Model for an Ecological Risk Assessment for Microplastics on Striped Bass in the Potomac River Estuary
Publication date:This preliminary conceptual ecological risk assessment model was designed to identify pathways, sources, effects and unknowns related to microplastics in the tidal portion of the Potomac River.
Potential Linkages Between Microplastics and 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Outcomes
Publication date:This report presents the impacts microplastic pollution could have on efforts to achieve the goals and outcomes of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
Microplastic Monitoring & Science Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay
Publication date:This strategy presents a starting point to address microplastics across the Chesapeake Bay by engaging in research, monitoring and policy development.
View document [PDF, 3.9 MB] Microplastic Monitoring & Science Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay
Uniform Size Classification and Concentration Unit Terminology for Microplastics
Publication date:This document describes and recommends a uniform size classification and concentration unit terminology for plastics, to be applied to the parallel effort to develop an environmental risk assessment framework and eventual monitoring plan for environmental plastics in the tidal Potomac River.
Our Members
- Matt Gallagher (Chair)
District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) matthew.gallagher@dc.gov - Kelly Somers (Vice Chair)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 Somers.Kelly@epa.gov - Doug Austin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 austin.douglas@epa.gov - Claire Buchanan
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) cbuchan@icprb.org - Jonathan Cohen
University of Delaware jhcohen@udel.edu - Shawn Fisher
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scfisher@usgs.gov - Martin Gary
Potomac River Fisheries Commission martingary.prfc@gmail.com - Michael Gonsior
UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) gonsior@umces.edu - Robert Hale
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) hale@vims.edu - Linsey Haram
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) HaramL@si.edu - Kirk Havens
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) kirk@vims.edu - Carlie Herring
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) carlie.herring@noaa.gov - Bill Jenkins
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 jenkins.bill@epa.gov - Brooke Landry
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Brooke.Landry@maryland.gov - Julie Lawson
Stakeholders' Advisory Committee lawson.julie@gmail.com - Alex Lopez
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) axl5758@psu.edu - Katie Morgan
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) katie.morgan@noaa.gov - Donna Morrow
Maryland Department of Natural Resources donna.morrow@maryland.gov - Bob Murphy
Tetra Tech Bob.Murphy@tetratech.com - Tish Robertson
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality tlrobertson@deq.virginia.gov - Matt Robinson
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency robinson.matthew@epa.gov - Peter Tango
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ptango@chesapeakebay.net - Mark Trice
Maryland Department of Natural Resources mtrice@dnr.state.md.us - Phong Trieu
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments ptrieu@mwcog.org - Rebecca Whiteash
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection rwhiteash@pa.gov - Ryan Woodland
UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) woodland@umces.edu