Weekly Advocacy Recap—EPA Certifies First Products to Fight Deadly Fungus
February 18, 2020
Welcome to the ISSA Advocacy Weekly Recap, our regular roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the cleaning industry. This week’s recap touches on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification of products to fight multidrug-resistant fungus, plastic-pollution bills gaining steam on Capitol Hill, the White House’s release of the federal budget for the 2021 fiscal year, and more.
EPA Certifies First Products to Fight Deadly Fungus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently certified 11 disinfecting products for use against multidrug-resistant fungus Candida auris (C. auris). According to the EPA, these newly certified products provide hospitals and other health care facilities with the tools and information needed to help combat this emerging health threat. Prior to these 11 products, there were no antimicrobial disinfectants registered specifically for use against C. auris.
Bill Targets Single-Use Plastics in Push to Make Manufacturers Responsible
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) introduced the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, a 10-measure bill that calls for a temporary ban on new plastics facilities, as well as for manufacturer-driven investments in recycling infrastructure and a national container deposit system. “Ours is the only bill in the Congress that deals with the source of the problem,” says Udall.
Trump Budget Slashes EPA Funding, Environmental Programs
U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal 2021 calls for significant reductions to environmental programs at federal agencies, including a 26% cut to the EPA. Trump’s budget would eliminate 50 EPA programs and impose massive cuts to research and development, while also nixing money for the Energy Star rating system. The Energy Star program, which measures the efficiency of electronics and appliances, would instead rely on businesses to pay a fee to participate in the program.
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