Congress Requested GAO Audit of EPA Microplastics Work
Lawmakers seek an investigation into agency oversight of microplastic research and monitoring since 2023.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Environmental
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Twenty-four members of Congress have formally requested that the Government Accountability Office conduct an audit of EPA activities concerning microplastics. The inquiry follows the agency's decision to exclude the contaminants from a major water monitoring rule.
Why it matters
Lawmakers are demanding transparency regarding the EPA's progress and current capacity to assess the health risks of microplastics in food and water. The audit aims to identify whether research gaps are hindering the implementation of necessary safety standards.
The EPA defines microplastics as debris ranging from 1 nanometer to 5 millimeters in size. Despite their ubiquity in testing, the agency maintains that no validated analytical method exists to regulate these particles under the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.
The players
Rep. Janelle Bynum
A member of the U.S. House of Representatives who introduced the Microplastics Safety Act to evaluate health risks.
Environmental Protection Agency
The federal agency tasked with regulating contaminants in U.S. water and managing environmental safety research.
Government Accountability Office
The independent, non-partisan federal agency that audits and investigates government programs to ensure efficiency and accountability.
The details
The GAO audit request seeks an accounting of the EPA's research, monitoring capabilities, and risk assessment methodologies used since fiscal year 2023. Currently, the agency lacks a unified framework for measuring these particles, which contributed to their omission from the July 2026 monitoring proposal. Rep. Janelle Bynum has also introduced the Microplastics Safety Act, which aims to address the health impacts of such contaminants in the food and water supply.
Timeline
February 2024: EPA requested industry and researcher input for microplastics method development.
December 2025: Seven governors petitioned the EPA to include microplastics in the monitoring rule.
April 2026: EPA published the draft Contaminant Candidate List 6, including microplastics.
July 2026: EPA omitted microplastics from the proposed Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.
September 28, 2026: Twenty-four members of Congress requested a GAO audit of the EPA.
The Tech Race
This audit request evaluates the progress of the EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Strategic Research Action Plan. Lawmakers are attempting to force a transition from internal research to national monitoring standards before the program concludes at the end of fiscal year 2026.
The potential inclusion of microplastics in federal monitoring rules could influence future drinking water safety standards across the country. Residents should monitor the outcome of the GAO audit to see if it leads to standardized reporting or new filtration requirements for public water systems.
The takeaway
The audit request highlights a growing legislative push to prioritize microplastic regulation ahead of the EPA's internal research deadlines. Readers should track the conclusion of the EPA's current strategic research action plan at the end of fiscal year 2026 to see if data gaps are resolved.
Further reading
For more on the current landscape of federal oversight, visit Environmental.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KTVZ.
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