California subpoenas ExxonMobil in probe of plastics waste

SACRAMENTO — California’s attorney general on Thursday subpoenaed ExxonMobil as part of what he called a first-ofits-kind broader investigation into the petroleum industry for its alleged role in causing a global plastic pollution crisis, allegations that the company called meritless.

Attorney General Rob Bonta said the industry for decades has encouraged the development and use of petroleum-based plastic products while seeking to minimize public understanding that their widespread use harms the environment and public health.

“Every week, we consume the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of plastic through the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe,” he said, citing a 2019 study for the World Wide Fund for Nature environmental group.

Bonta will consider whether petrochemical companies violated the law with what he called their “historic and ongoing efforts to deceive the public.” Bonta said ExxonMobil was subpoenaed as a major source of global plastics pollution and for its alleged prominent role in public deception regarding plastics.

ExxonMobil said in a statement that it is “focused on solutions and meritless allegations like these distract from the important collaborative work that is underway” with governments worldwide, including California.

The company said it is the first to have “commercial-scale advanced recycling technology” at a major facility to convert used plastic into material that can be used to make new plastic.

The American Chemistry Council representing plastics makers issued a statement saying that U.S. “plastic makers are committed to a more sustainable future and have proposed comprehensive and bold actions at the state, federal and international levels.”