SACRAMENTO – Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) released the following statement responding to a lawsuit against SB 54 filed by 17 attorneys general and the National Association of Wholesale-Distributors.

“For decades, producers have been able to shift costs onto ratepayers and escape accountability for flooding our planet and waste infrastructure with unsustainable levels of plastic pollution. This lawsuit against our landmark bipartisan law that finally holds them accountable challenges California’s right to protect residents from rising waste disposal costs and a growing public health crisis.

While these states may not share our commitment to reducing the millions of tons of plastic entering our waste system, polluting our waterways, and leaching into our bodies, California remains committed to holding producers accountable for this harmful and expensive waste they create. Rather than forcing taxpayers and ratepayers to shoulder these costs, we are ensuring companies that profit from this mass pollution help pay for its cleanup.

We will continue to defend our own authority to protect consumers, reduce pollution, and prioritize families over billion-dollar corporations by ensuring the responsible parties are addressing the waste they generate.”