"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an interview Monday that he will emphasize the importance of curbing marine debris during an upcoming summit with his Group of 20 counterparts in Japan, rather than seeking new action on climate change.

Wheeler, who is headed to the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa later this week for the first-ever meeting of environment ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies, said that the trash accumulating in the ocean ranks as one of the globe’s most pressing environmental threats. The fact that six Asian countries top the list of perpetrators of marine trash, accounting for 60 percent of the waste, he said, means the world should focus its attention on that region.

“So that’s where the problem lies,” Wheeler said, adding that the United States ranks 20th in the world when it comes to ocean litter. “My biggest concern is, how do we stop the waste from other countries?”"

Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report for the Washington Post June 10, 2019. [2]