WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - California will

conclude a two-year investigation into Exxon and the fossil fuel

industry's role in causing global plastic pollution by summer

and decide if it will file a lawsuit against oil giant, its

attorney general told Reuters on Monday.

The state launched its investigation into the oil and

petrochemical industry's role in creating and exacerbating the

global plastic waste crisis in April 2022 and subpoenaed Exxon

for documents.

The plastics investigation mirrored similar actions it has

taken on climate change that focused on what the industry knew

about the problem for decades and how it misled the public about

its role.

"We are soon going to be ready to get to a decision based on

all of our investigations in the coming weeks," Attorney General

Rob Bonta told Reuters. "The lies and deceit Exxon used to cover

up the truth about the non-recyclability of plastic is well

documented."

Exxon said it does not comment on ongoing investigations. In

2022, the company called the state's allegations "meritless"

and said it was focused on solutions to improve waste

management.

Bonta said he had planned to attend the start of

negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution, which

begins in Ottawa on Tuesday, but had to cancel due to scheduling

conflicts.

"In an ideal world we could have made an announcement in

Ottawa as part of a discussion of where we go from here, but it

didn't work out," he said.

California's investigation focused on what it had called a

"half-century campaign of deception" by fossil fuel companies

who perpetuate "myths around recycling."

Bonta said it had also sought information on Exxon's more

recent promotion of its "advanced recycling" technology, which

uses a process called pyrolysis to turn hard-to-recycle plastic

into fuel, as its response to the plastic waste crisis. He said

the technology's slow progress was a sign of Exxon's "ongoing

continuation of deception."

The company currently has around a dozen advanced recycling

projects. It aims to have the capacity to process 1 billion

pounds of plastic waste by year-end 2026.

Exxon signed an agreement in 2021 to collaborate with

Plastic Energy on advanced recycling in which Exxon agreed to

create high-quality plastic polymers at its facility in France.

Last week Exxon announced it would close that facility.

A Reuters investigation found that advanced recycling

projects worldwide had been beset by numerous delays and

failures even as companies touted its success.