[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5682-H5683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 2020
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
INITIATIVE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 9616) to establish a program for the recovery of critical
materials from contaminated sites, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9616
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Environmental Monitoring and
Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative Authorization
Act of 2026'' or the ``EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND CRITICAL MATERIAL
RECOVERY PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall carry out a program to investigate,
evaluate, and support processes, methods, and systems which
may be utilized in--
(1) the identification of sources of critical materials at
contaminated sites, including contaminated media and solid
waste sources at such sites; and
(2) the recovery of such critical materials from such
sites.
(b) Assistance.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Administrator may provide assistance,
including by entering into contracts and cooperative
agreements and making awards, to persons, State, local, and
Tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations.
(c) Limitation.--The Administrator may not, under such
program, provide assistance--
(1) in the aggregate, in an amount that exceeds $10,000,000
in any fiscal year; or
(2) to any person, State, local, or Tribal government
entity, or nonprofit organization, in an amount that exceeds
$3,000,000.
(d) Evaluation of Applications.--The Administrator shall
establish a system for evaluating applications for assistance
provided under subsection (b) that includes the following
criteria:
(1) The extent to which the assistance furthers the
identification of nontraditional, domestic sources of
critical materials at contaminated sites pursuant to
subsection (a).
(2) The extent to which the assistance advances processes,
methods, and systems for--
(A) recovering critical materials from sources at
contaminated sites that may be identified pursuant to
subsection (a); and
(B) monitoring environmental contamination and remediation
of such contaminated sites in the recovery of such critical
materials.
(3) The extent to which the assistance strengthens national
security through the development of domestic critical
material supply chains.
(4) The extent to which the assistance supports remediation
of one or more contaminated sites, especially such sites that
are on the National Priorities List.
(5) The extent to which the assistance protects human
health and the environment.
(e) Critical Material Defined.--In this section, the term
``critical material'' has the meaning given such term in
section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C.
1606(a)).
(f) Sunset.--The program under subsection (a) shall
terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of
enactment of this section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the
legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9616.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of contaminated sites across the
United States, and the waste materials present at these sites may be
rich sources of critical materials that can be recovered with the right
technology.
That is why my colleagues, Representatives Pfluger and Landsman, have
introduced the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology
Assessment Initiative, or EMRTAI, Authorization Act of 2026.
The EPA already operates a similar program through general
authorities, but this legislation formally authorizes the program,
expands it to include other types of contaminated sites, and provides
guidance to EPA in selecting which projects to support.
This legislation enjoyed broad bipartisan support at the committee
level, and I urge my colleagues in the House to support its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9616, the Environmental
Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative
Authorization Act.
This bill would help us reach the dual goals of cleaning up toxic
sites while also ensuring critical minerals found at those sites don't
go to waste. This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency
to establish a grant program to identify and recover critical minerals
from contaminated sites.
There are countless Superfund and other contaminated industrial sites
across the country, including in my home district. Many of these sites
have been abandoned for decades, with local communities suffering the
consequences.
While we clean up through public funds, we could also help replenish
our domestic supply of critical minerals needed for clean energy
projects to save American families money on soaring energy bills, and
those bills are soaring now thanks to Trump's reckless war of choice in
Iran.
This program is a shot in the arm for emerging technologies to
extract critical minerals from contaminated sites and waste that would
otherwise sit in landfills. It also has an added benefit of
incentivizing cleanups of some of the world's worst toxic sites in the
Nation.
This program is a clear win-win for the environment and our domestic
supply chain. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9616, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the sponsor of this legislation and a member of
the Energy and Commerce Committee who works tirelessly on these issues.
Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 9616, the
Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment
Initiative, or EMRTAI, Authorization Act of 2026.
Critical materials are essential to some of the most important
technologies and products in the communications, energy, defense, and
transportation sectors. However, their supply chains are vulnerable to
disruption, and we rely on other nations, including
[[Page H5683]]
adversaries such as China, for many of them.
China is currently responsible for over 70 percent of global rare
earths metal production and refines up to 87 percent of the world's
supply of critical minerals.
Unless we develop more domestic sources for critical materials, we
will remain at the mercy of our enemies. Fortunately, cutting-edge
technologies are emerging to identify and take advantage of
unconventional sources of critical materials right here at home.
For example, in my home State of Texas, researchers and companies are
exploring ways to recover lithium and other critical minerals from
produced water generated during oil and gas production.
The Permian Basin alone generates millions of barrels of produced
water every day, one of the largest produced water streams in the
world. The sheer volume of that water can present a challenge but also
presents an incredible opportunity to recover valuable critical
minerals from a resource that has been historically treated as a waste
stream.
Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of contaminated sites across the
United States, including over 1,300 on the EPA's National Priorities
List of the country's most contaminated sites.
Additionally, on Federal lands alone, the Federal Government has
spent over $100 million remediating contamination from abandoned
hardrock mine sites. However, while these sites are threats to human
health and the environment, they can be good sources of critical
minerals.
The EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026 directs the EPA to stand up a
program to support methods to identify and recover critical materials
at contaminated sites, contributing to the development of new domestic
sources and encouraging the remediation of these sites. EPA already has
experience funding such projects.
Addressing our supply chain vulnerability is a daunting challenge,
but creative solutions that leverage technological innovation play a
major role in solving it.
I am grateful that we can work across the aisle to advance this
legislation, and I thank my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Landsman, for
joining me in leading this endeavor.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
vote ``yes'' on this legislation.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my friend from Texas,
Mr. Pfluger, and my friend from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Landsman, just
across the river from our great Commonwealth, for working together on
this piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 9616.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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