Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | December 9 - December 13, 2024

Highlights:

The President signed the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023 (P.L.118-138) into law. Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-P.R.) reintroduced the bill (H.R.2950) in the House to reauthorize voluntary federal programs that bolster the health and resilience of coastal habitats. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) led the bill (S.1381) in the Senate. 

The House passed theThomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 (S.4367). WRDA is reauthorized every two years, and the 2024 bill would mandate 17 new water infrastructure projects under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including for storm risk mitigation, stormwater management, Everglades restoration, and coastal flood management. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) cosponsor Sen. Tom Carper’s (D-Del.) bill, which will head to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

The House passed the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (H.R.7779). Reintroduced by Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), the bill would provide legal protection to environmental and community groups voluntarily remediating polluted, abandoned hardrock mines. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Senate companion (S.2781), which unanimously passed the chamber in July. EESI’s article on clean energy development on reclaimed mine lands discusses the benefits of remediating these sites.

The Senate passed the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act (S.2514/H.R.7872). The bill, which passed the House the week prior, aims to reduce the Colorado River’s high salinity levels, which have recently threatened biodiversity and decreased water availability for household and agricultural use. Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) introduced the bill alongside bipartisan cosponsors. EESI’s Resilient and Healthy Rivers briefing series discusses environmental, economic, and health impacts of riverine issues across the country’s key river basins, including the Colorado River Basin.

To catch up on all of the recent environmental and energy legislation in Congress, read the PDF here.