Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | July 29 - August 2, 2024

Highlights:

The Senate passed the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (S.2781). Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the bill in September 2023 to allow qualified environmental and community groups to remediate polluted, abandoned hardrock mines. Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) reintroduced a companion bill in the House in March. EESI’s article on clean energy development on reclaimed mine lands discusses some of the benefits of remediating these sites. 

The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 also passed out of the Senate (S.4367) with unanimous approval. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), alongside bipartisan cosponsors, penned the legislative package, which reauthorizes flood control, ecosystem restoration, and other water resource projects every two years. The House passed its version of the bill at the end of July. The two versions will now undergo reconciliation before a final version is presented to the president. 

The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025 (S.4927). The bill will move on to the Senate floor for amendment and debate, while the House continues to debate its own version of the bill. As the fiscal year 2025 budget process continues, follow along with the help of EESI’s briefing, Understanding the Budget and Appropriations Process.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023 (S.2086). Reintroduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), the bill establishes a grant program to fund the recovery of stranded marine turtles and bolster research and monitoring. The House passed its version of the bill, introduced by Rep. William Keating (D-Mass.), in April.

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