ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026

On 2026-09-15, Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) delivered a floor speech titled "ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026" in the House.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026) [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. __

Referenced legislation: HR9616, HR9616