SerpApi.Org
Bipartisan legislation aimed at helping recover critical minerals from contaminated sites and waste streams will now be considered by the full U.S. House.
The Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative Authorization Act, led by U.S. Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, advanced out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on a 48-0 vote.
If passed by the House and Senate, the legislation would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to broaden and authorize the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative program to identify, evaluate and support the recovery of critical minerals from contaminated land and waste streams, strengthening domestic critical mineral supply chains while advancing cleanup efforts.
The opportunity is especially apparent in the Permian Basin, which is already positioned to recover critical minerals at scale, according to Pfluger, the Republican whose 11th Congressional District includes the region. Produced water, the wastewater generated during oil and gas production, can contain significant concentrations of critical minerals, such as lithium. But the technology and regulatory framework to recover and process these resources responsibly remain underdeveloped. This legislation would help close that gap, supporters say, by allowing the Permian Basin and similar areas across the country to turn an existing waste stream into a domestic source of critical minerals.
“America’s reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals is a national and economic security risk we cannot afford to ignore,” Pfluger said in a statement. “The Permian Basin is strategically positioned to be a leader in recovering these resources domestically. I’m proud to see the EMRTAI Authorization Act advance through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce today. This bipartisan legislation will help unlock the technology needed to recover critical minerals from contaminated sites and waste streams, strengthening our supply chains while supporting responsible cleanup efforts. I want to thank my colleague Congressman Landsman for his partnership on this important effort.”
Landsman said in a statement: “We’re proud to see this bill moving closer to becoming law because it’s an investment in America’s future. It will help build up our domestic supply chains, protect public health, and make our country more secure.”
