Key Legislative Accomplishments of the
Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials

Year 2007 - 110th Congress 1st Session

Legislation that Originated in the Committee and Passed the House of Representatives:

• H.R. 518, the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007.  The legislation would regulate the flow of international waste into the U.S. and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to govern the transboundary movement of solid waste (International Solid Waste Importation Act). The Committee reported out the bill in March and the legislation passed the House in April by a voice vote.

• H.R. 1534, the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2007.  The bill will place an export ban on elemental mercury beginning in the year 2010; prevent Federal agencies from selling, distributing, or transferring elemental mercury, except for its transfer between Federal agencies to facilitate storage; and creates a long-term storage option for private sources of elemental mercury at a facility to be designated by the Secretary of Energy. 

Pending Legislation:

• H.R. 1747, the Safe Drinking Water for Healthy Communities Act of 2007. The bill would create EPA to establish a national drinking water standard for perchlorate.  The bill was favorably reported out of the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials in November of 2007 and has been forwarded to the full committee.

• H.R. 1103, the Environmental Justice Act of 2007.  The bill would correct deficiencies in EPA’s environmental justice program and codify the Environmental Justice Executive Order.  In October, the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a legislative hearing on the bill.

• H.R. 1055, the Toxic Right to Know Protection Act.  The measure would make communities aware of unsafe conditions by ensuring the public’s right to know about local environmental hazards.   The bill restores requirements for reporting of toxic emission data from polluting facilities and ensures that the information is reported annually to EPA. In October, the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a legislative hearing on the bill.

Oversight Work:

• The Subcommittee looked into EPA’s proposed buyout of Office of Inspector General employees and prospective office closings.  The buyout program was ultimately abandoned.  No additional offices were closed and the budget was increased.

• Held hearings on President’s proposed budget for EPA with EPA Administrator Johnson testifying on the budget.  This is the first time in six years the EPA Administrator has testified before the Committee on the EPA budget, and the first oversight hearing on EPA’s budget since 2000.

• Among other topics, conducted vigorous oversight over cleanups of Superfund National Priority List sites including the slowdown of cleanups at highly contaminated NPL sites, and EPA’s Performance Track Program.

• Requested GAO studies to assist with the Committee’s inquiry into the current state of the Superfund Program, and a study related to the significant environmental and public health issues related to the increasing concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO).

• Pushed for increased funding for core environmental programs and environmental justice programs.

• Oversight on regulatory status of E85 and other biofuels.

Other Important Actions:

• Electronic Waste.  Subcommittee Chairman Wynn hosted a roundtable discussion on Electronic Waste (“E-Waste”), which was attended by Members of the bipartisan House E-Waste Working Group (Reps. Thompson and Bono Mack), Rep. Green, Congressional staff, and interested stakeholders including environmental groups, consumer organizations, and industry representatives.  The group discussed industry efforts to develop a financing mechanism that will create a recycling infrastructure; environmental issues related to export, disposal, and recycling; scope of products covered; and materials.

• Forum on Nanotechnology.  Subcommittee Chairman Wynn convened a forum on Nanotechnology that was attended by Rep. Shadegg, Congressional staff, and some of the leading nanotechnology stakeholders from the EPA, industry, environmental and nonprofit organizations.  The group discussed the implications of nanotechnology related to safety and the environment.