H.R. 6080: CLEANER Act of 2025 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

The CLEANER Act of 2025 aims to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to introduce stricter regulations on waste produced during the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy. Here is a breakdown of the main points of the bill:

1. Short Title

The bill is officially titled the CLEANER Act of 2025 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2025.

2. Regulation of Wastes

The bill requires the following actions regarding waste management:

Identification of Hazardous Waste: The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must evaluate whether drilling fluids, produced waters, and other related wastes qualify as hazardous waste under existing criteria.
Listing Hazardous Waste: If the Administrator determines that certain wastes meet the hazardous waste criteria, these must be formally labeled as hazardous waste.
Regulatory Changes: The Administrator is tasked with creating regulations for the handling of wastes determined to be hazardous, with the flexibility to adjust regulations based on the specific characteristics of these wastes, making sure to protect human health and the environment.

3. Waste Management Standards

The bill also mandates new standards for facilities that handle non-hazardous drilling fluids, produced waters, and other related wastes. This includes:

Revisions to Criteria: The Administrator must revise existing criteria for facilities accepting these wastes, ensuring they adequately protect public health and the environment.
Groundwater Monitoring: Facilities must be equipped with measures for groundwater monitoring to detect potential contamination.
Site Location and Corrective Actions: It establishes guidelines for the site selection of new or current facilities and sets forth requirements for corrective actions if contamination occurs.
Financial Assurance: Facilities must provide financial assurance to cover potential environmental impacts and clean-up costs.

Overall, the CLEANER Act of 2025 seeks to improve oversight of waste management practices in oil and gas exploration and production to mitigate environmental impacts and safeguard public health.