S. 2334: Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act

The Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act is a proposed bill that aims to enhance the capacity of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to manage and dispose of certain types of waste, particularly those related to illegal or unauthorized materials. Here's a breakdown of the main components of the bill:

Use of Solid Waste Disposal Systems

The bill allows the Secretary of Defense to utilize specially designed systems known as expeditionary solid waste disposal systems. These systems are intended for:

• The destruction of illegal items, which may include:
• Counterfeit items
• Unauthorized military equipment
• Illegal narcotics
• Classified materials
• Supporting operations related to:
• Border security
• Interdiction of narcotics
• Elimination of contraband
• Providing these systems to military sites, operational bases, and allied security forces as needed for better management of military assets and countering unauthorized activities.

Prohibition of Open-Air Burn Pits

Under this bill, the Secretary of Defense is prohibited from using open-air burn pits for disposing of:

• Illicit contraband
• Classified military equipment
• Hazardous waste materials

This aims to address health and environmental concerns associated with such disposal methods.

Funding Provisions

The bill includes specific funding directives that outline financial allocations for solid waste disposal systems:

• It proposes an increase of $8,950,000 in the fiscal year 2026 budget for Other Procurement, Army, specifically allocated to solid waste disposal systems.
• This increase in funding will be offset by a reduction of $8,950,000 in the budget for Operation and Maintenance, Army, sourced from funds that were previously allocated for the use of open-air burn pits in contingency operations.

Purpose and Goals

The primary goals of the WIPE Act are to:

• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of waste disposal in military operations.
• Reduce the use of environmentally harmful disposal methods.
• Enhance the security and integrity of U.S. military operations by properly managing illegal and unauthorized materials.

Relevant Companies

None found