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HR 9616

EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Greg Landsman and 1 co-sponsor

Establishes EPA’s ERCMRP to identify and recover critical materials from contaminated sites, boosting domestic supply while advancing remediation and environmental protection.

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
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Bill Summary · HR 9616

Overview

  • Bill: H.R. 9616, EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Purpose: Establish a program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites and support the recovery of those materials, while promoting remediation efforts, domestic supply chains, and environmental protection. The program is limited in funding and time.

Main purpose and intent

  • Create the Environmental Remediation and Critical Material Recovery Program (ERCMRP) under the EPA.
  • Enable investigation, evaluation, and support for processes and systems to:
    • Identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites (including contaminated media and solid waste).
    • Recover such critical materials from those sites.
  • Emphasize alignment with national security via development of domestic critical material supply chains and strengthening environmental remediation.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment and activities (Section 2(a)):
    • EPA Administrator would carry out a program to identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites and to recover those materials.
  • Administrative and financial authorities (Section 2(b)):
    • EPA may provide assistance through contracts, cooperative agreements, and awards to:
    • Individuals
    • State, local, and Tribal governments
    • Nonprofit organizations
  • Funding limits (Section 2(c)):
    • Aggregate assistance may not exceed $10,000,000 per fiscal year.
    • Any single recipient may not receive more than $3,000,000.
  • Application evaluation criteria (Section 2(d)):
    • Criteria to evaluate assistance applications include:
    • Advancing identification of nontraditional, domestic sources of critical materials at contaminated sites.
    • Advancing processes, methods, and systems for recovering materials and monitoring remediation.
    • Strengthening national security through domestic material supply chains.
    • Supporting remediation of contaminated sites, especially those on the National Priorities List.
    • Protecting human health and the environment.
  • Definition of “critical material” (Section 2(e)):
    • Uses the definition from section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
  • Sunset/termination (Section 2(f)):
    • The ERCMRP would terminate 10 years after enactment of this section.

Who/what would be affected

  • Entities eligible for EPA assistance:
    • Individuals, State and local governments, Tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations.
  • Contaminated sites and remediation activities:
    • Focus on sites with potential recovery of critical materials and opportunities for remediation, including those on the National Priorities List.
  • Industry and supply chains:
    • Potential impact on the domestic supply of critical materials by promoting in situ recovery from contaminated sites.
  • EPA and intergovernmental coordination:
    • Involvement with various levels of government and non-profit partners to implement projects.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction date: July 9, 2026.
  • Referral: House Committee on Energy and Commerce; Subcommittee on Environment (July 9, 2026).
  • Consideration: Subcommittee held markup and then forwarded to full Committee by voice vote (July 14, 2026).
  • Funding window: Annual aggregate limit of $10 million and cap of $3 million per recipient; program duration limited to 10 years from enactment.
  • Sunset: Program terminates 10 years after enactment of this section, unless extended by subsequent legislation.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Encourages innovation in recovering critical materials from contaminated sites while pursuing remediation goals.
  • Balances program funding with safeguards on total and per-recipient spending.
  • Prioritizes domestic sources of critical materials, potentially supporting national security and resilience.
  • Clear emphasis on environmental protection and human health alongside material recovery.
  • Temporary program (10-year horizon) raises questions about long-term, scalable infrastructure for remediation and material recovery beyond the authorization period.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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