Sponsors (2)
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
The bill speeds and strengthens federal hazardous-debris cleanup and remediation after fires—improving public health, environmental protection, and response equity—while expanding federal authority over private property and creating potential costs for landowners and taxpayers.
State and local governments and fire-affected communities gain faster access to federal debris-removal and remediation after fires — even without a presidential major-disaster declaration — speeding cleanup of public spaces and critical infrastructure.
Local governments, hospitals, and communities can receive EPA personnel, equipment, and technical services to handle hazardous fire debris, improving hazardous-material cleanup and reducing immediate public-health risks.
Clarifying federal authority to 'remediate' contamination (in addition to 'control') strengthens the federal government’s legal ability to address long-term environmental contamination from fires, lowering risks of prolonged pollution.
Homeowners and private landowners could face new costs or liability if federal cleanup on private property results in reimbursement demands or unclear legal responsibilities.
Providing broad federal remediation authority and the option to operate without reimbursement could increase federal spending or require diverting funds from other programs, imposing costs on taxpayers.
Expanding federal cleanup powers onto private property raises questions about property rights and the appropriate scope of federal regulatory reach, potentially triggering legal and civil-liberty concerns for property owners.
Expands federal authority to remove and remediate fire-related debris on public and private lands and waters even when a major disaster has not been declared. It also lets the President direct the EPA to provide its personnel, equipment, and technical resources to address hazardous wastes or hazardous substances in that debris, with or without reimbursement.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress December 16, 2025