Sponsors (9)
The bill clarifies and tightens how polymer conversion units are classified—creating a petition route for exclusions and focusing regulation on marketable outputs to improve emissions oversight—while imposing new compliance costs, potential delays, and interim uncertainty for facility owners and nearby communities.
Owners/operators of polymer conversion units (utilities, energy companies, small businesses) get a formal petition pathway to seek exclusion with EPA expected to decide within 180 days, and the bill clarifies which conversion processes count as solid waste incineration—reducing legal uncertainty and speeding determinations for affected facilities.
Operators (utilities and energy companies) benefit from a narrower definition of 'product' that excludes incidental outputs (soot, ash, electricity, heat), focusing regulation on marketable material outputs and reducing the chance of over‑regulating energy co‑products.
Communities near polymer conversion units (including rural and local jurisdictions) may gain better air‑emissions oversight because units that mainly produce marketable materials will be regulated under solid waste incineration standards, potentially improving local air quality.
Owners/operators (utilities, small businesses) — and potentially consumers/taxpayers — could face substantially higher compliance costs, permitting requirements, and operational burdens if many polymer conversion units are treated as solid waste incinerators.
The 50% by‑mass 'product' threshold (with EPA to set the measurement method) creates interim ambiguity about which units qualify until EPA issues implementing guidance, leaving facility owners uncertain about obligations.
The petition process requires public notice/comment and up to a 180‑day review, which can still delay operations or investment decisions for facilities while exclusion requests are pending.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Clarifies the definition of "solid waste incineration unit" to include certain polymer conversion units unless at least 50% of outputs by mass are defined as products; creates an EPA petition process and defines "product."
Official title: To amend the Clean Air Act to exclude certain units of facilities from the definition of solid waste incineration unit, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 10, 2025 by Daniel Crenshaw · Last progress December 10, 2025
Rewrites the statutory definition of “solid waste incineration unit” to explicitly include certain polymer conversion units that chemically or thermally convert plastic or post‑use polymers into outputs that are at least 50% products by mass (with EPA to set the measurement method). It also creates a process for owners/operators of polymer conversion units that do not meet the 50% threshold to petition EPA for an exclusion, requires EPA to publish the petition and take final action within 180 days, and defines “product” to exclude energy and residuals like soot or ash.