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SJRES 95118th CongressFailed / ExpiredSenate

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments".

Policy Area: Environmental Protection
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
Senate
Last Updated
Jan 14, 2025
Latest Action Date
Jun 5, 2024

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

Senate Joint Resolution 95 (SJRES 95) from the 118th Congress is a legislative measure aimed at disapproving a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the management and disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) from electric utilities, specifically focusing on legacy CCR surface impoundments. The resolution seeks to nullify the EPA's regulatory approach under the authority of chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code. The bill was introduced in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works but ultimately failed or expired without further action. No full bill text or official summary is available, limiting detailed analysis of specific provisions.

Bottom Line

SJRES 95 attempted to overturn an EPA rule on coal combustion residual disposal but did not advance beyond committee referral and expired.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill targets the EPA's rule regulating the disposal of coal combustion residuals from electric utilities, focusing on legacy surface impoundments.
  • It uses the Congressional Review Act mechanism under chapter 8 of title 5, U.S. Code, to disapprove the EPA rule.
  • The resolution was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works but did not progress further.
Who Benefits?

['Electric utilities managing coal combustion residuals', 'Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in terms of regulatory clarity if the rule were disapproved', 'Potentially communities and stakeholders affected by CCR disposal depending on regulatory outcomes']

Potential Concerns

['Lack of detailed bill text and official summary limits understanding of specific regulatory changes proposed.', 'Disapproval of EPA rules may create regulatory uncertainty for electric utilities managing CCR waste.', 'Potential oversight challenges in ensuring safe disposal of legacy CCR surface impoundments if the rule is disapproved.']

Political Context

The resolution was introduced during the 118th Congress and reflects legislative oversight of EPA regulatory actions under the Congressional Review Act. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works but did not advance, resulting in a failed or expired status as of January 2025. The bill is situated within ongoing policy debates about environmental regulation of coal combustion waste.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 2

GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

2 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Potential delays or increased costs for electric utilities in managing coal combustion residuals due to regulatory uncertainty.', 'Possible impacts on environmental and public health protections if regulatory standards are weakened or unclear.', 'Increased oversight demands on EPA and state agencies to manage CCR disposal in the absence of the disapproved rule.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

The absence of a full bill text and official summary limits comprehensive analysis of the bill's provisions and implications. The resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to disapprove an EPA rule, a process that can have significant regulatory impacts. Tracking the bill's referral to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and its eventual failure provides insight into legislative oversight dynamics. Transparency about the specific regulatory changes and enforcement mechanisms affected by this disapproval is limited in the available data.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 75%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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