Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would close a decades-old loophole that exempts oil and gas drilling waste from federal hazardous waste rules. It requires the EPA to evaluate whether drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes from oil, gas, and geothermal energy production qualify as hazardous waste.
• If the EPA determines these wastes are hazardous, companies would need to follow strict storage, transport, and disposal rules. The EPA can adjust requirements to account for the unique nature of these wastes, but only as long as protections for people and the environment remain in place.
• Even waste that does not qualify as hazardous would face new safety standards. Facilities handling these materials would need groundwater monitoring, location standards for new and existing sites, and plans for cleanup and financial responsibility.
• The EPA would have one year after the bill becomes law to complete its review and issue new regulations. The bill was introduced by Rep. Castor of Florida with 22 co-sponsors and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.