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Congress·In Committee

Sen. Whitehouse Moves to Block EPA Rule Giving Power Plants More Time to Clean Up Wastewater

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 "Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category-Deadline Extensions; Correction".

3 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • This resolution would cancel a recent rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that gave power plants more time to clean up their wastewater. The EPA rule allowed these facilities to delay meeting strict limits on the toxic chemicals they release into public water sources.
  • The plants affected are mostly large facilities that use steam to generate electricity. These plants often produce wastewater containing dangerous substances like mercury, lead, and arsenic, which can contaminate drinking water and harm fish and wildlife.
  • Sen. Whitehouse introduced this measure to ensure environmental protections happen on the original schedule. If it passes, power companies would be forced to meet stricter pollution limits sooner rather than using the extensions granted by the EPA.
  • This is a formal 'disapproval' action. If it is passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law, the EPA's deadline extensions would be completely voided, and the agency would be blocked from passing a similar rule in the future.
Energy Environment

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 9, 2026Senate

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

Mar 9, 2026

Introduced in Senate

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

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 "Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category-Deadline Extensions; Correction".

Bill NumberSJRES 120
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.