Skip to main content
HR 2729 107th Congress House Environmental Protection Administrative procedure Agriculture and Food Air pollution control Air pollution control equipment Air pollution measurement Air quality Animals Armed Forces and National Security Battery recycling Canada Cement industry Chemicals Chesapeake Bay Child health Coal-fired power plants Commerce Congress Congressional reporting requirements Consumer education

Omnibus Mercury Emissions Reduction Act of 2001

Introduced: August 2, 2001 See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 16, 2001
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.
Aug 2, 2001
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Aug 2, 2001
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Omnibus Mercury Emissions Reduction Act of 2001 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to establish standards for mercury and mercury compound emissions applicable to: (1) electric utility steam generating units; (2) coal- and oil-fired boiler units of a specified capacity; (3) chlor-alkali plants that use the mercury cell production process; and (4) dust from Portland cement plants. Sets forth permit requirements.

Requires the Administrator to authorize methods of emissions control.

Establishes mercury emission baselines for electric utility and coal- and oil-fired boiler units.

Requires the regulations to ensure that recovered mercury is disposed of in a manner that ensures that: (1) mercury hazards are not transferred between environmental media; and (2) there is no release of mercury into the environment.

Directs the Administrator to establish a program of long-term disposal research and publicize emission data for each facility.

Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator to publish a list of mercury-containing items to be separated and removed from the waste streams that feed solid waste facilities.

Requires mercury-content labeling by manufacturers.

Requires persons that transfer solid waste that may contain a listed mercury-containing item to submit separation and removal plans.

Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning measurement of mercury emissions from solid waste combustion flue gases.

Requires permits for solid waste incineration units to specify inspection, entry, monitoring, compliance certification, and reporting requirements. Directs the Administrator to require incineration units that exceed the maximum emission rate to install measures that will result, within three years, in a rate below the specified maximum.

Prohibits, three years after this Act's enactment, the sale of mercury-containing products unless the manufacturer has been granted an exemption.

Requires reports on reductions of mercury emissions from medical and hazardous waste incinerators, military uses of mercury, the sources and extent of emissions in North America, sedimentation trends in water bodies of concern, and fish consumption advisories.

Directs the Administrator to establish a program to evaluate and address mercury-related health effects on high-risk populations.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator to establish an advisory committee to report on the progress made in complying with this Act's amendments.

What's happening now August 16, 2001

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Democratic 3 Independent 1