To establish a program for the recovery of critical materials from contaminated sites, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative Authorization Act of 2026
or the EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Environmental remediation and critical material recovery program
(a) Establishment
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall carry out a program to investigate, evaluate, and support processes, methods, and systems which may be utilized in—
(1)
the identification of sources of critical materials at contaminated sites, including contaminated media and solid waste sources at such sites; and
(2)
the recovery of such critical materials from such sites.
(b) Assistance
In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Administrator may provide assistance, including by entering into contracts and cooperative agreements and making awards, to persons, State, local, and Tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations.
(c) Limitation
The Administrator may not, under such program, provide assistance—
(1)
in the aggregate, in an amount that exceeds $10,000,000 in any fiscal year; or
(2)
to any person, State, local, or Tribal government entity, or nonprofit organization, in an amount that exceeds $3,000,000.
(d) Evaluation of applications
The Administrator shall establish a system for evaluating applications for assistance provided under subsection (b) that includes the following criteria:
(1)
The extent to which the assistance furthers the identification of nontraditional, domestic sources of critical materials at contaminated sites pursuant to subsection (a).
(2)
The extent to which the assistance advances processes, methods, and systems for—
(A)
recovering critical materials from sources at contaminated sites that may be identified pursuant to subsection (a); and
(B)
monitoring environmental contamination and remediation of such contaminated sites in the recovery of such critical materials.
(3)
The extent to which the assistance strengthens national security through the development of domestic critical material supply chains.
(4)
The extent to which the assistance supports remediation of one or more contaminated sites, especially such sites that are on the National Priorities List.
(5)
The extent to which the assistance protects human health and the environment.
(e) Critical material defined
In this section, the term critical material has the meaning given such term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
(f) Sunset
The program under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this section.