Charleston Leader

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee has unanimously approved two significant pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing environmental protection and waste management. The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 seeks to reauthorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields program, while the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act aims to improve recycling and composting systems across the nation.

The Brownfields Reauthorization Act was introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the EPW Committee, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). Chairman Capito also introduced the STEWARD Act alongside Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and John Boozman (R-Ark.).

Chairman Capito emphasized the importance of the Brownfields Reauthorization Act, stating: “Rural and underserved communities lack the resources needed to compete with larger entities, putting them in an unfair position. Our bill streamlines the application process to level the playing field. The legislation also modernizes the program's grant amounts to match current construction costs and project sizes, aligning them with the reality of doing business today.”

Senator Blunt Rochester added: “Cleaning up brownfield sites can be costly and burden our local communities. The Brownfield Reauthorization Act will help us reduce environmental hazards, spur economic development, and support the health and safety of our people. I’m proud to lead this bill alongside Chair Capito, and I’m also honored to carry on the work previously championed by my predecessor, former Senator Carper. Delaware will benefit from this legislation, and I hope to see it signed into law.”

Regarding the STEWARD Act, Chairman Capito noted: “For too many Americans, recycling remains out of reach – either because facilities don’t exist in their communities or because the infrastructure to make recycling economically viable is not in place. The STEWARD Act aims to close these gaps by ensuring that recycling services are accessible to all communities.”

Ranking Member Whitehouse highlighted a critical issue addressed by the STEWARD Act: “We are living through a plastic pollution crisis: it’s accumulating in our food, in our water, and in our bodies, and it’s threatening people’s health.” He expressed his commitment to tackling plastic waste with bipartisan support.

Senator Boozman remarked on the broader benefits of improved recycling infrastructure: “Strengthening our commitment to recycling in order to preserve the resources we are blessed with, as well as spur economic growth and encourage industry innovation benefits all Americans.”

Both acts have a history of unanimous support within legislative committees. The Brownfields Reauthorization Act passed unanimously last Congress in September 2023. Meanwhile, components of the STEWARD Act were derived from previous acts that also received unanimous consent.