Spent Petroleum Catalyst Recycling and Critical Minerals and Metals Recovery Exemption Act
Key claim: S3879 would exempt spent petroleum catalyst recycling and critical minerals/metals recovery operations from certain environmental regulatory requirements.
Abstract
(S3879 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-02-12): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
[This finding represents 2 closely related documents issued 2026-02-12 (same source, same action). Related: congress:119-hr-7523:introduced]
Why this matters
Spent petroleum refining catalysts are currently listed hazardous wastes (K171/K172) subject to RCRA land disposal restrictions, which raises the cost of domestic recycling versus export. A regulatory carve-out could expand U.S. recovery of critical minerals (molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, vanadium) needed for defense and clean-energy supply chains, but at the potential cost of reduced hazardous-waste oversight at recovery facilities.