Ban Toxic Dispersants Act of 2011
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Environment and the Economy.
Ban Toxic Dispersants Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize a dispersant, chemical, or other spill mitigating device or substance that is not included on the National Contingency Plan's schedule to be used in carrying out such plan only if such device or substance is proposed to be included on such schedule.
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a revised regulation for the development of the schedule for the use of such devices and substances. Requires the Administrator, with respect to such substances, to: (1) establish minimum toxicity and efficacy testing criteria; (2) establish a requirement that the volume of oil or hazardous substance discharged, and the volume and location of any such spill mitigating substance used, be measured and made publicly available on a daily basis; and (3) require the public disclosure of all ingredients of such substance. Requires the Administrator to: (1) require the manufacturer of such a device to study its risks and effectiveness; (2) provide a mechanism for the delisting of any such substance or device that poses a risk to or impact on human health, water quality, or the environment; and (3) initiate a formal review of the potential risks and impacts associated with such substance or device prior to delisting it.
Directs the Administrator to: (1) study such potential risks and impacts, including acute and chronic risks, from the use of such substances that may be used to carry out such Plan; (2) impose a temporary moratorium on approval of the use of dispersants until the study is complete; (3) review the schedule for the use of such devices and substances and revise it as necessary every five years; and (4) establish a schedule of fees to be collected from the manufacturers of such substances or devices to offset the costs of evaluating their use.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on December 5, 2011. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 9, 2011: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 112th Congress (2011-12), 283 of the 10,618 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JERROLD NADLER (D-NY) introduced it on December 5, 2011, and 2 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 2 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on December 5, 2011, 5393 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 5389 days ago, on December 9, 2011.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 112th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2013 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers