FUELS Act

Bill Number

H.R. 3909

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Environmental Protection

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-06-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Last Updated

2025-07-01T12:51:12Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act (FUELS Act), H.R. 3909, aims to ease regulatory requirements under the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule for certain farms. The SPCC rule, enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requires facilities to prepare plans to prevent oil spills from reaching nearby waters. This bill adjusts thresholds for when these rules apply to farms with oil storage (like fuel tanks), reducing burdens on smaller operations while maintaining environmental safeguards.

Key Provisions

• Adjusted Storage Capacity Thresholds: Updates the criteria for farms exempt from or partially exempt from SPCC requirements based on their total aboveground oil storage capacity.
• Raises the general exemption threshold from 20,000 gallons to 42,000 gallons.
• Defines partial exemptions for farms with storage greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons.
• Maintains full exemption for farms with 10,000 gallons or less.
• Removes a previous category (paragraph 4) that likely added extra conditions.
• Changes to Certification Limits: Increases limits for who can certify SPCC plans without a professional engineer.
• Raises the storage limit for self-certification from 1,000 gallons to 1,320 gallons for certain low-risk farms.
• Increases the limit from 2,500 gallons to 3,000 gallons for farms with no prior spills.
• Removal of Subsection: Eliminates subsection (d), which may have imposed additional reporting or compliance obligations (specific details not provided in the bill text).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill amends Section 1049 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (codified at 33 U.S.C. 1361 note), which previously set lower thresholds for SPCC applicability to farms. The main shifts include:

• Tripling the overall exemption threshold (from ~20,000 to 42,000 gallons), allowing more farms to avoid full SPCC planning.
• Expanding partial exemptions and self-certification options, simplifying compliance for mid-sized farms.
• Streamlining the law by striking outdated or redundant provisions, making it less complex for agricultural users.

These changes build on prior exemptions for farms but significantly broaden them, reflecting adjustments for inflation or practical farm needs since 2014.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The EPA will need to update guidance, enforcement, and possibly inspection priorities, potentially reducing administrative workload for smaller farms but requiring outreach to educate affected operators.
• On Citizens (Especially Farmers): Small and mid-sized farms gain relief from costly SPCC plan development (which can involve engineering reviews and spill response equipment), lowering operational expenses. However, larger farms remain fully regulated.
• On the Environment: Could slightly increase spill risks from exempt facilities, though the bill targets low-risk scenarios; overall impact likely minimal due to focused exemptions.
• On International Relations: No direct effects, as this is a domestic environmental regulation for U.S. agriculture.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Farmers and Agricultural Businesses: Primary beneficiaries, particularly family-owned or small-scale operations with limited storage, who face reduced paperwork and costs.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Responsible for implementing and enforcing the revised rules, including any needed regulatory updates.
• Environmental Groups: May advocate for or against the changes, concerned with potential spill risks versus regulatory efficiency.
• Oil and Fuel Suppliers: Indirectly affected through changes in farm storage compliance, possibly influencing product distribution.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens existing farm exemptions under the Clean Water Act framework, potentially reducing litigation over SPCC applicability by clarifying thresholds. No challenges to federal authority are introduced.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce and environmental protection; avoids federalism issues by targeting voluntary compliance adjustments rather than mandates.
• Political: Likely appeals to rural and agricultural constituencies, promoting "stewardship" language to frame deregulation as responsible land management. Introduced by representatives from farm-heavy states (e.g., Arkansas), it reflects bipartisan support for easing burdens on producers amid economic pressures like rising fuel costs.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]

Cosponsors (2)

Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6], Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1]

Recent Actions

• 2025-06-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
• 2025-06-11: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• 2025-06-11: Introduced in House
• 2025-06-11: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act — issued 2025-06-11 — PDF (3 pages)