FRESHER Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The FRESHER Act of 2025 removes the Clean Water Act section 402(l)(2) exemption that had limited stormwater permitting for certain oil, gas, and mining activities. It also strikes the related definition paragraph in section 502. By removing those provisions, stormwater runoff from covered operations can be treated under the ordinary Clean Water Act permitting framework. The bill separately directs the Interior Secretary to study areas contaminated by stormwater runoff associated with oil, gas, or mining operations, including measurable contamination, affected groundwater resources, and aquifer susceptibility, and to report findings to Congress within one year.
Who Benefits and How
Communities near oil, gas, and mining sites benefit from the loss of a stormwater permitting exemption and a required contamination study. Groundwater users benefit because the Interior study must evaluate groundwater resources and aquifer susceptibility. Clean Water Act regulators benefit from clearer authority to address stormwater runoff from covered operations. Congress benefits from a one-year Interior report identifying contamination and water-resource risks.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Oil and gas operators may face Clean Water Act stormwater permitting and compliance obligations previously avoided under the exemption. Mining operators may face additional runoff controls, monitoring, or permit requirements. Interior Department study staff must evaluate contamination, groundwater, and aquifer susceptibility and report to Congress within one year. State and federal water permitting agencies may need to process additional stormwater permit coverage for covered operations.
Key Provisions
- Repeals the Clean Water Act stormwater runoff exemption for oil and gas operations.
- Repeals the related Clean Water Act definition tied to the exemption.
- Requires Interior to study contamination from oil, gas, and mining stormwater runoff.
- Requires the study to address groundwater resources and aquifer susceptibility.
- Requires a report to Congress within one year.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Repeals the Clean Water Act stormwater runoff permit exemption for oil, gas, and mining operations and requires Interior to study contamination from stormwater runoff from those operations, including groundwater and aquifer susceptibility.
Key Policy Areas
Clean Water Act, Oil and Gas, Mining, Water Quality
Primary Purpose
Repeals the Clean Water Act stormwater runoff permit exemption for oil, gas, and mining operations and requires Interior to study contamination from stormwater runoff from those operations, including groundwater and aquifer susceptibility.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Communities near oil and gas sites
- Communities near mining sites
- Groundwater users
- Clean Water Act regulators
- Congressional oversight committees
Identified Costs
- Oil and gas operators
- Mining operators
- Interior Department study staff
- State water permitting agencies
- Federal water permitting agencies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Mr. Huffman (for himself, Mr. Beyer, Ms. Castor of Florida, …
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Communities near oil and gas runoff sites, Groundwater users near covered operations
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology