House Democrats today called on Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans to take up Senate-passed legislation that would significantly update U.S. EPA's ability to track hazardous waste.

Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the bill (S. 710), which the Senate passed unanimously in August, is a straightforward and common-sense proposal to shift to electronic manifests.

"This legislation would modernize the shipment and storage of hazardous waste, offering greater protection for communities, first responders, and the environment, while offering significant savings to industry and states," Waxman said in a statement.

Currently, U.S. EPA requires carbon copy manifests to accompany hazardous materials when they are moved for storage or disposal.

In a letter to Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Environment and Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-Ill.), Waxman and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) say provisions in the bill are supported from chemical companies, state agencies and environmental organizations. They called for a legislative hearing on the issue.

The issue has percolated in Congress for several years, but legislation has yet to make it through both chambers.

The bill from Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has broad bipartisan support. Thune introduced the same measure last year, and it also sailed through the upper chamber only to stall in the House.

Thune has characterized his legislation as a simple way to save federal resources.

"With an over $14 trillion national debt, Congress ought to be looking for ways to streamline and modernize federal government programs to save taxpayer dollars, while improving the overall effectiveness of these programs," Thune said last year (E&ENews PM, April 15, 2011).

The current carbon copy logs are commonly referred to as "cradle to grave" documentation. Nearly 140,000 businesses submit between 2.5 million and 5 million hazardous material manifests every year, according to Thune's office. That costs industry between $200 million and $500 million annually.

Waxman and Green noted that S. 710 is "nearly identical" to legislation introduced by Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) two years ago.

"A legislative hearing will allow members the opportunity to understand the implementation and impact of a shift to electronic waste manifests," they wrote. "This is important legislation that deserves a prompt hearing and fast action by the Committee and the House."