- Potential benefitReduces the Town of Chincoteague's direct financial burden for well removal and replacement.
- Potential benefitEstablishes a documented plan and cost estimate to accelerate well remediation efforts.
- Potential benefitReduces resident exposure to contaminated drinking water if removals and replacements are completed.
Contaminated Wells Relocation Act
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 149.
This bill authorizes the NASA Administrator to enter a up-to-five-year agreement to reimburse the Town of Chincoteague, Virginia, for costs directly associated with removing drinking water wells located on NASA-administered property and establishing replacement wells on town-controlled property. Agreements must, to the extent practicable, cover removal/relocation of three remaining wells, identify relocation sites, and include an estimated cost covering property, engineering, permitting, and construction.
Liberal emphasizes public-health remediation and federal accountability
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a narrowly targeted federal authorization and assigns responsibility to the NASA Administrator, while specifying certain required elements of any agreement and a reporting deadline to Congress.
This bill authorizes the NASA Administrator to enter a up-to-five-year agreement to reimburse the Town of Chincoteague, Virginia, for costs directly associated with removing drinking water wells located on NASA-administered property and establishing replacement wells on town-controlled property.
Agreements must, to the extent practicable, cover removal/relocation of three remaining wells, identify relocation sites, and include an estimated cost covering property, engineering, permitting, and construction.
Any such agreement must be submitted to specified Congressional committees within 18 months.
Local, narrow, low-controversy measure with modest fiscal implications; passage depends mainly on funding mechanism and floor scheduling in both chambers.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a narrowly targeted federal authorization and assigns responsibility to the NASA Administrator, while specifying certain required elements of any agreement and a reporting deadline to Congress. It lacks fiscal specifications, comprehensive procedural mechanisms, and detailed oversight or contingency provisions.
Liberal emphasizes public-health remediation and federal accountability
Who stands to gain, and who may push back.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
- Federal agenciesCreates potential federal fiscal costs without a specified appropriation amount.
- Local governmentsMay set a precedent for federal reimbursement of local infrastructure costs elsewhere.
- Local governmentsAuthorizes NASA involvement in a local infrastructure activity outside its core space mission functions.
Why the argument around this bill splits.
Liberal emphasizes public-health remediation and federal accountability
Likely broadly supportive: views the bill as targeted remediation for public health and environmental harms to a local community.
Sees federal accountability for wells on federal-administered land as appropriate, but may want stronger assurances on oversight and long-term environmental monitoring.
Generally supportive but cautious: sees the bill as a narrow, practical fix for a local public-health issue, while wanting clarity on budgetary effects, legal responsibility, and implementation details.
Would favor limits, transparency, and a clear funding mechanism.
Skeptical: likely sees this as a narrowly targeted federal expenditure or earmark that expands agency obligations, and questions why NASA rather than state or local authorities bears responsibility.
Would push for fiscal restraint, limited precedent, and local cost-sharing.
The path through Congress.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Local, narrow, low-controversy measure with modest fiscal implications; passage depends mainly on funding mechanism and floor scheduling in both chambers.
- No explicit appropriation or funding source identified
- Estimated total cost and fiscal magnitude unknown
Recent votes on the bill.
No vote history yet
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Go deeper than the headline read.
Liberal emphasizes public-health remediation and federal accountability
Local, narrow, low-controversy measure with modest fiscal implications; passage depends mainly on funding mechanism and floor scheduling in…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a narrowly targeted federal authorization and assigns responsibility to the NASA Administrator, while specifying certain required elements of any…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.