General Summary of the Bill

H.R. 9212, also known as the “Removing Emissions to Mend Our Vulnerable Earth Act of 2024” or the “REMOVE Act of 2024,” aims to establish an interagency effort focused on large-scale carbon management within the National Science and Technology Council. The bill proposes creating an Interagency Group to oversee and coordinate federal research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) efforts for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and storage technologies. The initiative covers various approaches such as direct air capture, forest restoration, soil management, and ocean-based methods. Linked working groups will focus on specific areas like oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, geological environments, and technological advancements.

Summary of Significant Issues

The bill presents several potential issues and challenges:

1. Ambiguity in Definitions: The definition of "carbon dioxide removal" could lead to unintended support for controversial or unproven technologies, such as geoengineering techniques, without clear parameters.

2. Complex Structure: The formation of the Interagency Group and its multiple working groups involves numerous federal departments and agencies. This complexity might result in bureaucratic inefficiencies, slow decision-making, and potential conflicts of interest due to overlapping roles.

3. Selection Bias: The selection process for working group members is based heavily on current federal employees, which could result in institutional biases rather than selecting the most qualified individuals from a broader pool.

4. Potential for Wasteful Spending: Setting up and maintaining numerous working groups, along with the triennial evaluations, could lead to inefficiencies without clear performance metrics or defined outcomes.

5. Vague Language: The duties and objectives outlined in the bill rely on terms like "cost-effective", "accurate monitoring", and "social impacts", which are broad and open to interpretation, potentially leading to inconsistent implementation of the bill’s goals.

6. Budgetary Challenges: The annual budget crosscut review highlights the difficulty of coordinating budgets across different federal agencies, considering their varying priorities and constraints.

Impact on Public and Stakeholders

Broad Public Impact

The passage of H.R. 9212 would signify a substantial federal commitment to addressing climate change through carbon management strategies. Public perception could be mixed, as the embrace of emerging technologies for carbon removal might raise optimism about addressing environmental challenges. However, concerns could also arise from the potential risks associated with unproven methods and the extensive federal involvement required.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

Positive Impacts:

• Environmental Organizations: Groups advocating for climate action might support the structured approach toward carbon removal and the research resources allocated to developing effective solutions.

• Research Institutions: Universities and scientific organizations could benefit from increased funding and collaboration opportunities with federal agencies involved in carbon removal technologies.

• Industries Developing Carbon Technologies: Companies working on innovative carbon capture and storage technologies might see a surge in support and potential market opportunities resulting from federally coordinated efforts.

Negative Impacts:

• Federal Agencies: Agencies involved in multiple working groups could face operational challenges due to overlapping responsibilities and the demands of interagency coordination.

• Communities Concerned About Geoengineering: Some stakeholders might be apprehensive about potential geoengineering methods included in the bill’s broad definitions, fearing ecological and social risks.

In summary, while the REMOVE Act of 2024 proposes a comprehensive federal effort to tackle carbon emissions, the issues discussed signal the need for cautious and strategic implementation to ensure that the objectives are met effectively without causing inadvertent consequences.