Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 788, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act. The bill would prohibit the Federal government from entering into settlement agreements with third party entities such as nonprofit, educational, and community-based organizations. In practice, one of the numerous detrimental impacts of the bill would be the hampering of environmental clean ups. After the bill’s passage, Earthjustice Legislative Director for the Access to Justice Program Coby Dolan issued the following statement: 

“Today’s disgraceful vote is a victory for polluting industries and a slap in the face to communities suffering from harms that cannot simply be solved through restitution. When polluting industries expose communities to toxic contaminants that impact the health and well-being of families and residents, Supplemental Environment Projects (SEPs) are often the best ways to address harm that is difficult to quantify. For communities dealing with the long-term consequences of pollution, SEPs are often one of the most important tools they have to remedy pollution issues. By preventing SEPs, House Republicans have once again sided with polluting industries while leaving communities impacted by future environmental disasters at risk of not receiving the support they need to recover.”