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A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on black carbon emissions.

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 125.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 22, 2009

Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a study of black carbon emissions, which shall include the following elements:

Phase I will establish for the scientific community standard definitions of the terms "black carbon" and "organic carbon."

Phase II will summarize the available scientific and technical information concerning an identification of the major sources of black carbon emissions in the United States and throughout the world, an estimate of the quantity of current and projected emissions and the net climate effects of the emissions from those sources, the most effective control strategies for additional domestic and international reductions in black carbon emissions, and the health benefits associated with additional reductions.

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Phase III will summarize the amount, type, and direction of all actual and potential financial, technical, and related assistance provided by the United States to foreign countries to reduce, mitigate, or otherwise abate black carbon emissions and any health, environmental, and economic impacts associated with those emissions and to identify opportunities to achieve significant black carbon emission reductions in foreign countries through the provision of technical assistance or other approaches.

Phase IV will provide recommendations regarding areas of focus for additional research for cost-effective technologies, operations, and strategies with the highest potential to reduce black carbon emissions and protect public health and regarding government actions to encourage or require additional black carbon emission reduction.

Sets forth reporting deadlines for each phase.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
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Who introduced it

Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE] · D–DE

Committees

  • Environment and Public Works Committee
8 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 125.

  2. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 111-58.

  3. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 111-58.

  4. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

  5. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

  6. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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