U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 21, 2018 signed into law bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) on the nation’s future utilization of used lubricating oil.
H.R. 1733 directs the U.S. Energy Secretary to review and update a report on the energy and environmental benefits of the re-refining of used lubricating oil and to submit a strategic plan to Congress on increasing the beneficial reuse of lubricating oil, according to the congressional record summary of the unnamed bill.
“I am proud the president signed this bipartisan bill into law because having an up-to-date report of the energy and environmental benefits of re-refined lubricating oil will help Congress work with the private sector in order to ensure we are responsibly and safely helping to reduce waste and benefit American consumers while protecting the environment,” Rep. Brooks said last month.
The U.S Senate on Dec. 20, 2018 passed H.R. 1733, which received approval from the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2017. The bill had 14 cosponsors, including original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) and U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Peter Roskam (R-IL).
According to the University of Calgary in Canada, lubricating oil is a class of oils used to reduce the friction, heat and wear between mechanical components that are in contact with each other. Lubricating oil is used in motor vehicles specifically as motor oil and transmission fluid.
The two basic categories of lubricating oil are mineral oils, which are refined from naturally occurring crude oil, and synthetic oils, which are manufactured. Mineral lubricating oils are currently the most commonly used type because of the low cost of extracting the oils from crude oil. “Additionally, mineral oils can be manufactured to have a varying viscosity, therefore making them useful in a wide range of applications,” the university said.
“Our country is already re-refining lubricated oil through a process that rids the oil of harmful contaminants and restores the oil to its original effectiveness,” said Rep. Brooks.
For instance, the lawmaker previously noted that some of the nation’s largest vehicle fleets recycle use oil for re-refining and they purchase re-refined oil, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Postal Service, the National Park Service, and state and local authorities.
“In order to fully understand the benefits of recycling lubricated oil, we need an up-to-date report from the Department of Energy that will provide members of Congress with updated information that will better allow us to develop energy saving and environmentally conscious policy in connection with how our nation uses and reuses lubricating oil,” the congresswoman said.
Such an updated report, Rep. Brooks added, also will allow companies in her home state of Indiana and around the United States to better understand “how they can anticipate the needs of the federal government and provide the best quality product for American consumers.”