EPA gets $350M to restore Ohio River across 15 states

What it does

This bill creates a new federal program within the EPA to restore and protect the Ohio River Basin across 15 states. It establishes an EPA office with a director, an advisory council of state and tribal representatives, and authorizes $350 million per year through 2030 to fund water quality improvements, habitat restoration, flood resilience, invasive species control, and public access projects selected through a competitive process.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is establishing a new federal restoration program with dedicated funding and governance structure. It is a straightforward environmental infrastructure and water quality initiative, not a tax measure, deregulation, or private carve-out.

What the text implies

• The program's success depends on sustained appropriations; if Congress fails to fund it after 2030, restoration work may stall mid-project, leaving incomplete infrastructure.
• The advisory council structure gives states and tribes formal input, but the EPA Administrator retains final authority over project selection and funding allocation, potentially creating tension between local priorities and federal direction.
• The bill prioritizes 'natural infrastructure' and dam/levee removal, which may conflict with existing navigation, flood control, or hydroelectric interests in the basin—compatibility language in subsection (c)(5)(B) attempts to address this but leaves room for disputes.
• Public reporting requirements and website transparency are strong, but the bill does not mandate independent audits or performance metrics enforcement, relying on the Program Director's self-reporting.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The program directly funds environmental restoration, water quality improvements, and flood resilience across a major river basin affecting millions of residents. Citizens gain cleaner drinking water, reduced flood risk, restored fish and wildlife habitat, and improved public recreation access. No offsetting costs to citizens are apparent.

Who stands to gain

• state environmental agencies
• tribal governments
• nonprofit environmental organizations
• engineering and construction firms (via grants for restoration projects)
• institutions of higher education (research and monitoring)

Named in the bill

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ohio River National Program Office, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, 15 Ohio River States (Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Virg, Tribal Governments, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Where it stands

15 cosponsors: 8 Democrats, 7 Republicans.

• Nov 7, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Nov 7, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

8 lobbying clients named this bill on 9 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $8,724,872 in lobbying spend. A filing names 13 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 88% of bills with at least one filing.

Morgan McGarvey, the sponsor, reported $628,638 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Petroleum Institute — $2,780,000 on 1 filing
• American Chemistry Council — $2,570,000 on 1 filing
• Nature Conservancy — $900,000 on 1 filing
• National Mining Association — $820,000 on 1 filing
• Marathon Petroleum Company Lp — $710,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.