# The SPEED Act: What It Does

The SPEED Act (Stopping PRC Environmental Exploitation and Degradation Act) is designed to address environmental damage and public health problems caused by Chinese companies and investors operating in sub-Saharan Africa. The bill focuses on activities like mining, fishing, drilling, and logging that the sponsors argue are harming local communities, destroying ecosystems, and polluting water supplies across the region.

The bill documents specific incidents that prompted its creation. In Ethiopia, a Chinese-linked natural gas operation allegedly contaminated drinking water with hazardous waste, causing a mysterious illness with symptoms including bleeding and fever that reportedly killed over 2,000 people. In The Gambia, Chinese-owned fishmeal factories have been accused of overfishing, dumping untreated waste into waterways, and creating toxic algae blooms. In Ghana, Chinese miners using cyanide and other harsh chemicals for gold extraction have damaged cocoa farms and poisoned rivers. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Chinese mining company allegedly polluted a major river, causing fish deaths and illness in local communities.

To address these problems, the bill requires the U.S. State Department and international development agency to create a strategy within six months for partnering with African countries to combat this environmental damage. More significantly, it gives the President authority to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and companies responsible for severe environmental or public health incidents in Africa. These sanctions can include banning people from entering the United States and freezing their assets held in America. The bill includes exceptions for humanitarian aid and allows the President to waive sanctions if it serves U.S. national interests. The law is set to expire after five years unless Congress extends it.