The Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act would authorize the Department of Defense to use expeditionary solid waste disposal systems for destroying illicit contraband, including counterfeit materials, unauthorized military gear, illegal narcotics, and classified materials. It also prohibits the use of open-air burn pits for disposing of illicit contraband, classified equipment, or hazardous waste.
To pay for the disposal capability, the bill would increase FY2026 Army Other Procurement funding by $8.95 million for disposal systems and offset that increase by reducing FY2026 Army Operations and Maintenance, Additional Activities, Overseas Operating Costs by the same amount, with the offset drawn from burn-pit spending in contingency operations. The net effect is to shift waste-disposal funding away from burn pits toward portable, expeditionary technologies used across installations, FOBs, and partner security forces in support of border security and narcotics interdiction.
This is a concrete attempt to reduce reliance on open-air burning while expanding DoD disposal capabilities to counter contraband and protect personnel and environmental health.
At a Glance
What It Does
The Secretary of Defense may employ expeditionary solid waste disposal systems to destroy illicit contraband. These systems must be capable of supporting border security, narcotics interdiction, and contraband elimination and can be deployed at military installations, forward operating bases, and with partner security forces.
Who It Affects
Directly affects DoD leadership, Army procurement and maintenance channels, and operations at installations and FOBs. It also touches partner security forces and agencies involved in border security and counter-narcotics operations.
Why It Matters
It creates a dedicated disposal capability, curtails open-air burning, and aligns budgeting with a no-burn-pits policy in contingency contexts, shaping how the DoD handles waste and contraband in sensitive operations.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The WIPE Act would give the Department of Defense authority to use expeditionary solid waste disposal systems for destroying various forms of illicit material, including counterfeit items and illegal narcotics, as part of its operational waste-management toolkit. It also requires that the DoD stop using open-air burn pits for disposing of contraband, classified items, or hazardous waste, signaling a shift toward safer, controlled disposal methods.
To fund the new disposal capability, the bill would add $8.95 million to the Army’s Other Procurement account in FY2026 specifically for solid waste disposal systems and would simultaneously take $8.95 million from the Army’s Operations and Maintenance, Additional Activities, Overseas Operating Costs account, with the offset sourced from contingency operation burn-pit funds. The intent is to provide a practical mechanism for disposing of hard-to-manage waste while reducing environmental and safety risks associated with burn pits, and to extend disposal capabilities to deployments, forward operating bases, and partner units engaged in border security and narcotics interdiction.
The bill does not specify the exact technologies or contractors involved, leaving procurement details to DoD implementation.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill authorizes expeditionary solid waste disposal systems for destroying illicit contraband.
It prohibits open-air burn pits for disposing of illicit contraband, classified materials, or hazardous waste.
It increases FY2026 Army Other Procurement funding by $8.95 million for disposal systems.
It offsets that increase by reducing FY2026 Army O&M, Additional Activities, Overseas Operating Costs by $8.95 million, drawn from burn-pit contingency budgets.
It makes disposal systems available to installations, FOBs, and partner security forces to support border security and narcotics interdiction.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act.”
Authority to use expeditionary disposal systems
The Secretary of Defense may use expeditionary solid waste disposal systems to destroy illicit contraband, including counterfeit materials, unauthorized military gear, illegal narcotics, and classified materials. This creates a dedicated disposal mechanism for materials that are otherwise difficult to manage in a battlefield or contingency context and reduces the need for ad hoc or improvised disposal methods.
System availability and deployment
Expeditionary solid waste disposal systems deployed under this section must be equipped to support border security, narcotics interdiction, and contraband elimination. The systems should be made available to military installations, forward operating bases, and partner security forces as needed to counter infiltration and unauthorized use of U.S. assets.
Prohibition on open-air burn pits
The Secretary of Defense may not dispose of illicit contraband, hazardous waste materials, or classified military equipment via open-air burn pits. This creates a prohibition that will require DoD to rely on the expeditionary disposal systems or other approved disposal methods that meet environmental and safety standards.
Funding increase for disposal systems
For fiscal year 2026, the amount otherwise authorized for Department of the Army Other Procurement shall be increased by $8,950,000, with the entire increase available for solid waste disposal systems.
Offset from burn-pit funding
The amount otherwise authorized for fiscal year 2026 for Army Operations and Maintenance, Additional Activities, Overseas Operating Costs, shall be reduced by $8,950,000, with the reduction derived from amounts for the use of open-air burn pits in contingency operations.
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Explore Defense in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Secretary of Defense and DoD installations implement enhanced disposal capabilities to manage contraband waste more safely.
- Forward operating bases and partner security forces gain access to portable disposal systems for operational waste management.
- Border security and narcotics interdiction units benefit from improved waste handling in sensitive operation contexts.
- Manufacturers and vendors of expeditionary waste disposal systems gain a new procurement pathway.
- Appropriations and oversight committees gain clarity on funding shifts and disposal policy.
Who Bears the Cost
- DoD and Army budgets experience a reallocation between procurement and operations budgets.
- Taxpayers bear the cost of procurement and potential budgetary adjustments in oversight and accountability processes.
- Contractors providing disposal systems will incur costs for manufacturing, training, and maintenance.
- Environmental compliance programs may incur ongoing costs to ensure disposal systems meet safety standards.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is whether replacing open-air burn pits with expeditionary disposal systems can be achieved quickly and safely enough to justify defunding burn-pit usage in contingency operations, given potential constraints on disposal capacity, maintenance, and supply chains.
The WIPE Act introduces a clear policy shift from open-air waste disposal toward expeditionary disposal technology. While the funding offset explicitly directs money away from burn-pit usage, the practical deployment of new systems will require scale, maintenance, and interoperability with existing supply chains.
The bill does not specify implementation timelines or performance metrics for the disposal systems, nor does it address potential environmental or operational risks associated with incineration or disposal of hazardous materials in expeditionary contexts. The offset also raises questions about whether the burn-pit budget would be reliably repurposed in all contingencies, or if alternative waste disposal capacity would be required sooner in some theaters of operation.
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