
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC6908]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 82--SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
 
                    SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
Sec. 6908. Small town environmental planning


(a) Establishment

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter 
referred to as the ``Administrator'') shall establish a program to 
assist small communities in planning and financing environmental 
facilities. The program shall be known as the ``Small Town Environmental 
Planning Program''.

(b) Small Town Environmental Planning Task Force

    (1) The Administrator shall establish a Small Town Environmental 
Planning Task Force which shall be composed of representatives of small 
towns from different areas of the United States, Federal and State 
governmental agencies, and public interest groups. The Administrator 
shall terminate the Task Force not later than 2 years after the 
establishment of the Task Force.
    (2) The Task Force shall--
        (A) identify regulations developed pursuant to Federal 
    environmental laws which pose significant compliance problems for 
    small towns;
        (B) identify means to improve the working relationship between 
    the Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter referred to as the 
    Agency) and small towns;
        (C) review proposed regulations for the protection of the 
    environmental and public health and suggest revisions that could 
    improve the ability of small towns to comply with such regulations;
        (D) identify means to promote regionalization of environmental 
    treatment systems and infrastructure serving small towns to improve 
    the economic condition of such systems and infrastructure; and
        (E) provide such other assistance to the Administrator as the 
    Administrator deems appropriate.

(c) Identification of environmental requirements

    (1) Not later than 6 months after October 6, 1992, the Administrator 
shall publish a list of requirements under Federal environmental and 
public health statutes (and the regulations developed pursuant to such 
statutes) applicable to small towns. Not less than annually, the 
Administrator shall make such additions and deletions to and from the 
list as the Administrator deems appropriate.
    (2) The Administrator shall, as part of the Small Town Environmental 
Planning Program under this section, implement a program to notify small 
communities of the regulations identified under paragraph (1) and of 
future regulations and requirements through methods that the 
Administrator determines to be effective to provide information to the 
greatest number of small communities, including any of the following:
        (A) Newspapers and other periodicals.
        (B) Other news media.
        (C) Trade, municipal, and other associations that the 
    Administrator determines to be appropriate.
        (D) Direct mail.

(d) Small Town Ombudsman

    The Administrator shall establish and staff an Office of the Small 
Town Ombudsman. The Office shall provide assistance to small towns in 
connection with the Small Town Environmental Planning Program and other 
business with the Agency. Each regional office shall identify a small 
town contact. The Small Town Ombudsman and the regional contacts also 
may assist larger communities, but only if first priority is given to 
providing assistance to small towns.

(e) Multi-media permits

    (1) The Administrator shall conduct a study of establishing a multi-
media permitting program for small towns. Such evaluation shall include 
an analysis of--
        (A) environmental benefits and liabilities of a multi-media 
    permitting program;
        (B) the potential of using such a program to coordinate a small 
    town's environmental and public health activities; and
        (C) the legal barriers, if any, to the establishment of such a 
    program.

    (2) Within 3 years after October 6, 1992, the Administrator shall 
report to Congress on the results of the evaluation performed in 
accordance with paragraph (1). Included in this report shall be a 
description of the activities conducted pursuant to subsections (a) 
through (d) of this section.

(f) ``Small town'' defined

    For purposes of this section, the term ``small town'' means an 
incorporated or unincorporated community (as defined by the 
Administrator) with a population of less than 2,500 individuals.

(g) Authorization

    There is authorized to be appropriated the sum of $500,000 to 
implement this section.

(Pub. L. 102-386, title I, Sec. 109, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1515.)

                          Codification

    Section was enacted as part of the Federal Facility Compliance Act 
of 1992, and not as part of the Solid Waste Disposal Act which comprises 
this chapter.
