
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: 42USC6981]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 82--SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
 
 SUBCHAPTER VIII--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND INFORMATION
 
Sec. 6981. Research, demonstration, training, and other 
        activities
        

(a) General authority

    The Administrator, alone or after consultation with the Secretary of 
Energy, shall conduct, and encourage, cooperate with, and render 
financial and other assistance to appropriate public (whether Federal, 
State, interstate, or local) authorities, agencies, and institutions, 
private agencies and institutions, and individuals in the conduct of, 
and promote the coordination of, research, investigations, experiments, 
training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, and 
studies relating to--
        (1) any adverse health and welfare effects of the release into 
    the environment of material present in solid waste, and methods to 
    eliminate such effects;
        (2) the operation and financing of solid waste management 
    programs;
        (3) the planning, implementation, and operation of resource 
    recovery and resource conservation systems and hazardous waste 
    management systems, including the marketing of recovered resources;
        (4) the production of usable forms of recovered resources, 
    including fuel, from solid waste;
        (5) the reduction of the amount of such waste and unsalvageable 
    waste materials;
        (6) the development and application of new and improved methods 
    of collecting and disposing of solid waste and processing and 
    recovering materials and energy from solid wastes;
        (7) the identification of solid waste components and potential 
    materials and energy recoverable from such waste components;
        (8) small scale and low technology solid waste management 
    systems, including but not limited to, resource recovery source 
    separation systems;
        (9) methods to improve the performance characteristics of 
    resources recovered from solid waste and the relationship of such 
    performance characteristics to available and potentially available 
    markets for such resources;
        (10) improvements in land disposal practices for solid waste 
    (including sludge) which may reduce the adverse environmental 
    effects of such disposal and other aspects of solid waste disposal 
    on land, including means for reducing the harmful environmental 
    effects of earlier and existing landfills, means for restoring areas 
    damaged by such earlier or existing landfills, means for rendering 
    landfills safe for purposes of construction and other uses, and 
    techniques of recovering materials and energy from landfills;
        (11) methods for the sound disposal of, or recovery of 
    resources, including energy, from, sludge (including sludge from 
    pollution control and treatment facilities, coal slurry pipelines, 
    and other sources);
        (12) methods of hazardous waste management, including methods of 
    rendering such waste environmentally safe; and
        (13) any adverse effects on air quality (particularly with 
    regard to the emission of heavy metals) which result from solid 
    waste which is burned (either alone or in conjunction with other 
    substances) for purposes of treatment, disposal or energy recovery.

(b) Management program

    (1)(A) In carrying out his functions pursuant to this chapter, and 
any other Federal legislation respecting solid waste or discarded 
material research, development, and demonstrations, the Administrator 
shall establish a management program or system to insure the 
coordination of all such activities and to facilitate and accelerate the 
process of development of sound new technology (or other discoveries) 
from the research phase, through development, and into the demonstration 
phase.
    (B) The Administrator shall (i) assist, on the basis of any research 
projects which are developed with assistance under this chapter or 
without Federal assistance, the construction of pilot plant facilities 
for the purpose of investigating or testing the technological 
feasibility of any promising new fuel, energy, or resource recovery or 
resource conservation method or technology; and (ii) demonstrate each 
such method and technology that appears justified by an evaluation at 
such pilot plant stage or at a pilot plant stage developed without 
Federal assistance. Each such demonstration shall incorporate new or 
innovative technical advances or shall apply such advances to different 
circumstances and conditions, for the purpose of evaluating design 
concepts or to test the performance, efficiency, and economic 
feasibility of a particular method or technology under actual operating 
conditions. Each such demonstration shall be so planned and designed 
that, if successful, it can be expanded or utilized directly as a full-
scale operational fuel, energy, or resource recovery or resource 
conservation facility.
    (2) Any energy-related research, development, or demonstration 
project for the conversion including bioconversion, of solid waste 
carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency or by the Secretary 
of Energy pursuant to this chapter or any other Act shall be 
administered in accordance with the May 7, 1976, Interagency Agreement 
between the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Research and 
Development Administration on the Development of Energy from Solid 
Wastes and specifically, that in accordance with this agreement, (A) for 
those energy-related projects of mutual interest, planning will be 
conducted jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
Secretary of Energy, following which project responsibility will be 
assigned to one agency; (B) energy-related portions of projects for 
recovery of synthetic fuels or other forms of energy from solid waste 
shall be the responsibility of the Secretary of Energy; (C) the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall retain responsibility for the 
environmental, economic, and institutional aspects of solid waste 
projects and for assurance that such projects are consistent with any 
applicable suggested guidelines published pursuant to section 6907 of 
this title, and any applicable State or regional solid waste management 
plan; and (D) any activities undertaken under provisions of sections 
6982 and 6983 of this title as related to energy; as related to energy 
or synthetic fuels recovery from waste; or as related to energy 
conservation shall be accomplished through coordination and consultation 
with the Secretary of Energy.

(c) Authorities

    (1) In carrying out subsection (a) of this section respecting solid 
waste research, studies, development, and demonstration, except as 
otherwise specifically provided in section 6984(d) of this title, the 
Administrator may make grants to or enter into contracts (including 
contracts for construction) with, public agencies and authorities or 
private persons.
    (2) Contracts for research, development, or demonstrations or for 
both (including contracts for construction) shall be made in accordance 
with and subject to the limitations provided with respect to research 
contracts of the military departments in section 2353 of title 10, 
except that the determination, approval, and certification required 
thereby shall be made by the Administrator.
    (3) Any invention made or conceived in the course of, or under, any 
contract under this chapter shall be subject to section 9 of the Federal 
Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 [42 U.S.C. 5908] 
to the same extent and in the same manner as inventions made or 
conceived in the course of contracts under such Act [42 U.S.C. 5901 et 
seq.], except that in applying such section, the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall be substituted for the Secretary of Energy and 
the words ``solid waste'' shall be substituted for the word ``energy'' 
where appropriate.
    (4) For carrying out the purpose of this chapter the Administrator 
may detail personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency to agencies 
eligible for assistance under this section.

(Pub. L. 89-272, title II, Sec. 8001, as added Pub. L. 94-580, Sec. 2, 
Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2829; amended Pub. L. 95-91, title III, 
Sec. 301, title VII, Secs. 703, 707, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 577, 606, 
607; Pub. L. 95-609, Sec. 7(s), Nov. 8, 1978, 92 Stat. 3083.)

                       References in Text

    Such Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), means the Federal 
Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-577, 
Dec. 31, 1974, 88 Stat. 1878, as amended, which is classified generally 
to chapter 74 (Sec. 5901 et seq.) of this title. For complete 
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out 
under section 5901 of this title and Tables.


                            Prior Provisions

    Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in 
section 3253 of this title, prior to the general amendment of the Solid 
Waste Disposal Act by Pub. L. 94-580.


                               Amendments

    1978--Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 95-609, Sec. 7(s)(1), substituted 
``management'' for ``disposal''.
    Subsec. (a)(13). Pub. L. 95-609, Sec. 7(s)(2), inserted 
``treatment,'' after ``for purpose of''.

                          Transfer of Functions

    ``Secretary of Energy'' was substituted for ``Administrator of the 
Federal Energy Administration, the Administrator of the Energy Research 
and Development Administration, or the Chairman of the Federal Power 
Commission'' in subsec. (a), and for ``Energy Research and Development 
Administration'' in subsecs. (b)(2) and (c)(3), in view of the 
termination of the Federal Energy Administration, the Energy Research 
and Development Administration, and the Federal Power Commission and the 
transfer of their functions and the functions of the Administrators and 
Chairman thereof (with certain exceptions) to the Secretary of Energy 
pursuant to sections 301, 703, and 707 of Pub. L. 95-91, which are 
classified to sections 7151, 7293, and 7297 of this title.
    For transfer of certain enforcement functions of Administrator or 
other official of Environmental Protection Agency under this chapter to 
Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural 
Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of 
Energy, see note set out under section 6903 of this title.


            EPA Study of Methods To Reduce Plastic Pollution

    Pub. L. 100-220, title II, Sec. 2202, Dec. 29, 1987, 101 Stat. 1465, 
directed Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency, in 
consultation with Secretary of Commerce, to conduct a study of the 
adverse effects of improper disposal of plastic articles on environment 
and on waste disposal, and various methods to reduce or eliminate such 
adverse effects, and directed Administrator, within 18 months after Dec. 
29, 1987, to report results of this study to Congress.


   National Advisory Commission on Resource Conservation and Recovery

    Pub. L. 96-482, Sec. 33, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2356, as amended by 
Pub. L. 105-362, title V, Sec. 501(g), Nov. 10, 1998, 112 Stat. 3284, 
provided for establishment, membership, functions, etc., of a National 
Advisory Commission on Resource Conservation and Recovery, directed 
Commission, upon expiration of the two-year period beginning on the date 
when all initial members of the Commission have been appointed or the 
date initial funds become available, whichever is later, to transmit a 
final report to President and Congress containing a detailed statement 
of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, and terminated the 
Commission 30 days after submission of its final report.


  Solid Waste Cleanup on Federal Lands in Alaska; Study and Report to 
                        Congressional Committees

    Section 3 of Pub. L. 94-580 provided for a study of procedures for 
removal of solid waste from Federal lands in Alaska and submission of a 
Presidential Report to the Senate Committee on Public Lands and House 
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce no later than one year 
after Oct. 21, 1976, and implementing recommendations to such committees 
within six months thereafter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 96-482, 
Sec. 30, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2352.


              Leachate Control Research Program in Delaware

    Section 4 of Pub. L. 94-580 directed Administrator of Environmental 
Protection Agency, in order to demonstrate effective means of dealing 
with contamination of public water supplies by leachate from abandoned 
or other landfills, to provide technical and financial assistance for a 
research program, designed by New Castle County areawide waste treatment 
management program, to control leachate from Llangollen Landfill in New 
Castle County, Delaware, and provided up to $250,000 in each of the 
fiscal years 1978 and 1979 for the operating costs of a counter-pumping 
program to contain the leachate from the Llangollen Landfill during the 
period of this study.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 6984, 6985 of this title; 
title 35 section 210.
