
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: 42USC6983]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 82--SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
 
 SUBCHAPTER VIII--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND INFORMATION
 
Sec. 6983. Coordination, collection, and dissemination of 
        information
        

(a) Information

    The Administrator shall develop, collect, evaluate, and coordinate 
information on--
        (1) methods and costs of the collection of solid waste;
        (2) solid waste management practices, including data on the 
    different management methods and the cost, operation, and 
    maintenance of such methods;
        (3) the amounts and percentages of resources (including energy) 
    that can be recovered from solid waste by use of various solid waste 
    management practices and various technologies;
        (4) methods available to reduce the amount of solid waste that 
    is generated;
        (5) existing and developing technologies for the recovery of 
    energy or materials from solid waste and the costs, reliability, and 
    risks associated with such technologies;
        (6) hazardous solid waste, including incidents of damage 
    resulting from the disposal of hazardous solid wastes; inherently 
    and potentially hazardous solid wastes; methods of neutralizing or 
    properly disposing of hazardous solid wastes; facilities that 
    properly dispose of hazardous wastes;
        (7) methods of financing resource recovery facilities or, 
    sanitary landfills, or hazardous solid waste treatment facilities, 
    whichever is appropriate for the entity developing such facility or 
    landfill (taking into account the amount of solid waste reasonably 
    expected to be available to such entity);
        (8) the availability of markets for the purchase of resources, 
    either materials or energy, recovered from solid waste; and
        (9) research and development projects respecting solid waste 
    management.

(b) Library

    (1) The Administrator shall establish and maintain a central 
reference library for (A) the materials collected pursuant to subsection 
(a) of this section and (B) the actual performance and cost 
effectiveness records and other data and information with respect to--
        (i) the various methods of energy and resource recovery from 
    solid waste,
        (ii) the various systems and means of resource conservation,
        (iii) the various systems and technologies for collection, 
    transport, storage, treatment, and final disposition of solid waste, 
    and
        (iv) other aspects of solid waste and hazardous solid waste 
    management.

Such central reference library shall also contain, but not be limited 
to, the model codes and model accounting systems developed under this 
section, the information collected under subsection (d) of this section, 
and, subject to any applicable requirements of confidentiality, 
information respecting any aspect of solid waste provided by officers 
and employees of the Environmental Protection Agency which has been 
acquired by them in the conduct of their functions under this chapter 
and which may be of value to Federal, State, and local authorities and 
other persons.
    (2) Information in the central reference library shall, to the 
extent practicable, be collated, analyzed, verified, and published and 
shall be made available to State and local governments and other persons 
at reasonable times and subject to such reasonable charges as may be 
necessary to defray expenses of making such information available.

(c) Model accounting system

    In order to assist State and local governments in determining the 
cost and revenues associated with the collection and disposal of solid 
waste and with resource recovery operations, the Administrator shall 
develop and publish a recommended model cost and revenue accounting 
system applicable to the solid waste management functions of State and 
local governments. Such system shall be in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles. The Administrator shall periodically, 
but not less frequently than once every five years, review such 
accounting system and revise it as necessary.

(d) Model codes

    The Administrator is authorized, in cooperation with appropriate 
State and local agencies, to recommend model codes, ordinances, and 
statutes, providing for sound solid waste management.

(e) Information programs

    (1) The Administrator shall implement a program for the rapid 
dissemination of information on solid waste management, hazardous waste 
management, resource conservation, and methods of resource recovery from 
solid waste, including the results of any relevant research, 
investigations, experiments, surveys, studies, or other information 
which may be useful in the implementation of new or improved solid waste 
management practices and methods and information on any other technical, 
managerial, financial, or market aspect of resource conservation and 
recovery facilities.
    (2) The Administrator shall develop and implement educational 
programs to promote citizen understanding of the need for 
environmentally sound solid waste management practices.

(f) Coordination

    In collecting and disseminating information under this section, the 
Administrator shall coordinate his actions and cooperate to the maximum 
extent possible with State and local authorities.

(g) Special restriction

    Upon request, the full range of alternative technologies, programs 
or processes deemed feasible to meet the resource recovery or resource 
conservation needs of a jurisdiction shall be described in such a manner 
as to provide a sufficient evaluative basis from which the jurisdiction 
can make its decisions, but no officer or employee of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall, in an official capacity, lobby for or otherwise 
represent an agency position in favor of resource recovery or resource 
conservation, as a policy alternative for adoption into ordinances, 
codes, regulations, or law by any State or political subdivision 
thereof.

(Pub. L. 89-272, title II, Sec. 8003, as added Pub. L. 94-580, Sec. 2, 
Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2834; amended Pub. L. 95-609, Sec. 7(u), Nov. 8, 
1978, 92 Stat. 3083.)


                               Amendments

    1978--Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 95-609 substituted ``solid waste'' for 
``discarded materials''.

                          Transfer of Functions

    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.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 6981 of this title.
