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101 records in 1988
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1988
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the conferees on legislation dealing with the medical waste issue should include protections for the Great Lakes States and that the Congress should complete action on legislation to control medical waste this calendar year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1988
Waste Minimization and Control Act of 1988 - Title I: General Amendments - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to establish a waste prevention and management policy that gives priority in the following order: (1) source reduction; (2) recycling; (3) material and energy recovery; (4) waste treatment; and (5) contained disposal. Establishes as a national goal the recycling of waste to the maximum extent consistent with market demand for recycled materials and the creation and expansion of markets for recycled materials. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1992 for purposes of carrying out this Act. Title II: Solid Waste Management - Requires that State solid waste management plans: (1) identify the amount of wastes by type that are expected to be generated within the State or accepted from another State during the ensuing 20-year period; (2) identify waste management capacity needs for the same period; (3) require the development of new solid waste management facilities to satisfy such capacity needs, and a process for siting such facilities; and (4) establish a hierarchy for solid waste management, based on the State's environmental and economic conditions, which is consistent with this Act's waste reduction and recycling goals. Prohibits the storage, treatment, disposal, or transportation of solid waste one year after this Act's enactment except in accordance with a permit issued by a State or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Treats existing facilities as having a permit once they demonstrate that they are not releasing hazardous substances into the environment or are controlling such releases through corrective action. Requires States to certify that their laws provide such regulatory authority and personnel as necessary to implement a permit program, otherwise the EPA shall issue or deny such permits. Requires that such permits be issued for a fixed term not to exceed ten years and contain conditions that will assure compliance with solid waste management guidelines to be developed by the Administrator of the EPA. Requires that such guidelines be developed for the management of: (1) municipal solid waste; (2) municipal waste combustion residues; (3) emissions from municipal waste incineration facilities; (4) medical wastes; (5) mining wastes; (6) industrial nonhazardous wastes handled in surface impoundments; (7) oil, gas and geothermal wastes; (8) underground injection of nonhazardous wastes; and (9) other solid wastes. Requires that such guidelines include requirements regarding: (1) the siting of a solid waste source; (2) construction quality assurance with respect to the installation of a source; (3) the licensing and training of persons who install or operate a source; (4) the design of a source; (5) the operation and maintenance of a source; (6) corrective action in response to releases; (7) the maintenance of records of a leak detection, sampling, or monitoring system; and (8) the maintenance of evidence of financial responsibility. Sets forth minimum guidelines for each category of solid waste. Authorizes the Administrator of the EPA to assess civil penalties and/or issue a compliance order, or commence a civil action against violators of permits or solid waste management guidelines, if a State fails to take action. Authorizes the imposition of civil and/or criminal penalties. Prohibits the export of solid waste for disposal or storage except where there is an agreement between the United States and the receiving country that establishes notice, export, and enforcement procedures and standards protective of human health and the environment for the transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of such wastes. Requires exporters of solid waste to register with, and submit specified export information to the Administrator who shall submit annually to the Congress a report summarizing such information. Authorizes appropriations for grants to States and rural communities for the development and implementation of solid waste reduction and recycling plans. Title III: Waste Reduction and Recycling Act of 1988 - Directs the Administrator to establish: (1) a national performance efficiency standard for industrial waste generators in SIC's 20-39, requiring that within ten years hazardous residuals will not exceed five percent of production throughput; (2) a national goal of 25 percent municipal solid waste recycling within four years and 50 percent within ten years where recycling constitutes least cost disposal, and a ten percent municipal solid waste reduction within four years; (3) responsibility within the EPA for the provision of waste reduction and recycling outreach and technical assistance to States and the industrial and educational communities; (4) the requirement that the responsible office for waste reduction and recycling activities review and sign-off on EPA actions; and (5) a national packaging institute to develop voluntary packaging standards that encourage waste reduction and recycling. Directs the Administrator to establish within the Office of the Administrator a multimedia Office of Waste Minimization with a separate section solely responsible for waste reduction activities. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States to assist States in developing and implementing a program to promote the use of waste reduction and recycling techniques by businesses, local governments, or regional waste management authorities. Limits the Federal share of program funding to 50 percent. Directs the Administrator to establish a waste reduction clearinghouse to compile information generated by grant recipient States on management, technical, and operational approaches to waste reduction and recycling. Prohibits persons who are required to file a toxic chemical release form under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 from releasing into the environment more than five percent of production throughput of hazardous substances after 120 months after this Act's enactment. Authorizes the Administrator or a State to waive such standard on a plant by plant basis if meeting it is not technically feasible, the plant has installed and is operating continuous monitoring, has adopted all available waste minimization procedures, and all releases are in the form of managed waste or in compliance with applicable clean water or clean air permits. Requires plant owners or operators to submit to the State or Administrator, within 48 months of this Act's enactment, a plan to quantify and report on the manner in which each hazardous substance is consumed, used, and/or released. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress, within one year after the submission of such plans, on waste efficiency rates by manufacturing category or process, the efficiency levels that each industry can reasonably be expected to achieve within five years, and the extent to which technical assistance may be needed. Deems manufacturers to be in compliance with such standard if they have continuous emission and environmental monitoring equipment installed within 48 months of this Act's enactment, continue to comply with appropriate environmental permits, and report monitoring data to local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies. Requires that persons who are required to file the toxic chemical release form and are unable to account for a hazardous substance as product or permitted discharge or emissions or as managed waste to install, operate, and maintain continuous monitoring technology within one year of such failure. Requires that persons who are required to file such form and who release toxic chemicals in violation of any Clean Air, NPDES, or waste management permit be required to install, operate, and maintain continuous monitoring technology as part of any enforcement action. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress: (1) by September 30, 1989, and biennially thereafter on actions taken to implement waste reduction and recycling goals; (2) within two years of this Act's enactment, on the EPA's program to insure the consideration of multi-media impacts in EPA policies, regulations, and guidance, with recommendations for a permanent location of an office of waste reduction and recycling; and (3) within 36 months after this Act's enactment, on an evaluation of the capacity of industry to reduce waste volume and toxicity. Authorizes the Administrator to charter a National Packaging Institute which shall promote packaging standards and practices which minimize the quantity of packaging materials that are consumed, reduce litter, and do not adversely affect human health and the environment. Authorizes the Institute to design and license the use of a seal or symbol which may be employed by the licensed users on packages which satisfy Institute standards. Authorizes the Administrator to conduct a program of public information and education on the impact of packaging on natural resource consumption and the Nation's solid waste management system, and the benefits of implementing the Institute's standards. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1993 for grants to the Institute. Authorizes any person to petition a Federal agency to undertake a waste reduction action if such action would bring about at least a ten percent increase in recycling of the petitioned item, reduce by at least ten percent the total volume or toxic constituents of a waste described in the petition, or would bring about a net savings in true cost to the Federal Government or be neutral in effect or cost. Requires each Federal agency to designate a waste reduction officer to oversee compliance with Federal agency waste reduction requirements, prepare agency waste reduction plans, and report annually to the EPA on the implementation of such plans. Requires Federal contractors to use recycled material in performance of any contract for $1,000,000 or more, unless the contractor certifies that recycled material is not available or not available at a cost of not more than ten percent more than non-recycled materials. Directs the Administrator to publish and submit to the Congress, within one year of this Act's enactment, a list of at least ten products which identifies hazardous substances most frequently found in such products which present a risk to human health and the environment when incinerated or disposed of. Provides for regulation of the disposal or incineration of such products. Prohibits, one year after this Act's enactment, the land disposal and incineration of lead-acid and mercury batteries. Directs the Administrator to promulgate performance standards and other requirements, within one year of this Act's enactment, necessary to protect the public health and the environment from hazards associated with recycled lead-acid and mercury batteries. Exempts recyclers of lead-acid and mercury batteries from certain liability provisions of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 if such batteries are not mixed with other hazardous substances and are managed in compliance with standards promulgated under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to require the Federal procurement of recycled materials if the recycled materials are available at no more than ten percent of the price of alternative items. Requires the EPA to reissue its paper procurement guidelines to ensure that they are consistent with such requirement and promulgate final procurement guidelines requiring the use of recycled lead in lead-acid batteries, used tire fragments in road cover, compost from yard waste and sewage sludge, recycled plastic from discarded bottles, recycled steel from discarded cans, recycled glass from discarded containers, and recycled aluminum from discarded cans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1988
San Diego Sewage Treatment Improvement Act of 1988 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make a grant of $10,000,000 from funds allotted to California under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act for FY 1990 to San Diego, California, for planning the construction of secondary wastewater treatment works and for planning water reclamation projects. Requires the Administrator to make grants to San Diego for the construction of secondary wastewater treatment works. Limits the Federal share of construction expenses to 55 percent. Authorizes appropriations for such construction grants.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1988
Marine Sanctuaries Authorization Act of 1988 - Amends title III (Marine Sanctuaries) of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to authorize appropriations through FY 1992. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to issue special use permits for the conduct of specified activities in a national marine sanctuary if it is necessary to condition access to and use of, or promote public use and understanding of, a sanctuary resource. Requires that such permits: (1) authorize only those activities which are compatible with the purposes for which the sanctuary is designated, and sanctuary resource protection; (2) last for no more than five years, unless renewed; and (3) require permittees to purchase and maintain comprehensive general liability insurance against claims arising out of permitted activities and agree to hold the Federal Government harmless against such claims. Authorizes the imposition of permit fees which, after recovering permit issuance costs and costs incurred by the Secretary as the direct result of permitted activities, provide the Federal Government with a reasonable return. Authorizes the use of collected fees for the permit program, and for designating and managing sanctuaries. Imposes penalties for the violation of permit provisions. Directs each permittee to submit an annual report to the Secretary which describes activities conducted pursuant to such permit and revenues derived from such activities during the year. Excludes fishing from this Act's permit process. Subjects anyone who destroys, causes the loss of, or injures any sanctuary resource to liability to the Federal Government for response costs and damages resulting from such destruction, loss, or injury. Subjects vessels to liability in rem for such costs or damages. Sets forth defenses to such liability. Directs the Secretary to pursue civil actions against persons or vessels who may be liable for such costs or damages. Requires the Secretary to retain recovered amounts for sanctuary restoration, management, and improvement. Authorizes specified enforcement actions against title III violators, including: (1) the imposition of a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for each day a person is guilty of a violation; (2) the forfeiture of any vessel and other item used, and any sanctuary resource taken or retained in connection with or as a result of a violation; and (3) injunctive relief. Sets forth dates by which the Secretary must issue a designation notice regarding the proposed Cordell Banks, Monterey Bay, and Western Washington Outer Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. Requires the Secretary to submit a prospectus to specified congressional committees by March 31, 1991, regarding the Northern Puget Sound National Marine Sanctuary. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine whether all or any part of the Santa Monica Bay area should be designated as a national marine sanctuary. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding such study within two years of this Act's enactment and commence the designation process with respect to the area or any part of it if it or any part of it is found to be appropriate for designation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1988
Directs the President to: (1) exert U.S. leadership to achieve negotiation of an international convention to preserve biological diversity; and (2) report to the Congress on the progress toward such negotiation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 1988
Great Lakes Medical Waste Control Act - Prohibits the disposal or transport for disposal of medical waste into the waters or along the shores of the Great Lakes. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to impose civil and/or criminal penalties against persons who violate such prohibition. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations, within nine months of this Act's enactment, governing the generation, transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal of medical waste in the Great Lakes States. Requires the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct a monitoring and research program under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 designed to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of medical waste found in and along the shores of the Great Lakes. Directs the Administrator to issue guidance, within 18 months of this Act's enactment, to all generators of infectious waste located in Great Lakes States on methods to reduce the volume and infectious quality of medical waste. Requires that copies of such guidance be provided to the Congress in a timely manner. Provides that this Act shall not be construed to prohibit the imposition of State and local laws in Great Lakes States that are more stringent than the requirements established by the Administrator pursuant to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1988
California Marine Sanctuary Act of 1988 - Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to designate Monterey Bay, California, and Cordell Banks, California, as national marine sanctuaries. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study and report to the Congress, within two years of this Act's enactment, on the appropriateness of designating Santa Monica Bay, California, as a national marine sanctuary; and (2) designate Santa Monica Bay as a national marine sanctuary if the Secretary finds such designation to be appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1988
Medical Waste Sanctions Act of 1988 - Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to prohibit the dumping of medical waste into the ocean. Increases the criminal penalties imposed against persons who knowingly violate such Act's provisions, regulations, or permits pertaining to waste disposal in the ocean. Makes any person involved in the unlawful disposal of material which affects ocean waters liable for the removal costs and damages caused by such disposal. Sets forth defenses to such liability.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1988
Acid Rain Abatement Act of 1988 - Amends the Clean Air Act to phase in, by 2004, a nationwide reduction in annual emissions of sulfur dioxide from fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units of 10,000,000 tons measured from 1980 emissions or, if such emissions increased in a State from 1980 to 1985, measured from 1985 emissions. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to allocate such reductions among States on the basis of each State's share of excess sulfur dioxide emissions from such units. Requires States to: (1) submit for the Administrator's approval State plans establishing emissions limitations, compliance schedules, and other enforceable measures necessary for achieving required sulfur dioxide emission reductions; and (2) consider, and make available for public comment, cost and employment impact information regarding the various emission control options before adopting final plans. Provides for the coordination of State plans with respect to electric utilities which serve ratepayers in more than one State. Requires plan revisions, required for the final phase of sulfur dioxide emission reductions, to contain an emission tonnage ceiling for the aggregate of all electric utility steam generating units operated by a single company. Credits States with certain sulfur dioxide emission reductions achieved after 1980 and before this Act's enactment by fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units not covered by this Act. Requires a State biannually to quantify its current level of sulfur dioxide emissions, report its findings to the Administrator on a source-by-source basis, and revise its plan if the Administrator finds it to be substantially inadequate to comply with this Act's requirements. Directs the Administrator to impose a noncompliance penalty against the owner or operator of a stationary source, based on the number of pounds of its excess emissions, if the State in which such source is located fails to: (1) submit an implementation plan to the Administrator which is approved; or (2) enforce any requirement of its approved plan against such source. Allows State plans to provide for trading of emission reduction requirements: (1) among electric utility units within a State; (2) among electric utilities in more than one State which participate in the same power pool or are owned and operated by a single electric utility; and (3) between electric utility units and certain other major sources within the State. Requires fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units to install and operate continuous emission monitoring for sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Requires utility and non-utility fossil fuel fired steam generating units and major sources of process emissions to maintain, and make available to the public, records on emissions and hours of operation. Authorizes a State to extend for up to two years the date by which a stationary source which utilizes clean coal technology must meet sulfur dioxide emission reduction requirements. Excuses State failures to meet emission reduction requirements when such failures are solely attributable to such extensions. Prohibits the increase of aggregate annual statewide emissions of sulfur dioxide from fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units beyond the emissions level required to be achieved by 1994. Directs the Administrator to conduct a study of the net effects on air quality of obtaining a reduction of from one to three million tons (from 1985 levels) in emissions of oxides of nitrogen from fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units, considering the effects of such air pollutant on ozone formation as well as acid deposition. Requires that such study be completed by 1993 and submitted to the Congress. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish oxides of nitrogen emissions limitations for fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units by 1995; and (2) require States to submit plans for compliance with such limitations by 2004. Prohibits the early termination of any fossil fuel supply contract by reason of changed circumstances wrought by this Act or by State implementation plans. Directs the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator to enter into agreements with, or provide grants to, owners or operators of major sources of air emissions to test the effectiveness and feasibility of the commercial application of clean coal technologies. Requires the utilization of technology which would be appropriate for retrofit and be no more costly than conventional technology in reducing sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions. Requires the Secretary to consider whether the State regulatory authority has found the utility's application of the technology to be prudent before providing the utility with assistance. Limits Federal funding to 50 percent of project costs. Exempts from the Clean Air Act's new source performance standards projects which receive assistance for the implementation of clean coal technologies. standards. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1993. Directs the Administrator to revise the performance standards for sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from fossil fuel fired electric utility steam generating units which commence construction or modification after 1996 so that such standards reflect emission reduction improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1988
Connecticut Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a demonstration program, within nine months of this Act's enactment, to track, by the use of a manifest system, medical waste generated and disposed of in Connecticut. Makes such program applicable to generators of medical waste and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste. Requires such parties to permit access to and provide copies of all records relating to such wastes to any designated EPA representative. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of program requirements. Provides that this Act does not preclude any State or locality from imposing more stringent requirements for the control or monitoring of medical waste, or affect the authorities or requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress, within three years of this Act's enactment, on the progress and success of the demonstration program. Authorizes appropriations for such program for FY 1989 through 1991. Directs the Administrator to conduct a study and report to the Congress, within one year of this Act's enactment, on the medical waste treatment and disposal methods currently employed by Connecticut.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1988
States that the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Environment Program working group meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for the purpose of drafting a global convention on the transboundary movement of hazardous waste should support inclusion in the convention of: (1) a global ban on all transboundary movements of hazardous waste; (2) a definition of hazardous waste that includes all wastes potentially adversely affecting human health; (3) provisions fostering environmentally sound technologies; and (4) a requirement that the ban apply even if the receiving country is not a party to the convention.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1988
Biomedical Waste Regulation and Control Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agecy (EPA) to promulgate regulations, within one year of this Act's enactment, which require: (1) the use of the best available methods and technologies in handling, treating, storing, and disposing of biomedical waste, including the use of a manifest system; (2) the separation of such waste from other wastes and its disposal in containers marked with the universal hazard symbol or in red or orange colored bags; (3) the sterilization of biomedical waste prior to treatment, storage, and disposal; (4) the transportation of such waste in rigid or semi-rigid, leak-proof containers in closed and leak-proof dumpsters or trucks; and (5) that each health care facility inform the Administrator as to the identity of entities involved in the treatment, storage, or disposal of biomedical waste generated at such facility. Requires the Administrator, in promulgating such regulations, to appoint an advisory committee of experts in the field of biomedical waste and consider recommendations made in the May 1986 document titled "EPA Guide for Biomedical Waste Management." Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States for the implementation of demonstration projects requiring off-site biomedical waste treatment facilities to obtain initial operating permits and annual licenses from the State in which they are located. Requires that such projects include background checks on applicants for and holders of licenses and permits. Authorizes appropriations for such grants. Requires persons who handle or have handled biomedical waste to furnish the EPA with the information it requests regarding such waste and permit the EPA to have access to, and to copy, all records relating to such waste. Subjects persons who knowingly or recklessly violate biomedical waste regulations to a fine and/or imprisonment. Leaves States free to impose more stringent biomedical waste regulations. Prohibits the regulation of biomedical waste as a hazardous waste under the Act unless it is mixed with regulated hazardous waste.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1988
Massachusetts Bay Protection Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give priority consideration to the inclusion of Massachusetts Bay, Massachusetts, in the National Estuary program. Supplements program financing for Massachusetts Bay conservation efforts with funds derived from fines, penalties, or settlements paid in conjunction with Massachusetts' effort to comply with the Clean Water Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1988
Degradable Plastics Act of 1988 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue rules, within two years of this Act's enactment, requiring that plastic articles which are produced, distributed, or sold in a State be made of naturally degradable material which will begin reduction to environmentally benign subunits within a specified period of time after being discarded that is not to exceed 180 days and complete such reduction within a specified period of time that is not to exceed two years. Provides that this Act does not preclude States or localities from adopting more stringent rules. Imposes civil and criminal penalties against persons who violate such rules. Requires producers of plastic articles to make records regarding the development and production of such articles available to the Administrator for inspection and copying. Makes the rules issued pursuant to this Act inapplicable to any plastic article produced before the end of the five-year period beginning after the issuance of such rules.
United States · United States Congress · 8 August 1988
Toxic Substances Neutralization Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require persons who propose to manufacture or process a new chemical substance or a chemical substance for a significant new use which will present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment to develop and test a method for neutralizing or destroying such substance and submit test data to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency before manufacturing or processing such substances.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1988
PCB Control Act of 1988 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require those who intend to deal in the transportation, storage, or disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency of such intent and receive an identification number from the Administrator before engaging in such activities. Directs such individuals to comply with the requirements of a manifest system set forth in rules to be promulgated by the Administrator within 60 days of this Act's enactment. Directs the Administrator to promulgate rules, within 60 days of this Act's enactment, for the transportation of PCBs and the implementation of a PCB storage approval process. Conditions the Administrator's approval of the storage or disposal of PCBs on the applicant's compliance with financial responsibility, contingency plan, and closure and post-closure requirements. Requires that each approval for PCB disposal or storage be reviewed and, if necessary, modified within five years of its issuance or reissuance. Authorizes the Administrator to revoke such approval for an individual's noncompliance with this Act's requirements. Directs the Administrator to thoroughly inspect PCB storage and disposal facilities at least once every two years. Requires the Administrator to publish notice, by June 30 of each year, of the identify of, and the amount of civil penalty assessed from, each person against whom the Administrator has concluded an enforcement action for noncompliance with this Act's requirements during the previous calendar year. Amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to designate PCBs as a hazardous waste to be regulated under such Act six months after this Act's enactment. Directs the Administrator, within two years of this Act's enactment, to revise Toxic Substances Control Act requirements where necessary to protect human health and the environment or satisfy RCRA requirements
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1988
Asbestos Information Act of 1988 - Requires asbestos or asbestos-containing material manufacturers to report to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, within 90 days after this Act's enactment, on the years of manufacture, the types or classes of product, and other identifying characteristics reasonably necessary to identify or distinguish such material. Requires the Administrator to publish such information within 180 days after this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1988
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to specified Texas counties covering all the costs of constructing sewage and water supply facilities for certain colonias. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 and 1989. Requires the Administrator to make a grant to each of such counties for the establishment of revolving loan funds that enable residents of such colonias to install plumbing in their homes and have their homes connected to sewer facilities and drinking water supplies. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 and beyond. Requires the Administrator to prepare and transmit periodic reports on this Act's programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1988
New Jersey-New York-Connecticut Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a demonstration program to track, by the use of a manifest system, medical waste generated and disposed of in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Includes in such program the monitoring of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New England beaches, where there have been reported incidences of medical waste being washed up on shore. Makes such program applicable to generators of medical waste and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste. Requires such parties to permit access to, and provide copies of, all records relating to such wastes to any designated representative of the EPA. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of program requirements. Provides that this Act does not preclude any State or locality from imposing more stringent requirements for the control or monitoring of medical waste, or affect the authorities or requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress, within three years of this Act's enactment, on the progress and success of the demonstration program. Authorizes appropriations for such program for FY 1989 through 1991. Authorizes and directs the Administrator to use authority provided in the Solid Waste Disposal Act to immediately address and correct the improper disposal of medical waste.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1988
United States-Canadian Environmental Information Reciprocity Act of 1988 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to place a sign, within 30 days of this Act's enactment, at each highway border crossing with Canada informing persons entering the United States of the number of powerplant smokestack scrubbers in this country and their absence from powerplants in Canada. Authorizes the Secretary to make other information regarding our acid rain programs available to visitors returning from Canada.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1988
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to the State of Washington Puget Sound Water Quality Authority for use in: (1) implementing and updating the Puget Sound Water Quality Management Plan; (2) implementing a program for ambient monitoring of the water quality of Puget Sound; (3) supporting research which will increase understanding of Puget Sound and human impacts on the Sound; and (4) conducting other activities related to improving the water quality of Puget Sound. Limits Federal funding to no more than 75 percent of the costs of grant activities. Requires the Authority to report to the Administrator by January 31 of each year on the grant activities of the preceding year. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1988
Long Island Sound Superfund Act of 1988 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to an interstate agency established by Connecticut and New York which cover 50 percent of the costs of implementing the comprehensive conservation and management plan for Long Island Sound developed under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Requires that such agency collect from persons who carry out construction projects within the drainage basin of Long Island Sound a fee of no more than one percent of the total cost of each such project. Uses such fee to cover the remaining costs of implementing the plan for Long Island Sound.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1988
Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide that whenever one or more States or Federal agencies request certain tests in support of a pesticide registration, they must coordinate and synchronize such tests so as to avoid unnecessary repetition and redundancy. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate rules with respect to the development and implementation of such coordination.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1988
New Jersey-New York Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a demonstration program, within nine months of this Act's enactment, to track, by the use of a manifest system, medical waste generated and disposed of in New York and New Jersey. Makes such program applicable to generators of medical waste, and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste. Requires such parties to permit access to and provide copies of all records relating to such wastes to any designated EPA representative. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Provides that this Act does not preclude any State or locality from imposing more stringent requirements for the control or monitoring of medical waste or affect any other authorities or requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Requires the EPA to report to the Congress, within three years of this Act's enactment, on the progress and success of the demonstration program. Authorizes appropriations for such program for FY 1989 through 1991. Directs the EPA to report to the Congress on medical waste treatment and disposal methods currently being employed by New York and New Jersey.
European Union · European Commission · 1 August 1988
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1988
Amends Senate Resolution 381, 100th Congress, to increase the limitation on expenditures by the Committee on Environment and Public Works for the procurement of consultants with funds transferred from those authorized for administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1988
Global Environmental Protection Act of 1988 - Title I: Elimination and Regulation of Global Change Pollutants - Part A: Chlorofluorocarbons and Related Chemicals - Act to Eliminate Chlorofluorocarbons and Related Chemicals - States that this Act's objectives are to restore and maintain the chemical and physical integrity of the Earth's atmosphere and to protect human health and the global environment from all known and potential dangers due to atmospheric or climatic modification. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) publish a priority list of manufactured substances which are known, or may reasonably be anticipated, to cause or contribute to atmospheric or climatic modification, including chlorofluorocarbon-11, chlorofluorocarbon-12, chlorofluorocarbon-13, halon-1211, and halon-1301; (2) create and annually update a list of other manufactured substances which meet such criteria; (3) assign to each listed substance a numerical value representing the ozone depletion potential of such substance. Imposes reporting requirements on producers of listed substances. Phases out, by January 1, 1995, the production or release of other listed substances for any use other than medical purposes. Prohibits the use or introduction into interstate commerce of a priority-listed substance after 1993 or a listed substance after 1998, except for medical purposes or, for ten more years, to maintain and service household appliances. Directs the Administrator to require a producer of a listed substance to reduce its production of such substance more rapidly if new information indicates that expedition is necessary for the protection of human health or the environment or the availability of substitutes makes expedited reductions attainable. Authorizes the President to issue orders exempting from this Act's requirements the production and use of halon-1211 and halon-1301 at any specified site or facility if the President finds that adequate substitutes are not available and the production and use of such substance is necessary to protect national security interests. Prohibits the importation of a priority listed substance, any product containing such substance, or any product manufactured with a process that uses such substance unless the Administrator has certified that the nations in which such substance or product was manufactured and from which such substance or product was imported have programs that require reduced production of such substance and limit the production of other substances covered by this Act pursuant to a schedule and limitations at least as stringent as those applicable under this Act. Deems a person who imports a listed substance or a product containing such substance to have produced such substance for purposes of this Act's requirements. Requires that containers in which listed substances are stored or transported, products containing such substances, and products manufactured with a process using such substances be labeled as harmful to public health and the environment by reason of the effect such substances have on the ozone and climate. Deems listed substances to be hazardous wastes to be disposed of by a means which assure 99.999 percent destruction of such substances. Requires that goods which contain a listed substance in bulk be disposed of by persons licensed to accept such goods and be disposed of only after the listed substance has been removed from confinement and destroyed. Provides that when such substance is an inherent element of a product, such product must be disposed of by a means assuring 99.999 percent destruction. Prohibits the release of listed substances in other than de minimis quantities. Prohibits the use of listed substances in goods if more than five percent of such substance will be released during the ordinary use of the goods or the goods cannot be serviced with no more than a de minimis release of such substances. Part B: Carbon Dioxide - Act to Reduce and Stabilize Atmospheric Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide - Requires the Administrator to revise stationary source emission standards by January 1, 1990, and express such standards in terms of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of electricity output. Sets carbon dioxide emission standards for fossil fuel fired electric utility generating units. Amends the Clean Air Act to set motor vehicle carbon dioxide emission standards which require a reduction of such emissions of at least ten percent by 1990, 25 percent by 1995, 50 percent by 2000, and 75 percent by 2010 from 1985 carbon dioxide emission levels. Requires that, after January 1, 1992, new homes which are equipped with a central furnace, central air-conditioner, or hot-water heater be equipped only with one that satisfies the carbon dioxide emission limitation achieved by the best available residential control technology. Requires that each replacement central furnace, central air-conditioner, or hot-water heater installed in a home after 1992 satisfy such limitation. Part C: Ground Level Ozone - Act to Minimize Ground Level Ozone - Directs the Administrator to set oxides of nitrogen emission controls for stationary and vehicular sources of such emissions. Sets the oxides of nitrogen emission limit at .4 gram per mile for light duty vehicles manufactured in model year 1990 and thereafter. Requires the Administrator to set hydrocarbon emission controls for stationary and vehicular sources of such emissions. Requires that existing stationary sources: (1) meet the hydrocarbon emission control achievable through the adoption of reasonably available control technologies; and (2) comply, upon the 35th anniversary of their construction, with hydrocarbon emission standards applicable to new major stationary sources. Directs the Administrator to set a hydrocarbon emission limit of .25 gram per vehicle mile for light duty vehicles manufactured in model year 1992 and thereafter. Requires vehicles manufactured during and after model year 1991 to have on board hydrocarbon control technology to recover fueling emissions. Requires the promulgation of standards concerning certain other vehicular emissions. Prohibits, beginning with model year 1991, the manufacture, sale, or introduction into commerce of any engine that requires leaded gasoline. Sets the useful life of a light duty vehicle, during which emission standards remain applicable, at ten years or one hundred thousand miles, whichever first occurs. Adds an idle test mode to the Federal Test Procedure for light-duty vehicles. Requires the Administrator to establish at least one high altitude site for testing vehicles for conformity with emission and fuel standards. Imposes civil monetary penalties against individuals who remove or render inoperative any emission control device, except as necessary in the course of routine proper maintenance. Directs each State which is required to implement a vehicle inspection and maintenance program to adopt quality control audits to assure that such inspections detect and report to the Administrator any patterns of defects in any manufacturer's emission control systems. Requires the Administrator to annually report to the Congress, with respect to each manufacturer, any significant finding of repeated or common emission system defects and the actions taken to remedy such nonconformity. Requires vehicle manufacturers to affix on vehicles manufactured during and after model year 1990, a label indicating the full cost of applying the warranty assuring compliance with emission and fuel standards for the useful life of the vehicle. Authorizes manufacturers to sell extended warranties, but permits purchasers to buy an extended warranty from any other vendor of such warranties. Makes purchasers responsible for replacing and maintaining, at their expenses and at any service facility of their choosing, devices related to but not designed for emission control, unless such device is covered by an extended warranty. Sets limits on the sulfur content of diesel fuel and the Reid vapor pressure of gasoline and ethanol/gasoline blends, and a floor on the oxygen content of fuel in carbon monoxide nonattainment areas. Sets forth reporting requirements. Imposes civil monetary penalties on violators of fuel regulations. Requires each State to implement a vehicle emission control inspection and maintenance program to reduce in-use emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and diesel particulates from motor vehicles. Part D: Methane - Methane Emissions Elimination Act - Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress by January 1, 1991, on: (1) the contribution of methane gas to global climate change; (2) the sources and sinks of methane; (3) the methods of controlling methane emissions; and (4) the relationship between methane emissions and concentrations of other trace gases. Requires that State solid waste management plans provide for the minimization of emissions of methane and other gases during the operation and after the closure of sanitary landfills. Prohibits, after 1993, mass releases and flaring of methane. Part E: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes the Administrator to respond to violations of this title's requirements by assessing a civil penalty against violators and/or requiring their immediate compliance, or commencing a civil action in the U.S. district court in the district in which the violation occurred for appropriate relief. Imposes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this title's requirements. Provides for judicial review of the Administrator's final actions. Authorizes citizens suits to enforce any permit, regulation, condition, requirement, prohibition, or order which has become effective pursuant to this title. Title II: Global Change Adjustment and Mitigation - Environmental Adjustment Act of 1988 - Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to add at the end thereof a new title entitled, "Title III: Global Protection." Atmosphere Protection Act of 1987 - Authorizes and directs that, to the fullest extent possible: (1) policies, regulations, and laws of the United States be interpreted and administered in accordance with such title's policies; and (2) all Federal agencies minimize the impacts of proposed actions on the global environment and prepare environmental impact statements regarding such actions. Requires the Federal Government to undertake a systematic and comprehensive survey of all Federal lands and structures, by January 1, 1990, to ascertain their vulnerability to changes associated with global environmental changes. Directs the President to report to the Congress, by January 1, 1992, on the results of such survey, including recommendations for generic and site-specific actions and policies to preclude further public or private investment in susceptible areas and minimize and mitigate the loss or damage likely to occur. Ground Water Recharge Research and Demonstration Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to undertake a program of research, development, and demonstration of artificial groundwater recharge techniques. Requires the Secretary of the Army to submit to specified congressional committees a final report, by May 30, 1993, and a brief interim report, within 30 months of this Act's enactment, on such activities. Title III: International Cooperation - Directs the President to request the United Nations to promptly establish a temporary new agency, to be headed by the director of the United Nations Environmental Program, to: (1) coordinate international efforts to minimize and mitigate the effects of unavoidable environmental alterations; (2) provide financial, technical, and other assistance to developing nations to facilitate improvements in their standard of living while minimizing or eliminating their contributions to global, continental, and subcontinental scale environmental damages. Directs the President to request the United Nations to establish a temporary program of forestation to: (1) assist and encourage nations in halting activities that are destroying forests; and (2) undertake a global reforestation program. Requires the President to instruct U.S. representatives to other bilateral and multilateral organizations to assure that the activities of such organizations are consistent with this Act's goals and objectives. Title IV: Development of Nonpolluting Energy Sources - Establishes the National Commission on Inherently Safe Nuclear Energy to report to the President and to the Congress by October 30, 1994, on: (1) the nature and magnitude of public fears concerning the safety of nuclear energy and ways to allay such fears by responding to them substantively; (2) the prospects for developing inherently safe nuclear technologies by the year 2010; (3) the reasons for different safety records between domestic companies and between the United States and other nations and changes designed to assure that the best records become the industry standard; and (4) the prospects for developing a nuclear industry capable of supplying at least 50 percent of the Nation's electricity needs through the year 2100 in a manner which enjoys public support. Terminates the Commission on January 1, 1995. Authorizes appropriations for such Commission for FY 1989 through 1995. Establishes as a national goal the generation of 50 percent of the national supply of energy from nonpolluting technologies and practices by the year 2000 and 100 percent by the year 2050.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1988
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to require, within two years of this Act's enactment, if feasible, that plastic ring carriers (such as those on canned beverage six-packs) which are capable, when discarded, of becoming entangled with fish or wildlife be made of naturally degradable material.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1988
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promptly commence remedial action at the Paoli Railyard Superfund Site in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1988
Global Environmental Protection Act of 1988 - Title I: Elimination and Regulation of Global Change Pollutants - Part A: Chlorofluorocarbons and Related Chemicals - Act to Eliminate Chlorofluorocarbons and Related Chemicals - States that this Act's objectives are to restore and maintain the chemical and physical integrity of the Earth's atmosphere and to protect human health and the global environment from all known and potential dangers due to atmospheric or climatic modification. Directs the Administrator, to: (1) publish a priority list of manufactured substances which are known, or may reasonably be anticipated, to cause or contribute to atmospheric or climatic modification, including chlorofluorocarbon-11, chlorofluorocarbon-12, chlorofluorocarbon-13, halon-1211, and halon-1301; (2) create and annually update a list of other manufactured substances which meet such criteria; and (3) assign to each listed substance a numerical value representing the ozone depletion potential of such substance. Imposes reporting requirements on producers of listed substances. Phases out, by January 1, 1999, the production or release of priority-listed substances for any use other than medical purposes. Prohibits the use or introduction into interstate commerce of a priority-listed Phase out, by January 1, 1999, the production or release of other listed substances for any use other than medical purposes. substance after 1993 or a listed substance after 1998, except for medical purposes or, for ten more years, to maintain and service household appliances. Directs the Administrator to require a producer of a listed substance to reduce its production of such substance more rapidly if new information indicates that expedition is necessary for the protection of human health or the environment or the availability of substitutes makes expedited reductions attainable. Authorizes the President to issue orders exempting from this Act's requirements the production and use of halon-1211 and halon-1301 at any specified site or facility if the President finds that adequate substitutes are not available and the production and use of such substance is necessary to protect national security interests. Prohibits the importation of a priority-listed substance, any product containing such substance, or any product manufactured with a process that uses such substance unless the Administrator has certified that the nations in which such substance or product was manufactured and from which such substance or product was imported have programs that require reduced production of such substance and limit the production of other substances covered by this Act pursuant to a schedule and limitations at least as stringent as those applicable under this Act. Deems a person who imports a listed substance or a product containing such substance to have produced such substance for purposes of this Act's requirements. Requires that containers in which listed substances are stored or transported, products containing such substances, and products manufactured with a process using such substances be labeled as harmful to public health and the environment by reason of the effect such substances have on the ozone and climate. Deems listed substances to be hazardous wastes to be disposed of by a means which assure 99.999 percent destruction of such substances. Requires that goods, which contain a listed substance in bulk be disposed of by persons licensed to accept such goods and be disposed of only after the listed substance has been removed from confinement and destroyed. Provides that when such substance is an inherent element of a product, such product must be disposed of by a means assuring 99.999 percent destruction. Prohibits the release of listed substances in other than de minimis quantities. Prohibits the use of listed substances in goods if more than five percent of such substance will be released during the ordinary use of the goods or the goods cannot be serviced with no more than a de minimis release of such substances. Part B: Carbon Dioxide - Act to reduce and stabilize atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide - Requires the Administrator to revise stationary source emission standards by January 1, 1990, and express such standards in terms of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of electricity output. Sets carbon dioxide emission standards for fossil fuel fired electric utility generating units. Amends the Clean Air Act to set motor vehicle carbon dioxide emission standards which require a reduction of such emissions of at least ten percent by 1990, 25 percent by 1995, 50 percent by 2000, and 75 percent by 2010 from 1985 carbon dioxide emission levels. Requires that, after January 1, 1992, new homes which are equipped with a central furnace, central air-conditioner, or hot-water heater, be equipped only with one that satisfies the carbon dioxide emission limitation achieved by the best available residential control technology. Requires that each replacement central furnace, central air-conditioner, or hot-water heater installed in a home after 1992 satisfy such limitation. Part C: Ground Level Ozone - Act to minimize ground level ozone - Directs the Administrator to set oxides of nitrogen emission controls for stationary and vehicular sources of such emissions. Sets the oxides of nitrogen emission limit at .4 gram per mile for light duty vehicles manufactured in model year 1990 and thereafter. Requires the Administrator to set hydrocarbon emission controls for stationary and vehicular sources of such emissions. Requires that existing stationary sources: (1) meet the hydrocarbon emission control achievable through the adoption of reasonably available control technologies; and (2) comply, upon the 35th anniversary of their construction, with hydrocarbon emission standards applicable to new major stationary sources. Directs the Administrator to set a hydrocarbon emission limit of .25 gram per vehicle mile for light duty vehicles manufactured in model year 1992 and thereafter. Requires vehicles manufactured during and after model year 1991 to have on-board hydrocarbon control technology to recover fueling emissions. Requires the promulgation of standards concerning certain other vehicular emissions. Prohibits, beginning with model year 1991, the manufacture, sale, or introduction into commerce of any engine that requires leaded gasoline. Sets the useful life of a light duty vehicle, during which emission standards remain applicable, at ten years or one hundred thousand miles, whichever first occurs. Adds an idle test mode to the Federal Test Procedure for light-duty vehicles. Requires the Administrator to establish at least one high altitude site for testing vehicles for conformity with emission and fuel standards. Imposes civil monetary penalties against individuals who remove or render inoperative any emission control device, except as necessary in the course of routine proper maintenance. Directs each State which is required to implement a vehicle inspection and maintenance program to adopt quality control audits to assure that such inspections detect and report to the Administrator any patterns of defects in any manufacturer's emission control systems. Requires the Administrator to annually report to the Congress, with respect to each manufacturer, any significant finding of repeated or common emission system defects and the actions taken to remedy such nonconformity. Requires vehicle manufacturers to affix on vehicles manufactured during and after model year 1990, a label indicating the full cost of applying the warranty assuring compliance with emission and fuel standards for the useful life of the vehicle. Authorizes manufacturers to sell extended warranties, but permits purchasers to buy an extended warranty from any other vendor of such warranties. Makes purchasers responsible for replacing and maintaining, at their expense and at any service facility of their choosing, devices related to, but not designed for, emission control, unless such device is covered by an extended warranty. Sets limits on the sulfur content of diesel fuel and the Reid vapor pressure of gasoline and ethanol/gasoline blends, and a floor on the oxygen content of fuel in carbon monoxide nonattainment areas. Sets forth reporting requirements. Imposes civil monetary penalties on violators of fuel regulations. Requires each State to implement a vehicle emission control inspection and maintenance program to reduce in-use emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and diesel particulates from motor vehicles. Part D: Methane - Methane Emissions Elimination Act - Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress by January 1, 1991, on: (1) the contribution of methane gas to global climate change; (2) the sources and sinks of methane; (3) the methods of controlling methane emissions; and (4) the relationship between methane emissions and concentrations of other trace gases. Requires that State solid waste management plans provide for the minimization of emissions of methane and other gases during the operation and after the closure of sanitary landfills. Prohibits, after 1993, mass releases and flaring of methane. Part E: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes the Administrator to respond to violations of this title's requirements by assessing a civil penalty against violators and/or requiring their immediate compliance, or commencing a civil action in the United States district court in the district in which the violation occurred for appropriate relief. Imposes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this title's requirements. Provides for judicial review of the Administrator's final actions. Authorizes citizen suits to enforce any permit, regulation, condition, requirement, prohibition, or order which has become effective pursuant to this title. Title II: Global Change Adjustment and Mitigation - Environmental Adjustment Act of 1988 - Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to add at the end thereof a new title entitled, "Title III: Global Protection." Atmosphere Protection Act of 1987 - Authorizes and directs that, to the fullest extent possible: (1) policies, regulations, and laws of the United States be interpreted and administered in accordance with such title's policies; and (2) all Federal agencies minimize the impacts of proposed actions on the global environment and prepare environmental impact statements regarding such actions. Requires the Federal Government to undertake a systematic and comprehensive survey of all Federal lands and structures, by January 1, 1990, to ascertain their vulnerability to changes associated with global environmental changes. Directs the President to report to the Congress, by January 1, 1992, on the results of such survey, including recommendations for generic and site-specific actions and policies to preclude further public or private investment in susceptible areas and minimize and mitigate the loss or damage likely to occur. Ground Water Recharge Research and Demonstration Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to undertake a program of research, development, and demonstration of artificial groundwater recharge techniques. Requires the Secretary of the Army to submit to specified congressional committees a final report, by May 30, 1993, and a brief interim report, within 30 months of this Act's enactment, on such activities. Title III: International Cooperation - Directs the President to request the United Nations to promptly establish a temporary new agency, to be headed by the director of the United Nations Environmental Program, to: (1) coordinate international efforts to minimize and mitigate the effects of unavoidable environmental alterations; (2) provide financial, technical, and other assistance to developing nations to facilitate improvements in their standard of living while minimizing or eliminating their contributions to global, continental, and subcontinental-scale environmental damages. Directs the President to request the United Nations to establish a temporary program of forestation to: (1) assist and encourage nations in halting activities that are destroying forests; and (2) undertake a global reforestation program. Requires the President to instruct U.S. representatives to other bilateral and multilateral organizations to assure that the activities of such organizations are consistent with this Act's goals and objectives. Title IV: Elevation of the Environmental Protection Agency to Cabinet Level - Redesignates the Environmental Protection Agency as the Department of Environmental Protection, an executive department to be administered by a Secretary of Environmental Protection appointed by the President. Title V: Development of Nonpolluting Energy Sources - Establishes the National Commission on Inherently Safe Nuclear Energy to report to the President and to the Congress by October 30, 1994, on: (1) the nature and magnitude of public fears concerning the safety of nuclear energy and ways to allay such fears by responding to them substantively; (2) the prospects for developing inherently safe nuclear technologies by the year 2010; (3) the reasons for different safety records between domestic companies and between the United States and other nations, and changes designed to assure that the best records become the industry standard; and (4) the prospects for developing a nuclear industry capable of supplying at least 50 percent of the Nation's electricity needs through the year 2100 in a manner which enjoys public support. Terminates the Commission on January 1, 1995. Authorizes appropriations for such Commission for FY 1989 through 1995. Establishes as a national goal the generation of 50 percent of the national supply of energy from nonpolluting technologies and practices by the year 2000 and 100 percent by the year 2050.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1988
Amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966 to authorize a State in the Pacific or Mountain time zone to establish year-round daylight savings time if such State has: (1) determined that attainment of the national primary ambient air quality standard for carbon monoxide is not likely for at least one nonattainment area in the State; (2) determined that year-round daylight savings time is a necessary part of its efforts to attain such standard; and (3) included in its carbon monoxide standard implementation plan its intention to adopt year-round daylight savings time and information demonstrating that doing so may reduce carbon monoxide levels in a nonattainment area in such State.
Germany · German Bundestag · 22 July 1988
European Union · European Commission · 19 July 1988
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1988
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to include estuaries and estuarine zones within the pollutant discharge permit program. Requires that ocean and estuary pollutant discharge guidelines take into account the need for a proposed discharge.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1988
Tidal Water Protection Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, by the first day of each fiscal year, to pay, or enter into a binding agreement with the Interstate Sanitation Commission to pay, specified amounts to such Commission. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to withhold allotments for the construction of publicly owned sewage treatment works from such States to cover amounts owed to the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1988
Acid Rain/Energy Security Initiative Act of 1988 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require States to achieve specified reductions of sulfur dioxide emissions from fossil fuel fired electric utility generating units by 1993, 1998, and 2003. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate standards, within one year of this Act's enactment, for existing major stationary sources of nitrogen oxides so as to assure a 23 percent reduction in annual emissions of nitrogen oxides from the level of emissions from such sources in 1980. Requires States to impose such standards nitrogen oxide emissions on all major stationary sources by 1998. Directs States to adopt enforceable measures: (1) within 18 months of this Act's enactment, to achieve the reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions required by 1998; and (2) by 1995, to achieve the reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions required by 2003. Requires that such measures include continuous emission monitoring by the source and by enforcement agencies. Requires that the owner or operator of each stationary source subject to such emission limitations certify to the State, within three years of this Acts enactment, the means by which the source intends to comply with emission limitations. Sets time limits by which sources that intend to adopt certain emission reduction measures must enter into binding contractual commitments for the implementation of such measures. Sets emission limitations for States which fail to make an approved adoption of enforceable emission reduction measures or to enforce such measures. Directs the Administrator to promulgate revised standards, by 1991, for emissions of nitrogen oxides from fossil fuel fired steam generating units and from large stationary diesel and turbine engines. Sets forth acceptable enforceable emission reduction programs and methods. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States for State use in making grants or revolving loans which cover up to 50 percent of the capital costs of acquiring, constructing, or installing technological systems of continuous emission reduction to the owners or operators of major stationary sources that are subject to this Act's emission limitations. Establishes an Acid Deposition Reduction Assistance Account from which such grants shall be made. Requires the Secretary of Energy to promote the rapid deployment of existing clean coal technologies and seek establishment of a bilateral group of diplomatic and environmental management officials from the United States and Canada to hold consultations and advise the directors of each nation's environmental program regarding transboundary air pollution. Directs the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to electricity generating facilities for the deployment of clean coal technologies. Requires that such grant projects: (1) provide experience regarding such technology which is applicable at commercial scale; (2) utilize technology appropriate for retrofit on a significant number of existing coal-fired sources of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions; (3) contribute to a reduction of the transboundary movement of air pollutants which are precurors of acid deposition; and (4) significantly reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions at a cost which is no greater than the cost of achieving comparable reductions with conventional technology. Sets Federal funding at no more than 50 percent of the cost of such projects. Requires the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy to establish a Clean Coal Technologies Advisory Committee, within 90 days of this Act's enactment, to advise the Secretary of Energy or the Administrator on policy matters relating to the control of emissions which may be the precursors of acid deposition and the selection of clean coal technology grant projects. Authorizes appropriations for this Act's clean coal technology activities for FY 1989 through 1998. Provides for the increase of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to one billion barrels of petroleum products. Requires each importer of petroleum products to place in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve an amount of petroleum products equal to two percent of the amount imported by such person during each fiscal year. Requires that funds appropriated for the acquisition of petroleum products for such Reserve be deposited in the Acid Deposition Reduction Assistance Account along with appropriations for this Act's clean coal technology activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1988
Waste Export Prohibition Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the exportation of solid waste from the United States, except as provided for by this Act. Permits the exportation of solid waste in compliance with a bilateral agreement entered into before this Act's enactment between the United States and the country to which the waste is exported. Makes the exportation prohibition inapplicable to materials exported and destined for recycling or reuse unless such material is: (1) a hazardous waste; (2) a substance whose storage, treatment, or disposal is regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act; (3) mixed municipal solid waste; or (4) ash or other residue from the incineration of solid waste. Subjects persons who violate the solid waste exportation prohibition to a fine and/or imprisonment.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1988
New Jersey-New York Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a demonstration program to track, by the use of a manifest system, medical waste generated and disposed of in New York and New Jersey. Makes such program applicable to generators of medical waste and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste. Requires such parties to permit access to and provide copies of all records relating to such wastes to any designated EPA representative. Provides for the enforcement of program requirements by use of the Act's hazardous waste management enforcement mechanisms. Prohibits the interpretation of this Act as precluding any State or locality from imposing more stringent requirements for the control or monitoring of medical waste. Requires the EPA to report to the Congress on the progress of the demonstration program. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 and 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 1988
Recyclable Materials Science and Technology Development Act of 1988 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to study and report to the Congress concerning: (1) means to increase the use of degradable materials in manufactured goods; (2) technologies for recycling nondurable consumer products; and (3) ways to expand the marketing of recycled products. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to the Congress concerning the feasibility of recycling nondegradable medical supplies and of substituting degradable for nondegradable materials in medical equipment and supplies. Directs the Secretary of Defense to study and report to the Congress on the national defense and security implications of requiring the use of degradable materials in defense items. Instructs the Secretary of Agriculture to initiate a pilot project to develop and demonstrate viable technology for composting municipal waste and sewage sludge. Prescribes required features of the project. Requires the Secretary to report project results to the Congress. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to appoint a Director of Recycling Research and Information to: (1) make grants to support research into innovative recycling technology; and (2) gather and disseminate information on recycling technology. Describes possible research grant activities. Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits, effective five years after this Act's enactment, the production, manufacture, distribution, sale, or delivery of nonrecycled consumer goods, fast food in nondegradable containers, and packaging for specified purposes that contains any material that is not naturally degradable. Establishes both civil and criminal penalties for violations. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Commerce jointly to issue regulations to govern the designation of goods and materials for noncompliance purposes. Prescribes criteria with respect to these regulations, including exemptions. Directs the Secretary to publish and periodically update lists of items and materials affected by the prohibition on activities involving nonrecyclable items.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 1988
Outdoor America Conservation Fund Act of 1988 - Establishes in the Treasury the Outdoor America Conservation Fund (Fund) which shall consist of revenues from the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and a certain amount equal to that credited to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to invest a portion of the Fund in public debt securities bearing interest. Authorizes appropriations. Allocates amounts available for expenditure from the Fund in any fiscal year as follows: (1) at least 30 percent for Federal purposes; (2) at least 30 percent for State purposes; and (3) during the ten-fiscal year period beginning October 1, 1990, at least ten percent for State trusts. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior to provide out of the Fund financial assistance to States for outdoor recreation: (1) planning; (2) acquisitions of land, waters, or interests in land or waters; or (3) development. Requires each State to transfer not less than 50 percent of its grant to local governments and other qualifying recipients. Requires five percent of the funds apportioned to each State to be used only for purposes of projects in which not less than ten percent of the State or local share of project costs is provided by private or nonprofit organizations or sources. Provides that funds from State grants may be transferred from political subdivisions or public agencies to private nonprofit organizations if specified conditions are met. Provides that any State, county, or other political subdivision which is qualified to receive funds from this Act for acquisition purposes may receive planning funds to cover not more than 50 percent of the cost of revising an approved coastal management program under the Coastal Zone Management Act to retain land for recreation and conservation purposes. Authorizes such State or local governmental entity to receive funds to cover not more than 60 percent of the cost of the acquisition of lands, waters, or interests therein upon the adoption of such plan and its approval by the Secretary of Commerce. Requires amounts made available from the Fund for State trusts to be used, during the ten-fiscal year period beginning October 1, 1990, by the State for projects similar to those provided under this Act. Requires such State funds to be matched with funds from non-Federal sources. Allocates funds for Federal land and waters acquisition purposes for: (1) the national wildlife refuge system; (2) a national flood insurance program; and (3) other land acquisitions eligible for funding under the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965. Requires the head of each agency receiving funds under this Act to transmit to the appropriate congressional committees by October 1 of each year a detailed land acquisition priority list that contains the funding level of not less than the previous three years' obligations or expenditures for land acquisition for such agency. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to the Congress for each fiscal year ending on or after September 30, 1988, with respect to the financial condition and the results of the operations of the Fund during such fiscal year, including the next five fiscal years.
Germany · German Bundestag · 1 July 1988
Germany · German Bundestag · 1 July 1988
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1988
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to pay the Federal share of the cost of operating and maintaining publicly owned treatment works which are located in States which limited by law on June 1, 1988, the amount of revenues which may be raised through property taxes. Requires that such grants cover 75 percent of such costs in excess of revenues which may be raised through property taxes. Authorizes appropriations for such grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish and distribute to the States: (1) a list identifying each brand and model of drinking water cooler which is not lead free or which, upon corrosion, will cause drinking water to be in contact with lead; and (2) a guidance document and testing protocol to assist schools in determining the source and degree of lead contamination in school drinking water supplies and in remedying such contamination. Bans the manufacture or sale of listed drinking water coolers and any other drinking water cooler which is not lead free. Establishes criminal and civil penalties for violation of such ban. Requires the States to disseminate the water cooler list and the guidance document and testing protocol to local education agencies (LEAs), private nonprofit elementary or secondary schools, and day care centers. Directs each State to establish a program, within one year of this Act's enactment, to assist LEAs in testing for, and remedying, lead contamination in school drinking water from coolers and from other sources of lead contamination. Requires that listed coolers be repaired, removed, or rendered inoperable, within 18 months of this Act's enactment, unless they are tested and found not to contribute lead to drinking water. Directs the EPA to make grants to States for such programs. Directs the EPA to identify and notify each manufacturer or importer of drinking water coolers with lead-lined tanks. Requires such manufacturer or importer to publish public notice of the potential health hazards associated with such coolers and offer to repair or replace them. Provides that, if such manufacturers or importers have not made an adequate effort to repair or replace the coolers within six months of this Act's enactment, the EPA shall make offers to cooler owners to repair or replace such coolers at the expense of such manufacturers or owners. Authorizes appropriations for this Act. Directs the EPA to: (1) assure that drinking water testing laboratory certification programs certify only those laboratories which provide reliable, accurate testing; and (2) publish a list of certified laboratories.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Establishes the Regional Marine Research Trust Fund (Fund) in the Treasury. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer monthly into such Fund any unobligated balance of the Offshore Oil Pollution Compensation Fund in excess of $195,000,000. Authorizes the appropriation of additional sums to the Fund. Makes amounts in such Fund available, as provided in appropriation Acts, for implementing the Marine Research Act of 1988, but not amounts in excess of $33,000,000 for any fiscal year. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress each year on the condition and operations of the Fund during the preceding fiscal year and on the expected condition and operations of the Fund during the next five fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Waste Export Control Act - Prohibits the exportation of waste from the United States, except as provided for by this Act. Sets forth the required content of applications to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for waste export permits, including information demonstrating that exported waste will be transported, treated, stored, and disposed of in a manner providing environmental protection no less strict than that required in this country. Gives the public notice and an opportunity to comment on an application before the issuance of a permit. Sets a maximum term of five years for such permits. Requires that permit terms and conditions, at a minimum, be equivalent to and consistent with the standards and requirements applicable to waste management in this country under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and regulations promulgated thereunder. Directs the EPA to impose fees on permitees and permit applicants to cover all the costs of such permit program. Subjects individuals who violate any provision of this Act to monetary penalties, and individuals who export waste without a permit or in knowing violation of a material condition of a permit to a fine and/or imprisonment. Exempts certain waste from this Act's provisions on the basis of national security considerations or its exportation for recycling or reuse.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Expresses the findings of the Congress regarding the plan presented by the Dalai Lama for the restoration of peace and human rights in Tibet and the policies of the Chinese Government in Tibet. Commends the Dalai Lama for his peace efforts and calls on China to respond positively to the proposal. Calls on the President and the Secretary of State to support the thrust of the Dalai Lama's proposal and to persuade Chinese leaders to enter into discussions with the Dalai Lama regarding Tibet.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and notify each manufacturer or importer of drinking water coolers with lead-lined tanks. Requires such manufacturer or importer to publish public notice of the potential health hazards associated with such coolers and offer to replace them. Provides that if such manufacturers or importers have not made an adequate effort to repair or replace the coolers, within six months of this Act's enactment, the EPA shall make offers to cooler owners to repair or replace such coolers at the expense of such manufacturers or owners. Requires the EPA to publish and distribute to the States: (1) a list identifying each brand and model of drinking water cooler which is not lead free or which, upon corrosion, will cause drinking water to be in contact with lead; and (2) a guidance document and testing protocol to assist schools in determining the source and degree of lead contamination in school drinking water supplies and in remedying such contamination. Bans the manufacture or sale of listed drinking water coolers and any other drinking water cooler which is not lead free. Establishes criminal and civil penalties for violation of such ban. Requires the States to disseminate the water cooler list and the guidance document and testing protocol to local education agencies (LEAs), private nonprofit elementary or secondary schools, and day care centers. Directs each State to establish a program, within nine months of this Act's enactment, to assist LEAs in testing for, and remedying, lead contamination in school drinking water from coolers and from other sources of lead contamination. Requires that listed coolers be repaired, removed, or rendered inoperable within 15 months of this Act's enactment, unless they are tested and found not to contribute lead to drinking water. Directs the EPA to make grants to States for such programs. Authorizes appropriations for such grant program through FY 1991. Requires the EPA, within six months of this Act's enactment, to revise the national primary drinking water regulation for lead to prohibit concentrations of lead in drinking water from exceeding ten parts per billion, beginning one year after such revision. Requires a public water system which is not in compliance with such regulation to: (1) install optimal treatment to reduce corrosivity of drinking water; and (2) reduce the lead content of water at the entry point to the distribution system to five parts per billion. Provides that, if, after taking such measures, the system is still not in compliance with such regulation, the system must: (1) replace its lead service lines, goosenecks, and pigtails, unless they contribute less than ten parts per billion of lead to the water; (2) sample, upon request, drinking water supplies in homes and businesses for lead levels; (3) assist persons served by the system to identify, reduce their exposure to, and remove sources of lead in drinking water; and (4) retest, at least annually, targeted samples of drinking water outlets supplied by the system. Deems a public water system which has less than 500 service connections to be in compliance with lead regulation requirements (except for requirements regarding periodic testing and monitoring) if it: (1) gives its customers notice of lead levels in the drinking water and the potential health effects of such lead contamination; and (2) uses limestone contactors ("calcite filters") or treats the water with soda ash. Authorizes the EPA to require such systems to adopt other lead contamination reduction measures. Directs the EPA to establish a toll free telephone hotline to provide information to drinking water consumers regarding lead contamination in drinking water and methods of remedying such contamination. Requires the owner or operator of a public water system to give customers notice of violations concerning lead in drinking water. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to State and local governments for the initiation and expansion of community programs designed to: (1) screen infants and children for elevated blood lead levels; (2) assure referral for treatment of infants and children with such blood lead levels; and (3) provide education about childhood lead poisoning. Requires that grant priority be given to programs which will serve areas with a high incidence of elevated blood levels in infants and children. Directs the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on the effectiveness of such programs. Authorizes appropriations for such grant program through FY 1991. Directs the EPA to: (1) assure that drinking water testing laboratory certification programs certify only those laboratories which provide reliable accurate testing; and (2) publish a list of certified laboratories.
Germany · German Bundestag · 27 June 1988
Finanzielle Förderung der Anlage aus Mitteln des BMFT, Errichtung einer Hochtemperaturverbrennungsanlage im Anschluß an das Schwelbrennverfahren, technische Durchführbarkeit des Pyrolyseverfahrens
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress: (1) supporting and encouraging drug and alcohol free events to celebrate the heritage of America's Native peoples; and (2) commending Spirit Days, Incorporated, for its role in providing a drug and alcohol free cultural event for urban Eskimos, Aleuts, and Indians in Alaska.