US Code

Public Law 119-83 (04/13/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 6948

Federal assistance

(a)

Authorization of Federal financial assistance

(1)
1
1 See References in Text note below.
There are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1978, $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1979, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1981, $20,000,000 for the fiscal year 1982, and $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1985 through 1988 for purposes of financial assistance to States and local, regional, and interstate authorities for the development and implementation of plans approved by the Administrator under this subchapter (other than the provisions of such plans referred to in section 6943(b)  of this title, relating to feasibility planning for municipal waste energy and materials conservation and recovery).
(2)
(A)
The Administrator is authorized to provide financial assistance to States, counties, municipalities, and intermunicipal agencies and State and local public solid waste management authorities for implementation of programs to provide solid waste management, resource recovery, and resource conservation services and hazardous waste management. Such assistance shall include assistance for facility planning and feasibility studies; expert consultation; surveys and analyses of market needs; marketing of recovered resources; technology assessments; legal expenses; construction feasibility studies; source separation projects; and fiscal or economic investigations or studies; but such assistance shall not include any other element of construction, or any acquisition of land or interest in land, or any subsidy for the price of recovered resources. Agencies assisted under this subsection shall consider existing solid waste management and hazardous waste management services and facilities as well as facilities proposed for construction.
(B)
section 6945 of this titlesection 6907 of this title An applicant for financial assistance under this paragraph must agree to comply with respect to the project or program assisted with the applicable requirements of and subchapter III of this chapter and apply applicable solid waste management practices, methods, and levels of control consistent with any guidelines published pursuant to . Assistance under this paragraph shall be available only for programs certified by the State to be consistent with any applicable State or areawide solid waste management plan or program. Applicants for technical and financial assistance under this section shall not preclude or foreclose consideration of programs for the recovery of recyclable materials through source separation or other resource recovery techniques.
(C)
There are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1978 and 1979 for purposes of this section. There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1981, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1982, and $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1985 through 1988 for purposes of this paragraph.
(D)
There are authorized—
(i)
to be made available $15,000,000 out of funds appropriated for fiscal year 1985, and
(ii)
2
2 So in original. Probably should be “through”.
3
3 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.
to be appropriated for each of the fiscal years 1986 though  1988, $20,000,000 
section 6944(a) of this titlesection 6907(a)(3) of this titlesection 6945 of this titlefor grants to States (and where appropriate to regional, local, and interstate agencies) to implement programs requiring compliance by solid waste management facilities with the criteria promulgated under and and with the provisions of . To the extent practicable, such programs shall require such compliance not later than thirty-six months after .
(3)
(A)
1 There is authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year beginning , and for each fiscal year thereafter before , $4,000,000 for purposes of making grants to States to carry out section 6943(b)  of this title. No amount may be appropriated for such purposes for the fiscal year beginning on , or for any fiscal year thereafter.
(B)
1 Assistance provided by the Administrator under this paragraph shall be used only for the purposes specified in section 6943(b)  of this title. Such assistance may not be used for purposes of land acquisition, final facility design, equipment purchase, construction, startup or operation activities.
(C)
1 Where appropriate, any State receiving assistance under this paragraph may make all or any part of such assistance available to municipalities within the State to carry out the activities specified in section 6943(b)(1)(A) and (B)  of this title.
(b)

State allotment

The sums appropriated in any fiscal year under subsection (a)(1) shall be allotted by the Administrator among all States, in the ratio that the population in each State bears to the population in all of the States, except that no State shall receive less than one-half of 1 per centum of the sums so allotted in any fiscal year. No State shall receive any grant under this section during any fiscal year when its expenditures of non-Federal funds for other than non-recurrent expenditures for solid waste management control programs will be less than its expenditures were for such programs during fiscal year 1975, except that such funds may be reduced by an amount equal to their proportionate share of any general reduction of State spending ordered by the Governor or legislature of such State. No State shall receive any grant for solid waste management programs unless the Administrator is satisfied that such grant will be so used as to supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the level of State, local, regional, or other non-Federal funds that would in the absence of such grant be made available for the maintenance of such programs.

(c)

Distribution of Federal financial assistance within the State

section 6946(b) of this titleThe Federal assistance allotted to the States under subsection (b) shall be allocated by the State receiving such funds to State, local, regional, and interstate authorities carrying out planning and implementation of the State plan. Such allocation shall be based upon the responsibilities of the respective parties as determined pursuant to .

(d)

Technical assistance

(1)
The Administrator may provide technical assistance to State and local governments for purposes of developing and implementing State plans. Technical assistance respecting resource recovery and conservation may be provided through resource recovery and conservation panels, established in the Environmental Protection Agency under subchapter II, to assist the State and local governments with respect to particular resource recovery and conservation projects under consideration and to evaluate their effect on the State plan.
(2)
In carrying out this subsection, the Administrator may, upon request, provide technical assistance to States to assist in the removal or modification of legal, institutional, economic, and other impediments to the recycling of used oil. Such impediments may include laws, regulations, and policies, including State procurement policies, which are not favorable to the recycling of used oil.
(3)
In carrying out this subsection, the Administrator is authorized to provide technical assistance to States, municipalities, regional authorities, and intermunicipal agencies upon request, to assist in the removal or modification of legal, institutional, and economic impediments which have the effect of impeding the development of systems and facilities to recovery energy and materials from municipal waste or to conserve energy or materials which contribute to the waste stream. Such impediments may include—
(A)
laws, regulations, and policies, including State and local procurement policies, which are not favorable to resource conservation and recovery policies, systems, and facilities;
(B)
impediments to the financing of facilities to conserve or recover energy and materials from municipal waste through the exercise of State and local authority to issue revenue bonds and the use of State and local credit assistance; and
(C)
impediments to institutional arrangements necessary to undertake projects for the conservation or recovery of energy and materials from municipal waste, including the creation of special districts, authorities, or corporations where necessary having the power to secure the supply of waste of a project, to conserve resources, to implement the project, and to undertake related activities.
(e)

Special communities

(1)
The Administrator, in cooperation with State and local officials, shall identify local governments within the United States (A) having a solid waste disposal facility (i) which is owned by the unit of local government, (ii) for which an order has been issued by the State to cease receiving solid waste for treatment, storage, or disposal, and (iii) which is subject to a State-approved end-use recreation plan, and (B) which are located over an aquifer which is the source of drinking water for any person or public water system and which has serious environmental problems resulting from the disposal of such solid waste, including possible methane migration.
(2)
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $2,500,000 for the fiscal year 1980 and $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1981 and 1982 to make grants to be used for containment and stabilization of solid waste located at the disposal sites referred to in paragraph (1). Not more than one community in any State shall be eligible for grants under this paragraph and not more than one project in any State shall be eligible for such grants. No unit of local government shall be eligible for grants under this paragraph with respect to any site which exceeds 65 acres in size.
(f)

Assistance to States for discretionary program for recycled oil

(1)
section 6947 of this titlesection 6943(b) of this title The Administrator may make grants to States, which have a State plan approved under , or which have submitted a State plan for approval under such section, if such plan includes the discretionary provisions described in . Grants under this subsection shall be for purposes of assisting the State in carrying out such discretionary provisions. No grant under this subsection may be used for construction or for the acquisition of land or equipment.
(2)
Grants under this subsection shall be allotted among the States in the same manner as provided in the first sentence of subsection (b).
(3)
No grant may be made under this subsection unless an application therefor is submitted to, and approved by, the Administrator. The application shall be in such form, be submitted in such manner, and contain such information as the Administrator may require.
(4)
For purposes of making grants under this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1982, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1983, and $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1985 through 1988.
(g)

Assistance to municipalities for energy and materials conservation and recovery planning activities

(1)
1 The Administrator is authorized to make grants to municipalities, regional authorities, and intermunicipal agencies to carry out activities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 6943(b)(1)  of this title. Such grants may be made only pursuant to an application submitted to the Administrator by the municipality which application has been approved by the State and determined by the State to be consistent with any State plan approved or submitted under this subchapter or any other appropriate planning carried out by the State.
(2)
There is authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year beginning , and for each fiscal year thereafter before , $8,000,000 for purposes of making grants to municipalities under this subsection. No amount may be appropriated for such purposes for the fiscal year beginning on , or for any fiscal year thereafter.
(3)
Assistance provided by the Administrator under this subsection shall be used only for the purposes specified in paragraph (1). Such assistance may not be used for purposes of land acquisition, final facility design, equipment purchase, construction, startup or operation activities.

Pub. L. 89–272, title II, § 4008Pub. L. 94–580, § 290 Stat. 2818 Pub. L. 96–46394 Stat. 2057 Pub. L. 96–48294 Stat. 2345 Pub. L. 98–616, § 2(d)98 Stat. 3222 (, as added , , ; amended , §§ 5(b), 6, , ; , §§ 20, 31(c), (d), 32(e), (f), , , 2352, 2354, 2355; –(g), (k), title V, § 502(d), (e), , , 3223, 3276.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 6943(b) of this titlesection 6943(c) of this titlePub. L. 98–616, title V, § 502(h)98 Stat. 3277 , referred to in subsecs. (a)(1), (3) and (g)(1), was redesignated by , , .

Codification

Pub. L. 98–616section 2(i) of Pub. L. 98–616Pub. L. 98–616

“(f)
Section 4008(e)(2) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (relating to special communities) is amended by striking out ‘and $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1981 and 1982’ and substituting ‘, $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1981 and 1982, and $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1985 through 1988’.”
Section 2(d)–(g) of , cited as a credit to this section, appears to contain typographical error in that the text of subsec. (f)(1) of section 2007 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (as added by ) is also shown as the text of subsec. “(f)(1)” of such section 2. Subsec. (f) of section 2, as set out in the Conference Report (H. Rept. 98–1133) to accompany H.R. 2867 (which became ) read:

section 5(b) of Pub. L. 96–463section 6943 of this titleAnother amended .

Amendments

Pub. L. 98–616, § 2(d)1984—Subsec. (a)(1). , authorized appropriation of $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1985 through 1988.

Pub. L. 98–616, § 2(e)Subsec. (a)(2)(C). , authorized appropriation of $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1985 through 1988.

Pub. L. 98–616, § 2(k)Subsec. (a)(2)(D). , added subpar. (D).

Pub. L. 98–616, § 502(d)Subsec. (d)(2), (3). , redesignated second par. (2), relating to recovery of energy and materials from municipal waste, as par. (3).

Pub. L. 98–616, § 502(e)Subsec. (f). , redesignated second subsec. (f), relating to assistance to municipalities for energy and materials conservation and recovery planning activities, as subsec. (g).

Pub. L. 98–616, § 2(g)Subsec. (f)(4). , authorized appropriation of $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1985 through 1988.

Pub. L. 98–616, § 502(e)Subsec. (g). , redesignated second subsec. (f), relating to assistance to municipalities for energy and materials conservation and recovery planning activities, as subsec. (g).

Pub. L. 96–482, § 31(c)section 6943(b) of this title1980—Subsec. (a)(1). , authorized appropriations of $20,000,000, $15,000,000, and $20,000,000 for fiscal years, 1980, 1981, and 1982, respectively, and substituted provision making appropriation available for financial assistance to States, and local, regional, and interstate authorities for development and implementation of plans approved by the Administrator, except plans referred to in , relating to feasibility planning for municipal waste energy and materials conservation and recovery for provision making appropriations available to State for development and implementation of State plans.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(e)(1)Subsec. (a)(2)(B). , provided that applicants for technical and financial assistance shall not preclude or foreclose consideration of programs for recovery of recyclable materials through source separation or other resource recovery techniques.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 31(d)Subsec. (a)(2)(C). , authorized appropriation of $10,000,000 for each fiscal year 1980, 1981, and 1982.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(e)(2)Subsec. (a)(3). , added par. (3).

Pub. L. 96–463, § 6Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(f)Subsec. (d). , and , designated existing provisions as par. (1).

Pub. L. 96–463, § 6Subsec. (d)(2). , added par. (2) authorizing the Administrator to provide technical assistance to States to assist in the removal or modification of legal, institutional, economic, and other impediments to the recycling of used oil.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(f), added par. (2) authorizing the Administrator to provide technical assistance to States, municipalities, regional authorities, and intermunicipal agencies to assist in the removal or modification of legal, institutional, and economic impediments which have the effect of impeding the development of systems and facilities to recover energy and materials from municipal waste.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 20(1)Subsec. (e)(1). –(5), substituted in provision preceding cl. (A) “identify local governments” for “identify communities”, struck out cl. (A), which required the Administrator to identify populations of less than twenty-five thousand persons, redesignated cls. (B) and (C) as (A) and (B), respectively, in cl. (A) as so redesignated, substituted “a solid waste disposal facility (i) which is owned by the unit of local government, (ii) for which an order has been issued by the State to cease receiving solid waste for treatment, storage, or disposal, and (iii) which is subject to a State-approved end-use recreation plan” for “solid waste disposal facilities in which more than 75 per centum of the solid waste of is from areas outside the jurisdiction of the communities” in cl. (B) as so redesignated, substituted “which are located over an aquifer which is the source of drinking water for any person or public water system and which has” for “which have” and inserted “, including possible methane migration” after “such solid waste”.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 20(6)Subsec. (e)(2). –(8), substituted appropriations authorization of $2,500,000; $1,500,000; and $1,500,000 for fiscal years 1980, 1981, and 1982, for prior authorization of $2,500,000 for fiscal years 1978 and 1979, substituted provision for grants for “containment and stabilization of solid waste located at the disposal sites referred to in paragraph (1)” for such grants for “the conversion, improvement, or consolidation of existing solid waste disposal facilities, or for the construction of new solid waste disposal facilities, or for both, within communities identified under paragraph (1)”, and prohibited grants to units of local government when site exceeds 65 acres in size.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 20(9)Subsec. (e)(3). , struck out par. (3) which required that grants to States be made only when the projects are consistent with applicable and approved State plan and will assist in carrying out such plan.

Pub. L. 96–463, § 5(b)Subsec. (f). , added subsec. (f) relating to assistance to States for discretionary program for recycled oil.

Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(e)(3), added subsec. (f) relating to assistance to municipalities for energy and materials conservation and recovery planning activities.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

section 6903 of this titleFor transfer of certain enforcement functions of Administrator or other official of Environmental Protection Agency under this chapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under .