§ 2702 — Research, Development, And Demonstration Program

(a) As part of the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, the Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program of research, development, and demonstration with respect to hazardous wastes. The program shall be carried out in consultation and cooperation with the Administrator and the advisory council established under section 311(a)(5) of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9660(a)(5)). The program shall include research, development, and demonstration with respect to each of the following: (1) Means of reducing the quantities of hazardous waste generated by activities and facilities under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (2) Methods of treatment, disposal, and management (including recycling and detoxifying) of hazardous waste of the types and quantities generated by current and former activities of the Secretary and facilities currently and formerly under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (3) Identifying more cost-effective technologies for cleanup of hazardous substances. (4) Toxicological data collection and methodology on risk of exposure to hazardous waste generated by the Department of Defense. (5) The testing, evaluation, and field demonstration of any innovative technology, processes, equipment, or related training devices which may contribute to establishment of new methods to control, contain, and treat hazardous substances, to be carried out in consultation and cooperation with, and to the extent possible in the same manner and standards as, testing, evaluation, and field demonstration carried out by the Administrator, acting through the office of technology demonstration of the Environmental Protection Agency. (b) The Administrator may use the authorities of section 3005(g) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6925(g)) to issue a permit for testing and evaluation which receives support under this section. (c) The Secretary may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, and make grants to, universities, public and private profit and nonprofit entities, and other persons to carry out the research, development, and demonstration authorized under this section. Such contracts may be entered into only to the extent that appropriated funds are available for that purpose. (1) The Secretary shall develop, collect, evaluate, and disseminate information related to the use (or potential use) of the treatment, disposal, and management technologies that are researched, developed, and demonstrated under this section. (2) The functions of the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be carried out in cooperation and consultation with the Administrator. To the extent appropriate and agreed upon by the Administrator and the Secretary, the Administrator shall evaluate and disseminate such information through the office of technology demonstration of the Environmental Protection Agency.