[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 793 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 793

  To provide for increased energy savings and environmental benefits 
 through the increased use of recovered mineral component in federally 
      funded projects involving procurement of cement or concrete.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 7, 2003

Mr. Byrd (for himself and Mr. Jeffords) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for increased energy savings and environmental benefits 
 through the increased use of recovered mineral component in federally 
      funded projects involving procurement of cement or concrete.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INCREASED USE OF RECOVERED MINERAL COMPONENT IN FEDERALLY 
              FUNDED PROJECTS INVOLVING PROCUREMENT OF CEMENT OR 
              CONCRETE.

    (a) Amendment.--Subtitle F of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 
U.S.C. 6961 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 6005. INCREASED USE OF RECOVERED MINERAL COMPONENT IN FEDERALLY 
              FUNDED PROJECTS INVOLVING PROCUREMENT OF CEMENT OR 
              CONCRETE.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Agency head.--The term `agency head' means--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of Transportation; and
                    ``(B) the head of each other Federal agency that on 
                a regular basis procures, or provides Federal funds to 
                pay or assist in paying the cost of procuring, material 
                for cement or concrete projects.
            ``(2) Cement or concrete project.--The term `cement or 
        concrete project' means a project for the construction or 
        maintenance of a highway or other transportation facility or a 
        Federal, State, or local government building or other public 
        facility that--
                    ``(A) involves the procurement of cement or 
                concrete; and
                    ``(B) is carried out in whole or in part using 
                Federal funds.
            ``(3) Recovered mineral component.--The term `recovered 
        mineral component' means--
                    ``(A) ground granulated blast furnace slag;
                    ``(B) coal combustion fly ash; and
                    ``(C) any other waste material or byproduct 
                recovered or diverted from solid waste that the 
                Administrator, in consultation with an agency head, 
                determines should be treated as recovered mineral 
                component under this section for use in cement or 
                concrete projects paid for, in whole or in part, by the 
                agency head.
    ``(b) Implementation of Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the Administrator and each agency 
        head shall take such actions as are necessary to implement 
        fully all procurement requirements and incentives in effect as 
        of the date of enactment of this section (including guidelines 
        under section 6002) that provide for the use of cement and 
        concrete incorporating recovered mineral component in cement or 
        concrete projects.
            ``(2) Priority.--In carrying out paragraph (1) an agency 
        head shall give priority to achieving greater use of recovered 
        mineral component in cement or concrete projects for which 
        recovered mineral components historically have not been used or 
        have been used only minimally.
            ``(3) Conformance.--The Administrator and each agency head 
        shall carry out this subsection in accordance with section 
        6002.
    ``(c) Full Implementation Study.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator, in cooperation with 
        the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy, 
        shall conduct a study to determine the extent to which current 
        procurement requirements, when fully implemented in accordance 
        with subsection (b), may realize energy savings and 
        environmental benefits attainable with substitution of 
        recovered mineral component in cement used in cement or 
        concrete projects.
            ``(2) Matters to be addressed.--The study shall--
                    ``(A) quantify the extent to which recovered 
                mineral components are being substituted for Portland 
                cement, particularly as a result of current procurement 
                requirements, and the energy savings and environmental 
                benefits associated with that substitution;
                    ``(B) identify all barriers in procurement 
                requirements to fuller realization of energy savings 
                and environmental benefits, including barriers 
                resulting from exceptions from current law; and
                    ``(C)(i) identify potential mechanisms to achieve 
                greater substitution of recovered mineral component in 
                types of cement or concrete projects for which 
                recovered mineral components historically have not been 
                used or have been used only minimally;
                    ``(ii) evaluate the feasibility of establishing 
                guidelines or standards for optimized substitution 
                rates of recovered mineral component in those cement or 
                concrete projects; and
                    ``(iii) identify any potential environmental or 
                economic effects that may result from greater 
                substitution of recovered mineral component in those 
                cement or concrete projects.
            ``(3) Report.--Not later than 30 months after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to 
        the Committee on Appropriations and Committee on Environment 
        and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Appropriations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Committee 
        on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the study.
    ``(d) Additional Procurement Requirements.--Unless the study 
conducted under subsection (c) identifies any effects or other problems 
described in subsection (c)(2)(C)(iii) that warrant further review or 
delay, the Administrator and each agency head shall, not later than 1 
year after the date of submission of the report under subsection 
(c)(3), take additional actions authorized under this Act to establish 
procurement requirements and incentives that provide for the use of 
cement and concrete with increased substitution of recovered mineral 
component in the construction and maintenance of cement or concrete 
projects, so as to--
            ``(1) realize more fully the energy savings and 
        environmental benefits associated with increased substitution; 
        and
            ``(2) eliminate barriers identified under subsection (c).
    ``(e) Effect of Section.--Nothing in this section affects the 
requirements of section 6002 (including the guidelines and 
specifications for implementing those requirements).''.
    (b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The table of contents of the 
Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 prec. 6901) is amended by adding after the 
item relating to section 6004 the following new item:

``Sec. 6005. Increased use of recovered mineral component in federally 
                            funded projects involving procurement of 
                            cement or concrete.''.
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