[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 798 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

                  In the Senate of the United States,

                        December 9 (legislative day, December 8), 2006.
    Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
798) entitled ``An Act to provide for a research program for 
remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for 
other purposes.'', do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Methamphetamine Remediation Research 
Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) methamphetamine use and production is growing rapidly 
        throughout the United States;
            (2) some materials and chemical residues remaining from the 
        production of methamphetamine pose novel environmental problems 
        in locations in which methamphetamine laboratories have been 
        closed;
            (3) there has been little standardization of measures for 
        determining when the site of a former methamphetamine 
        laboratory has been successfully remediated;
            (4)(A) initial cleanup actions are generally limited to 
        removal of hazardous substances and contaminated materials that 
        pose an immediate threat to public health or the environment; 
        and
            (B) it is not uncommon for significant levels of 
        contamination to be found throughout residential structures in 
        which methamphetamine has been manufactured, partially because 
        of a lack of knowledge of how to achieve an effective cleanup;
            (5)(A) data on methamphetamine laboratory-related 
        contaminants of concern are very limited;
            (B) uniform cleanup standards do not exist; and
            (C) procedures for sampling and analysis of contaminants 
        need to be researched and developed; and
            (6) many States are struggling with establishing assessment 
        and remediation guidelines and programs to address the rapidly 
        expanding number of methamphetamine laboratories being closed 
        each year.

SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES.

    (a) Establishment of Voluntary Guidelines.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency (referred to in this Act as the 
``Administrator''), in consultation with the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, shall establish voluntary guidelines, based 
on the best available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of 
former methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding 
preliminary site assessment and the remediation of residual 
contaminants.
    (b) Considerations.--In developing the voluntary guidelines under 
subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider, at a minimum--
            (1) relevant standards, guidelines, and requirements found 
        in Federal, State, and local laws (including regulations);
            (2) the varying types and locations of former 
        methamphetamine laboratories; and
            (3) the expected cost of carrying out any proposed 
        guidelines.
    (c) States.--
            (1) In general.--The voluntary guidelines should be 
        designed to assist State and local governments in the 
        development and the implementation of legislation and other 
        policies to apply state-of-the-art knowledge and research 
        results to the remediation of former methamphetamine 
        laboratories.
            (2) Adoption.--The Administrator shall work with State and 
        local governments and other relevant non-Federal agencies and 
        organizations, including through the conference described in 
        section 5, to promote and encourage the appropriate adoption of 
        the voluntary guidelines.
    (d) Updating the Guidelines.--The Administrator shall periodically 
update the voluntary guidelines as the Administrator, in consultation 
with States and other interested parties, determines to be appropriate 
to incorporate research findings and other new knowledge.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish a program of 
research to support the development and revision of the voluntary 
guidelines described in section 3.
    (b) Research.--The research shall--
            (1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals 
        of concern;
            (2) assess the types and levels of exposure to chemicals of 
        concern identified under paragraph (1), including routine and 
        accidental exposures, that may present a significant risk of 
        adverse biological effects;
            (3) identify the research efforts necessary to better 
        address biological effects and to minimize adverse human 
        exposures;
            (4) evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine 
        laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques; and
            (5) support other research priorities identified by the 
        Administrator, in consultation with States and other interested 
        parties.

SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE.

    (a) Conference.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and at least every third year thereafter, 
        the Administrator shall convene a conference of appropriate 
        State agencies, individuals, and organizations involved in 
        research and other activities directly relating to the 
        environmental or biological impacts of former methamphetamine 
        laboratories.
            (2) Forum.--The conference should be a forum for--
                    (A) the Administrator to provide information on the 
                guidelines developed under section 3 and on the latest 
                findings from the research program described in section 
                4; and
                    (B) non-Federal participants to provide information 
                on the problems and needs of States and localities and 
                their experience with guidelines developed under 
                section 3.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        each conference, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a 
        report that summarizes the proceedings of the conference, 
        including a summary of any recommendations or concerns raised 
        by the non-Federal participants in that conference and how the 
        Administrator intends to respond to the recommendations or 
        concerns.
            (2) Public availability.--The Administrator shall make each 
        report widely available to the general public.

SEC. 6. RESIDUAL EFFECTS STUDY.

    (a) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall offer to enter into an arrangement 
with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy 
of Sciences shall conduct a study of the status and quality of research 
on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories.
    (b) Content.--The study shall identify research gaps and recommend 
an agenda for the research program described in section 4, with 
particular attention to the need for research on the impacts of 
methamphetamine laboratories on--
            (1) the residents of buildings in which such laboratories 
        are, or were, located, with particular emphasis given to 
        biological impacts on children; and
            (2) first responders.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of completion of 
the study, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report 
describing the manner in which the Administrator will use the results 
of the study to carry out the activities described in sections 3 and 4.

SEC. 7. METHAMPHETAMINE DETECTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    The Director of National Institute of Standards and Technology, in 
consultation with the Administrator, shall support a research program 
to develop--
            (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with 
        emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and
            (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation 
        procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.

SEC. 8. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

    Nothing in this Act modifies or otherwise affects the regulatory 
authority of the Environmental Protection Agency.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Environmental Protection Agency.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this Act $1,750,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
    (b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology to carry out this Act $750,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2007 and 2008.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
109th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 798

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                               AMENDMENT