[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 635 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 635

      To provide for a research program for remediation of closed 
    methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 15, 2007

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To provide for a research program for remediation of closed 
    methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Methamphetamine Remediation Research 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Methamphetamine use and production is growing rapidly 
        throughout the United States.
            (2) Materials and residues remaining from the production of 
        methamphetamine pose novel environmental problems in locations 
        where methamphetamine laboratories have been closed.
            (3) There has been little standardization of measures for 
        determining when the site of a closed methamphetamine 
        laboratory has been successfully remediated.
            (4) 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. 
        It is not uncommon for significant levels of contamination to 
        be found throughout residential structures after a 
        methamphetamine laboratory has closed, partially because of a 
        lack of knowledge of how to achieve an effective cleanup.
            (5) Data on methamphetamine laboratory-related contaminants 
        of concern are very limited, and cleanup standards do not 
        currently exist. In addition, procedures for sampling and 
        analysis of contaminants need to be researched and developed.
            (6) Many States are struggling with establishing 
        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 one year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the 
``Administrator''), in consultation with the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, shall establish voluntary guidelines, based 
on the best currently 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 and regulations;
            (2) the varying types and locations of former 
        methamphetamine laboratories; and
            (3) the expected cost of carrying out any proposed 
        guidelines.
    (c) States.--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. 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 necessary 
and appropriate to incorporate research findings and other new 
knowledge.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    The Administrator shall establish a program of research to support 
the development and revision of the voluntary guidelines described in 
section 3. Such 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, and the research necessary to 
        better address biological effects and to minimize adverse human 
        exposures;
            (3) evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine 
        laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques; and
            (4) support other research priorities identified by the 
        Administrator in consultation with States and other interested 
        parties.

SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE.

    (a) Conference.--Not later than 90 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, 
as well as individuals or organizations involved in research and other 
activities directly related to the environmental, or biological impacts 
of former methamphetamine laboratories. The conference should be a 
forum for 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 for the 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.--Not later than 3 months after each conference, the 
Administrator shall submit a report to the Congress that summarizes the 
proceedings of the conference, including a summary of any 
recommendations or concerns raised by the non-Federal participants and 
how the Administrator intends to respond to them. The report shall also 
be made widely available to the general public.

SEC. 6. RESIDUAL EFFECTS STUDY.

    (a) Study.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall enter into an arrangement with the 
National Academy of Sciences for a study of the status and quality of 
research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. The 
study shall identify research gaps and recommend an agenda for the 
research program described in section 4. The study shall pay particular 
attention to the need for research on the impacts of methamphetamine 
laboratories on--
            (1) the residents of buildings where such laboratories are, 
        or were, located, with particular emphasis given to biological 
        impacts on children; and
            (2) first responders.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 months after the completion of the 
study, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report on how 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 shall be construed to affect or limit the 
application of, or any obligation to comply with, any State or Federal 
environmental law or regulation, including the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 
et seq.).

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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