### §2609. Research, development, collection, dissemination, and utilization of information

#### (a) Authority

The Administrator shall, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and with other heads of appropriate departments and agencies, conduct such research, development, and monitoring as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The Administrator may enter into contracts and may make grants for research, development, and monitoring under this subsection. Contracts may be entered into under this subsection without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41.

#### (b) Information systems

(1) The Administrator shall establish, administer, and be responsible for the continuing activities of an interagency committee which shall design, establish, and coordinate an efficient and effective system, within the Environmental Protection Agency, for the collection, dissemination to other Federal departments and agencies, and use of information submitted to the Administrator under this chapter.

(2)(A) The Administrator shall, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other heads of appropriate departments and agencies design, establish, and coordinate an efficient and effective system for the retrieval of toxicological and other scientific information which could be useful to the Administrator in carrying out the purposes of this chapter. Systematized retrieval shall be developed for use by all Federal and other departments and agencies with responsibilities in the area of regulation or study of chemical substances and mixtures and their effect on health or the environment.

(B) The Administrator, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, may make grants and enter into contracts for the development of an information retrieval system described in subparagraph (A). Contracts may be entered into under this subparagraph without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41.

#### (c) Screening techniques

The Administrator shall coordinate, with the Assistant Secretary for Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, research undertaken by the Administrator and directed toward the development of rapid, reliable, and economical screening techniques for carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and ecological effects of chemical substances and mixtures.

#### (d) Monitoring

The Administrator shall, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, establish and be responsible for research aimed at the development, in cooperation with local, State, and Federal agencies, of monitoring techniques and instruments which may be used in the detection of toxic chemical substances and mixtures and which are reliable, economical, and capable of being implemented under a wide variety of conditions.

#### (e) Basic research

The Administrator shall, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, establish research programs to develop the fundamental scientific basis of the screening and monitoring techniques described in subsections (c) and (d), the bounds of the reliability of such techniques, and the opportunities for their improvement.

#### (f) Training

The Administrator shall establish and promote programs and workshops to train or facilitate the training of Federal laboratory and technical personnel in existing or newly developed screening and monitoring techniques.

#### (g) Exchange of research and development results

The Administrator shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other heads of appropriate departments and agencies, establish and coordinate a system for exchange among Federal, State, and local authorities of research and development results respecting toxic chemical substances and mixtures, including a system to facilitate and promote the development of standard information format and analysis and consistent testing procedures.

(Pub. L. 94–469, title I, §10, Oct. 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 2031; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 99–519, §3(c)(1), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2989; amended Pub. L. 114–182, title I, §19(i), June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 507.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(2), substituted "Health and Human Services" for "Health, Education, and Welfare" wherever appearing.

Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(1), substituted "information" for "data" in section catchline.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(3)(A), substituted "Information" for "Data" in heading.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(3)(B), substituted "information" for "data".

Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(3)(C), substituted "information" for "data".

Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(3)(D), substituted "an information" for "a data".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 114–182, §19(i)(4), substituted "information" for "data".

#### Codification

In subsec. (a), "section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41" substituted for "sections 3648 and 3709 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 529, 14 U.S.C. 5)" on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, §4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, which Act enacted Title 31, Money and Finance, and Pub. L. 111–350, §6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

In subsec. (b)(2)(B), "section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41" substituted for "sections 3648 and 3709 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 529, 41 U.S.C. 5)" on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, §4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, which Act enacted Title 31, Money and Finance, and Pub. L. 111–350, §6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1977, see section 31 of Pub. L. 94–469, set out as a note under section 2601 of this title.

#### Availability of Grants

Grants awarded under this section are available for research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, and studies, beginning in fiscal year 2000 and thereafter, see provisions of title III of Pub. L. 106–74, set out as a note under section 136r of Title 7, Agriculture.