Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act

Bill: 110-s-3109
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2008-06-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Business records
Commerce
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal advisory bodies
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Hazardous wastes
Information technology
Law
Recycling of waste products
Revolving funds
Science, Technology, Communications
State laws
Transportation and Public Works
Transportation of hazardous substances
User charges

Summary:
action_date: 2008-06-10
text: 
Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste electronic manifest system that may be used by a hazardous waste generator or transporter, an owner or operator of a hazardous waste treatment, storage, recycling, or disposal facility, or any other person that: (1) is required to use a manifest to comply with any federal or state requirement to track the shipment, transportation, and receipt of hazardous waste or other material shipped from the generation site to an off-site facility for treatment, storage, disposal, or recycling; and (2) elects to use the system to complete and transmit an electronic manifest format; or (3) submits to the system for data processing purposes a paper copy of the manifest (or data from such a paper copy).

 Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) impose service fees on users to pay for developing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading the system, including any costs incurred in collecting and processing data from any paper manifest submitted to the system after the date on which the system enters operation; and (2) deposit the fees into the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund (established by this Act). 

Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Governing Board; and (2) carry out this Act in each state unless the state program is fully authorized to do so.

Requires a designated facility that receives waste, in cases in which the state in which waste is generated or transported to such facility requires that the waste be tracked through a hazardous waste manifest, to: (1) complete the facility portion of the applicable manifest; (2) sign and date the facility certification; and (3) submit to the system a final copy of the manifest.

action_date: 2008-09-26
text: 
Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste electronic manifest system that may be used by a hazardous waste generator or transporter, an owner or operator of a hazardous waste treatment, storage, recycling, or disposal facility, or any other person that: (1) is required to use a manifest to comply with any federal or state requirement to track the shipment, transportation, and receipt of hazardous waste or other material shipped from the generation site to an off-site facility for treatment, storage, disposal, or recycling; and (2) elects to use the system to complete and transmit an electronic manifest format; or (3) submits to the system for data processing purposes a paper copy of the manifest (or data from such a paper copy).

 Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) impose service fees on users to pay for developing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading a manifest system, including any costs incurred in collecting and processing data from any paper manifest submitted to the system after the date on which the system enters operation; and (2) enter into one or more information technology contracts for system-related services.

Directs the Administrator to deposit user fees into the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund (established by this Act); (2) make adjustments in such fees to cover the cost of projected system-related costs; and (3) minimize the accumulation of unused amounts in the Fund, except during the initial period of operation. Sets forth investment, auditing, and reporting requirements for the Fund.

Requires the Administrator to establish the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Governing Board to assess the effectiveness of, and make recommendations for improving, the electronic manifest system.

Requires a facility that receives hazardous waste in states that require tracking through a hazardous waste manifest to: (1) complete the facility portion of the applicable manifest; (2) sign and date the facility certification; and (3) submit to the system a final copy of the manifest.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2008-09-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2008-09-27
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2008-09-27
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2008-09-26
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-09-26
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-09-26
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S9874)
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1039.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 110-478.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 110-478.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2008-06-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2008-06-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5451)
action_date: 2008-06-10
text: Introduced in Senate