Opinion ID: 599244
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

Text: 3 Congress enacted the RCRA in 1976 to address the growing solid waste problem in the United States. To stimulate the market for recycled products, section 6002 of the Act requires that within two years after enactment, each procuring agency purchasing $10,000 or more of an item per fiscal year shall procure such items composed of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition. § 6002(c)(1), 42 U.S.C. § 6962(c)(1). A decision not to procure items with the maximum practicable recovered materials is permitted only when the items are not available within a reasonable period of time, do not meet the applicable performance standards, or are available only at an unreasonable price. 42 U.S.C. § 6962(c)(1)(A)-(C). The Act defines procuring agency broadly as any Federal agency, or any State agency or agency of a political subdivision of a State which is using appropriated Federal funds for such procurement, or any person contracting with any such agency with respect to work performed under such contract. § 1004(17), 42 U.S.C. § 6903(17). 4 The Act requires the EPA to issue guidelines for the use of procuring agencies in complying with the statute's requirements, stating: 5 The Administrator ... shall prepare, and from time to time revise, guidelines for the use of procuring agencies in complying with the requirements of this section. Such guidelines shall ... set forth recommended practices with respect to the procurement of recovered materials and items containing such materials ... and shall provide information as to the availability, relative price, and performance of such materials and items and where appropriate shall recommend the level of recovered material to be contained in the procured product. 6 Id. § 6002(e), 42 U.S.C. § 6962(e). 7 When the EPA had not issued guidelines by 1980, Congress amended section 6002 to require that regulations be promulgated in various product categories by 1981 and 1982. Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments of 1980, Pub.L. No. 96-482, § 22, 94 Stat. 2347 (1980). When the EPA did not meet these deadlines, Congress again amended section 6002 in 1984, issuing further deadlines for guidelines on paper products and tires. Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984, Pub.L. No. 98-616, § 501(e), 98 Stat. 3221 (1984) (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. § 6962 (1988 & Supp.1992)). After the EPA again failed to meet the statutory deadlines, the NRC, among others, sued to compel the EPA to comply with the statute. That lawsuit resulted in a consent decree in which the EPA agreed to publish a final guideline for procurement of re-refined oil by June 24, 1988, for tires by November 10, 1988, and for insulation by February 8, 1989. Environmental Defense Fund v. Thomas, No. 87-CV-3212-SS (D.D.C. Apr. 11, 1988). 8 In the meantime, the EPA had issued a proposed rule and guideline for purchases of recycled paper and paper products in April 1985. 50 Fed.Reg. 14,076 (1985). In June 1988, the EPA issued a final rule, 53 Fed.Reg. 23,546 (1988) (codified at 40 C.F.R. § 250.1 et seq. (1992)). The NRC petitioned this Court for review of the paper guideline, challenging the EPA's interpretation of unreasonable price, creation of an incidental purchases exception, and failure to provide information about availability, performance, or relative price. In National Recycling Coalition, Inc. v. Reilly, 884 F.2d 1431 (D.C.Cir.1989) (Paper Guidelines), we held that: 1) the EPA's interpretation of unreasonable price was consistent with RCRA; 2) petitioners were precluded from challenging the incidental purchases exception because the issue had not been raised during the administrative process; and 3) while the EPA's failure to include price information in the guideline was contrary to RCRA, the EPA could cure the violation by amending the guideline to include a reference to where and how interested parties could secure such data.