Public Law 116-224
The following are excerpts, highlighted in red, from the final legislation and/or conference report which contain references to and studies for The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (Pound signs [##] between passages denote the deletion of unrelated text.)
S1982 Sullivan (R-Alaska) 12/01/20
Enrolled (finally passed both houses)
To improve efforts to combat marine debris, and for other purposes.
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SEC. 133. STUDY ON UNITED STATES PLASTIC POLLUTION DATA.
(a) In General.—The Under Secretary, in consultation with the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of the Interior, shall seek to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies will undertake a multifaceted study that includes the following:
(1) An evaluation of United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste, including types, sources, and geographic variations.
(2) An assessment of the prevalence of marine debris and mismanaged plastic waste in saltwater and freshwater United States navigable waterways and tributaries.
(3) An examination of the import and export of plastic waste to and from the United States, including the destinations of the exported plastic waste and the waste management infrastructure and environmental conditions of these locations.
(4) Potential means to reduce United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste.
(b) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a) that includes—
(1) the findings of the National Academies;
(2) recommendations on knowledge gaps that warrant further scientific inquiry; and
(3) recommendations on the potential value of a national marine debris tracking and monitoring system and how such a system might be designed and implemented.
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SEC. 303. STUDY ON REPURPOSING PLASTIC WASTE IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) and the EPA Administrator shall jointly enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies will—
(1) conduct a study on the uses of plastic waste in infrastructure; and
(2) as part of the study under paragraph (1)—
(A) identify domestic and international examples of—
(i) the use of plastic waste materials described in that paragraph;
(ii) infrastructure projects in which the use of plastic waste has been applied; and
(iii) projects in which the use of plastic waste has been incorporated into or with other infrastructure materials;
(B) assess—
(i) the effectiveness and utility of the uses of plastic waste described in that paragraph;
(ii) the extent to which plastic waste materials are consistent with recognized specifications for infrastructure construction and other recognized standards;
(iii) relevant impacts of plastic waste materials compared to non-waste plastic materials;
(iv) the health, safety, and environmental impacts of—
(I) plastic waste on humans and animals; and
(II) the increased use of plastic waste for infrastructure;
(v) the ability of plastic waste infrastructure to withstand natural disasters, extreme weather events, and other hazards; and
(vi) plastic waste in infrastructure through an economic analysis; and
(C) make recommendations with respect to what standards or matters may need to be addressed with respect to ensuring human and animal health and safety from the use of plastic waste in infrastructure.
(b) Report Required.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary and the EPA Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a).
SEC. 304. STUDY ON EFFECTS OF MICROPLASTICS IN FOOD SUPPLIES AND SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER.
(a) In General.—The EPA Administrator, in consultation with the Under Secretary, shall seek to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies will conduct a human health and environmental risk assessment on microplastics, including microfibers, in food supplies and sources of drinking water.
(b) Report Required.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the EPA Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a) that includes—
(1) a science-based definition of “microplastics” that can be adopted in federally supported monitoring and future assessments supported or conducted by a Federal agency;
(2) recommendations for standardized monitoring, testing, and other necessary protocols relating to microplastics;
(3) an assessment of—
(A) the extent to which microplastics are present in the food supplies and sources of drinking water; and
(B) the type, source, prevalence, and risk of microplastics in the food supplies and sources of drinking water, including—
(i) an identification of the most significant sources of those microplastics; and
(ii) a review of the best available science to determine any potential hazards of microplastics in the food supplies and sources of drinking water; and
(4) a measurement of—
(A) the quantity of environmental chemicals that adsorb to microplastics; and
(B) the quantity described in subparagraph (A) that would be available for human exposure through food supplies or sources of drinking water.
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