Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 101 Part 3.djvu/167

 PUBLIC LAW 100-220—DEC. 29, 1987

101 STAT. 1465

Annex V to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, in United States waters. (b) REPORT ON INABILITY TO COMPLY.—Within 3 years after the Contracts. effective date of this section, the head of each Federal agency that operates or contracts for the operation of any ship referred to in section 3(b)(l)(A) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships that may not be able to comply with the requirements of that section shall report to the Congress describing— (1) the technical and operational impediments to achieving that compliance; (2) an alternative schedule for achieving that compliance as rapidly as is technologically feasible; (3) the ships operated or contracted for operation by the agency for which full compliance with section 3(b)(2)(A) is not technologically feasible; and (4) any other information which the agency head considers relevant and appropriate. (c) CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.—Upon receipt of the compliance report under subsection (b), the Congress shall modify the applicability of Annex V to ships referred to in section 3(b)(l)(A) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, as may be appropriate with respect to the requirements of Annex V to the Convention. SEC. 2202. EPA STUDY OF METHODS TO REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION.

42 USC 6981 note.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall commence a study of the adverse effects of the improper disposal of plastic articles on the environment and on waste disposal, and the various methods to reduce or eliminate such adverse effects. (b) SCOPE OF STUDY.—A study under this section shall include the Wildlife. following: (1) A list of improper disposal practices and associated specific plsistic articles that occur in the environment with sufficient frequency to cause death or injury to fish or wildlife, affect adversely the habitat of fish or wildlife, contribute significantly to aesthetic degradation or economic losses in coastal EUid waterfront areas, endanger human health or safety, or cause other significant adverse impacts. gtixiaii (2) A description of specific statutory and regulatory authority available to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the steps being taken by the Administrator, to reduce the amount of plastic materials that enter the marine and aquatic environment. (3) An evaluation of the feasibility and desirability of substitutes for those articles identified under paragraph (1), comparing the environmental and health risks, costs, disposability, durability, and availability of such substitutes. (4) An evaluation of the impacts of plastics on the solid waste stream relative to other solid wastes, and methods to reduce those impacts, including recycling. (5) An evaluation of the impact of plastics on the solid waste stream relative to other solid wastes, and methods to reduce those impacts, including— (A) the status of a need for public and private research to develop and market recycled plastic articles; (B) methods to facilitate the recycling of plastic materials by identifying types of plastic articles to aid in their sorting.

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