Comprehensive Waste Management and Resource Recovery Act

Comprehensive Waste Management and Resource Recovery Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to propose guidelines, based on specified national objectives, for the adoption, submission, implementation, and enforcement of effective State waste management and resource recovery plans.

Requires the adoption of such plans within 12 months of the promulgation of guidelines by the Administrator.

Requires the acceptance or rejection based on specified criteria, of such a plan by the Administrator within six months of its submission by the State.

Provides for modifications of a State plan, or plans developed by units of local government of a State, where the cost of such a plan would be greatly disproportionate to the benefit conferred on the State by such a system, or under other specified circumstances.

Requires the Administrator to propose regulations establishing Federal standards of performance for new sources of waste generation.

Requires the Administrator to issue, from time to time, information on processes or techniques which reduce or eliminate the generation or toxicity of wastes, or permit resource recovery in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Provides that, within 18 months of enactment of this Act and from time to time thereafter, the Administrator shall identify hazardous wastes and specified characteristics thereof, and shall promulgate regulations establishing requirements for generation of hazardous wastes and to enter into agreements with the States for the purpose of enactment of these regulations.

Defines the rights of the Administrator or his authorized representative with respect to gathering information for the purpose of developing or assisting in the development of any State waste management and resource recovery plan under this Act.

Provides for Federal enforcement of the provisions of this Act and states that the Administrator may issue orders requiring compliance with the provisions of this Act.

States that any person who knowingly violates any requirement of an applicable waste management and resource recovery plan or State program for implementing hazardous waste treatment and disposal standards during any period of federally assumed enforcement under this Act or more than thirty days after having been notified by the Administrator that such person is violating such requirement, or violates or fails or refuses to comply with any order issued by the Administrator, or violates any requirement, of this Act, or engages in any act prohibited by this Act, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $25,000 per day of violation, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.

States that, in any instance in which there is a substantial factual basis for the Administrator to commence an administrative or judicial proceeding under this section and in which the Administrator does not commence such preceeding within one hundred and eighty days after the agency has obtained information which provides such a basis, he shall not later than thirty days thereafter publish notice of his decision not to commence a proceeding along with the reasons for such decision.

States that citizens may commence civil actions under this Act, but specifies the circumstances under which such a suit may be brought.

Provides for judicial review of any nationally applicable regulation promulgated under this Act.

Stipulates that no Federal agency may enter into any contract with any person who is convicted of any offense under this Act for the procurement of goods, materials, and services to perform such contract at any facility at which the violation which gave rise to such conviction occurred if such facility is owned, leased, or supervised by such person.

Provides for comprehensive economic cost studies to provide the basis for evaluating programs authorized by this Act and the development of new programs and to furnish Congress with the information necessary for authorization of appropriations by fiscal years beginning after June 30, 1974.

Authorizes to be appropriated for fiscal years 1975 and 1976 specified sums to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Interior, and the several States to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Authorizes the establishment within the Environmental Protection Agency an Office of Technical Assistance to provide to the States adequate technical assistance to meet specified requirements of this Act.