Resource Conservation and Energy Recovery Act

Resource Conservation and Energy Recovery Act - Declares the findings of Congress and purposes of this Act, including to promote the use of materials that can be used again through recovery, reuse, and recycling and to discourage the unnecessary use and depletion of virgin natural resource materials.

Defines the terms used in this Act.

Directs the Interstate Commerce Commission to investigate rates charged by common carriers to move recycled materials and, where such rate structure is found to be unreasonable or discriminatory, to issue orders altering such rates to remove the unreasonableness of the discrimination.

Provides, with regard to such rates, for the filing of complaints, investigation, proceedings, and review of orders issued by the Commission.

Requires the Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Maritime Commission, to establish a research, development, and demonstration program to develop and improve transport terminal operations, transport service characteristics, transport equipment, and collection and processing methods for the purpose of facilitating the competitive and efficient transportation of recycled materials.

Provides that, with respect to procurement items purchased through advertisements for bids, no procurement shall be made of any item unless it is, by comparison with competing items offered for sale by suppliers, composed of the greatest percentage of reclaimed materials and is, to the greatest extent possible, recyclable or reusable following the use for which it is designed or used, whenever a significant difference exists between such item and competing items with respect to such characteristics.

Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) prepare guidelines for the use of procuring agencies, setting forth recommended practices with respect to the procurement of reclaimed, recyclable, and reusable materials; (2) promulgate standards regulating the manufacture and distribution of products in commerce which he has identified as major items of solid waste to the extent necessary to protect human health and the environment against unreasonable burdens or risks associated with the disposal of such products or to prevent the unreasonable depletion of any virgin natural resource; and (3) issue final regulations establishing (a) standards for the regulation and elimination of unsafe waste management practices, (b) permit requirements for certain generators of hazardous waste and operators of waste treatment or disposal sites or facilties, and (c) standards for State programs designed to regulate and eliminate unsafe waste management practices.

Requires each State to develop a program for the regulation and elimination of unsafe waste management practices.

Directs the Administrator to consult with regional, State, and local government agencies and other Federal agencies concerned with waste management, resource recovery, conservation of natural resources, energy production, and human health and the environment for the purpose of developing guidelines for waste management and resource recovery systems (including systems for private use).

Requires each State, within 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, to prepare a waste management and resource and energy recovery plan, in cooperation with the Administrator and in accordance with the final guidelines promulgated under this Act. Prescribes the procedures for the submission and maintenance of such plans.

Directs the Administrator to encourage cooperative and joint activities among and between various States and various political subdivisions within the States with respect to hazardous waste management and other waste practices.

Provides that the Administrator shall conduct, encourage, cooperate with, and give financial and other assistance (including loan-guarantee assistance as authorized by this Act subject to the conditions of this Act) to appropriate persons in the conduct of programs, demonstrations, and investigations relating to the production of usable forms of energy from waste and to new or improved systems of waste management.

Empowers the Administrator to guarantee the payment of interest on, and the principal balance of, a loan or other obligation incurred by any State, regional, or local government agency, or any other institution, organization, or individual for the purpose of financing (1) construction of full-scale operational facilities for energy recovery, resource recovery, and waste management or (2) demonstrations of energy recovery, resource recovery and waste management systems. Sets forth the criteria governing the making of such guarantees. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to carry out specified objectives of this Act, setting out the conditions and terms of such grants.

States that the Administrator shall establish a central reference library for performance and cost effectiveness records and other data with respect to the methods of energy and resource recovery.

Creates a National Commission on Environmental Costs to conduct studies and make recommendations on enumerated disposal operation aspects of this Act.

Directs the Director of the National Bureau of Standards to issue regulations with respect to recycled oil.

Requires each manufacturer, producer, or importer of any product which is governed by any standard under a regulation issued under this Act to maintain records, detailing the information to be collected. Requires any person who stores, treats, transports disposes of, or otherwise handles waste to admit any duly designated officer or employee of the Environmental Protection Agency, an involved regional authority, or a State or local agency having jurisdiction to any site or facility and to furnish access to all records relating to such waste for purpose of examination and copying.

Imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of this Act, and grants, in specified instances, any person authority to commence a civil action on his own behalf for violations of this Act.

Provides for: (1) judicial review of any final regulation issued under this Act; and (2) public availability of information obtained under this Act, with trade secret exemptions.

Authorizes specific amounts of appropriations for general purposes, State programs, comprehensive State planning, recovery demonstrations, loan guarantees, and grants for carrying out the various provisions of this Act.

Authorizes $2,000,000 to be appropriated to the National Commission on Environmental Costs to finance its activities under this Act.