Materials and Energy Recovery Act

Materials and Energy Recovery Act - Declares that the purposes of this Act are to: (1) encourage waste reduction and maximum recovery of energy and materials from municipal, industrial, and other sources of solid waste, and encourage the use of recycled materials by the Federal Government to help preserve our natural resources; (2) assist States and localities in carrying out their primary responsibilities for solid waste reduction, collection, handling, recycling, and disposal; and (3) control carefully the treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes to avoid adverse effects on health and the environment.

Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide financial assistance to States to assist them in developing comprehensive State plans for solid waste reduction, source separation, and energy and resource recovery and to assist them in implementing such plans.

Requires any solid waste management plan or program assisted under this Act to include adequate authorities and programs to achieve specified goals.

Directs the Administrator to grant to each State 80 percent of the cost of a comprehensive solid waste management and energy and resource program which meets such requirement.

Authorizes to be appropriated a sum not to exceed $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1976, 1977, and 1978 for purposes of making such grants.

Directs the Administrator to provide: (1) management grant assistance of up to 10 percent of the estimated cost of implementation of any publically financed energy or resources recovery facility; and (2) a complete program of management and technical assistance to any regional agency to help it develop projects for: (a) improving source reduction, collection, separation, and handling of solid waste; (b) implementing energy and resource recovery or disposal systems which are technologically feasible and cost-effective; and (c) considering optimum ways to market energy and secondary materials recovered from solid waste.

Authorizes to be appropriated a sum not to exceed $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1976, 1977, and 1978 for purposes of making such grants.

Requires the Administrator, within one year of the passage of this Act, to promulgate standards for collection, handling, disposal, and recovery of all hazardous and other solid wastes that may cause air or water pollution or other environmental degradation. Specifies requirements for such standards.

Provides, under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, that the Administrator, in carrying out the provisions of that Act, may require the operator of any disposal system for hazardous or other designated solid wastes to maintain such records and provide such information as the Administrator may request.

Grants the Administrator the right of entry upon any premises in which a hazardous or other designated solid waste disposal site is located.

Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action against any person who is in violation of any rule, regulation or standard pertaining to solid waste disposal promulgated under this Act. Authorizes injunctive relief and fines of up to $25,000 for each day of violation if the violator fails to take corrective action after notification of the violation.

Requires the Administrator, within one year of the passage of this Act and each year thereafter, to publish guidelines specifying the percentages of energy resources that can be recovered from solid waste by use of the best recovery management practices and technology that are reasonably available.

Directs the Administrator to: (1) make a complete assessment of the use of energy and virgin and recycled materials in product packaging and of the environmental, social, and economic impact of such packaging; (2) establish guidelines for the packaging of products which will encourage efficient use of energy and materials with a consequent reduction in solid waste and improvement in environmental quality; and (3) publish model standards and regulations which, if implemented by States and localities, will insure use of types of packaging which best conserve energy and materials while avoiding adverse economic, social, and environmental impact.

Directs the Administrator to conduct a full investigation and study of the legal and institutional problems associated with the acquisition of land for hazardous and other solid waste disposal, and for the construction of energy and resource recovery facilities. Requires a report of such study to be submitted to Congress not later than 9 months after the enactment of this Act.

Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States to establish, equip, and maintain one regional energy and resources recovery research institute at a college or university in each of the 10 standard Federal regions in the United States. Authorizes to be appropriated $750,000 for fiscal year 1976 and each fiscal year thereafter for purposes of making such grants.

Directs the Administrator, within one year of the enactment of this Act, to establish guidelines that encourage the procurement and use by Federal agencies of materials recovered from solid waste.

Authorizes to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act (other than those for which specific authorizations are made) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1976 and each of the fiscal years thereafter.

Authorizes the Small Business Administration to make loans (either directly or in cooperation with banks or other lenders through agreements to participate on an immediate or deferred basis) to assist any small business concern in affecting additions to or alterations in the equipment, facilities, or methods of operation of such concern to recover energy and resources from solid waste, if such loans will help achieve the purposes of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended.

Authorizes to be appropriated to the business loan fund, established by the Small Business Act, $300,000,000 for the purpose of making such loans.

Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to approve municipal energy and resource recovery projects for purposes of financing pursuant to the Environmental Financing Act of 1972.