§6363 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

Promotes recycling and use of used oil so we use less new oil and create less pollution from disposal. Used oil means oil refined from crude that has been used and got dirty. Recycled oil means used oil that has been cleaned or reprocessed, or a mix of that oil with new oil or additives. New oil means never-used oil. Manufacturer means anyone who cleans or mixes used oil. Commission means the Federal Trade Commission. The National Institute of Standards and Technology must make tests (as soon as practicable after December 22, 1975) to show when recycled oil is substantially equivalent to new oil for a specific use and must give those tests to the Commission. Within 90 days of getting that report, the Commission must write rules for those tests and for labeling recycled-oil containers. The EPA must also, within 90 days, set label rules about how to dispose of new, used, and recycled oil safely. Once the Commission’s labeling rules take effect, no other federal, state, or local rule can force different comparative labels on recycled-oil containers that follow the Commission’s rules, and no label may say recycled oil is less than substantially equivalent to new oil. Federal agencies must change buying rules to favor recycled oil when it costs about the same as new oil and must teach government and private workers about using and disposing of oil properly.

Title 42, §6363

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The purposes of this section are—

(1)to encourage the recycling of used oil;

(2)to promote the use of recycled oil;

(3)to reduce consumption of new oil by promoting increased utilization of recycled oil; and

(4)to reduce environmental hazards and wasteful practices associated with the disposal of used oil.

(b)As used in this section:

(1)the term “used oil” means any oil which has been refined from crude oil, has been used, and as a result of such use has been contaminated by physical or chemical impurities.

(2)The term “recycled oil” means—

(A)used oil from which physical and chemical contaminants acquired through use have been removed by re-refining or other processing, or

(B)any blend of oil, consisting of such re-refined or otherwise processed used oil and new oil or additives,

(3)The term “new oil” means any oil which has been refined from crude oil and has not been used, and which may or may not contain additives. Such term does not include used oil or recycled oil.

(4)The term “manufacturer” means any person who re-refines or otherwise processes used oil to remove physical or chemical impurities acquired through use or who blends such re-refined or otherwise processed used oil with new oil or additives.

(5)The term “Commission” means the Federal Trade Commission.

(c)As soon as practicable after December 22, 1975, the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall develop test procedures for the determination of substantial equivalency of re-refined or otherwise processed used oil or blend of oil, consisting of such re-refined or otherwise processed used oil and new oil or additives, with new oil for a particular end use. As soon as practicable after development of such test procedures, the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall report such procedures to the Commission.

(d)(1)(A)Within 90 days after the date on which the Commission receives the report under subsection (c), the Commission shall, by rule, prescribe—

(i)test procedures for the determination of substantial equivalency of re-refined or otherwise processed used oil or blend of oil, consisting of such re-refined or otherwise processed used oil and new oil or additives, with new oil distributed for a particular end use; and

(ii)labeling standards applicable to containers of recycled oil in order to carry out the purposes of this section.

(B)Such labeling standards shall permit any container of recycled oil to bear a label indicating any particular end use for which a determination of substantial equivalency has been made pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i).

(2)Not later than the expiration of such 90-day period, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, by rule, prescribe labeling standards applicable to containers of new oil, used oil, and recycled oil relating to the proper disposal of such oils after use. Such standards shall be designed to reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, environmental hazards and wasteful practices associated with the disposal of such oils after use.

(e)Beginning on the effective date of the standards prescribed pursuant to subsection (d)(1)(A)—

(1)no rule or order of the Commission, other than the rules required to be prescribed pursuant to subsection (d)(1)(A), and no law, regulation, or order of any State or political subdivision thereof may apply, or remain applicable, to any container of recycled oil, if such law, regulation, rule, or order requires any container of recycled oil, which container bears a label in accordance with the terms of the rules prescribed under subsection (d)(1)(A), to bear any label with respect to the comparative characteristics of such recycled oil with new oil which is not identical to that permitted by the rule respecting labeling standards prescribed under subsection (d)(1)(A)(ii); and

(2)no rule or order of the Commission may require any container of recycled oil to also bear a label containing any term, phrase, or description which connotes less than substantial equivalency of such recycled oil with new oil.

(f)After the effective date of the rules required to be prescribed under subsection (d)(1)(A), all Federal officials shall act within their authority to carry out the purposes of this section, including—

(1)revising procurement policies to encourage procurement of recycled oil for military and nonmilitary Federal uses whenever such recycled oil is available at prices competitive with new oil procured for the same end use; and

(2)educating persons employed by Federal and State governments and private sectors of the economy of the merits of recycled oil, the need for its use in order to reduce the drain on the Nation’s oil reserves, and proper disposal of used oil to avoid waste of such oil and to minimize environmental hazards associated with improper disposal.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–418 substituted “National Institute of Standards and Technology” for “National Bureau of Standards” in two places.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Applicability of Labeling Standards Pub. L. 96–463, § 4(c), Oct. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 2056, provided: “Before the

Effective Date

of the labeling standards required to be prescribed under section 383(d)(1)(A) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [subsec. (d)(1)(A) of this section], no requirement of any rule or order of the Federal Trade Commission may apply, or remain applicable, to any container of recycled oil (as defined in section 383(b) of such Act [subsec. (b) of this section]) if such requirement provides that the container must bear any label referring to the fact that it has been derived from previously used oil. Nothing in this subsection [this note] shall be construed to affect any labeling requirement applicable to recycled oil under any authority of law to the extent such requirement relates to fitness for intended use or any other performance characteristic of such oil or to any characteristic of such oil other than that referred to in the preceding sentence.”

§6363 Federal actions with respect to recycled oil