Title 50War and National DefenseRelease 119-73not60

§2586 Defense Environmental Cleanup Technology Program

Title 50 › Chapter 42— ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE PROVISIONS › Subchapter IV— DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP MATTERS › Part A— Defense Environmental Cleanup › § 2586

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must create and run a research program to develop technologies that cut pollution and hazards from defense-related waste and that clean up old defense waste disposal sites that are no longer used. Defense waste means waste, including radioactive waste, mainly from the Department of Energy’s atomic energy defense work. An inactive defense waste disposal site is any DOE-controlled place that held defense waste, is closed to new waste, and may be being cleaned up or torn down.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §2586

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Energy shall establish and carry out a program of research for the development of technologies useful for—
(1)the reduction of environmental hazards and contamination resulting from defense waste; and
(2)environmental restoration of inactive defense waste disposal sites.
(b)As used in this section:
(1)The term “defense waste” means waste, including radioactive waste, resulting primarily from atomic energy defense activities of the Department of Energy.
(2)The term “inactive defense waste disposal site” means any site (including any facility) under the control or jurisdiction of the Secretary of Energy which is used for the disposal of defense waste and is closed to the disposal of additional defense waste, including any site that is subject to decontamination and decommissioning.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 7274a of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 108–136.

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “useful for—” for “useful for” before par. (1) designation and “; and” for “, and” at end of par. (1) and realigned margins of pars. (1) and (2). 2013—Pub. L. 113–66, § 3146(e)(7)(A), substituted “environmental” for “waste” in section catchline. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 113–66, § 3146(e)(7)(B), (C), which directed amendment of section by striking subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignating subsec. (d) as (b), was executed by striking subsec. (b), which related to coordination of research activities, and redesignating subsec. (c) as (b) to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the amendment by Pub. L. 105–85, § 3152(g), which redesignated former subsec. (d) as (c). See 1997 Amendment note below. 2003—Pub. L. 108–136, § 3141(g)(7)(D), made technical amendment to section catchline. 1997—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 105–85 redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which required Secretary of Energy to submit to Congress not later than Apr. 1 each year a report on research activities of Department of Energy for development of technologies referred to in subsec. (a).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 2586

Title 50War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60