7 U.S.C. § 178d: Research and development…

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce must start and run research and demo projects to see if making natural rubber from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-rich plants, and making other important industrial materials from native crops, can be profitable. The work will test extraction and processing methods; study costs and useful byproducts; look at environmental, social, and economic effects; check market demand; improve current and future technologies (including solar); create reports and records to share with federal, state, and private groups; and do the same studies for other native crops when appropriate.

Title 7, §178d

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized and directed to initiate and carry out research, technology development, technology transfer, and demonstration projects to test and demonstrate the economic feasibility of the manufacture and commercialization of natural rubber from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants or the manufacture and commercialization of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance. Such research shall include but not be limited to—

(a)conducting research and development on extraction and processing techniques;

(b)economic analysis of the production of native latex, including usable byproducts;

(c)studying the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the commercial development of native latex;

(d)evaluating the commercial marketability of Parthenium and rubber derived from other hydrocarbon-containing plants;

(e)further refining present extraction and manufacturing technologies and future extraction and manufacturing technologies, including technologies which utilize solar energy;

(f)developing pertinent material and records on manufacturing of natural rubber which shall be available to other Federal and State agencies and private persons who are interested in or involved in natural rubber development, or manufacture; and

(g)to the extent appropriate, carrying out research activities with respect to native agricultural crops (other than Parthenium and other hydrocarbon-containing plants) that would supply critical agricultural materials for strategic and industrial purposes, in the manner specified in clauses (a) through (f).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–284, § 6(1), (2), inserted in provisions preceding cl. (a) reference to the manufacture and commercialization of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance, and struck out “may be carried out through the Regional Commissions or otherwise and” after “Such research”. Cl. (g). Pub. L. 98–284, § 6(5), added cl. (g).

§178d Research and Development Program by Secretary of Commerce

Summary

Title 7, §178d

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata