United States Environmental Protection Agency FISCAL YEAR 2024 Justification of Appropriation Estimates for the Committee on Appropriations Tab 13: Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund March 2023 EPA-190-R-23-001 www.epa.gov/cj ------- Environmental Protection Agency 2021 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification Table of Contents - Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Contents Resource Summary Table 2 Program Projects in e-Manifest 2 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3 RCRA: Waste Management 4 ------- Environmental Protection Agency FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification APPROPRIATION: Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Resource Summary Table (Dollars in Thousands) FY 2024 FY 2023 President's Budget FY 2022 Enacted FY 2024 v. Final Operating President's FY 2023 Enacted Actuals Plan Budget Operating Plan Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Budget Authority $12,631 $0 $0 $0 Total Workyears 12.1 11.0 11.0 0.0 Bill Language: E-Manifest The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is authorized to collect and obligate fees in accordance with section 3024 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6939g) for fiscal year 2024, to remain available until expended. Note. — This language is proposed under the FY 2024 Administrative Provisions. Program Projects in e-Manifest [Dollars in Thousands) Program Project FY 2022 Final Actuals FY 2023 Enacted Operating Plan FY 2024 President's Budget FY 2024 President's Budget v. FY 2023 Enacted Operating Plan Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) RCRA: Waste Management $12,482 $0 $0 $0 Operations and Administration Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance $149 $0 $0 $0 TOTAL e-Manifest $12,631 $0 $0 $0 *For ease of comparison, Superfund transfer resources for the audit and research functions are shown in the Superfund account. ------- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) ------- RCRA: Waste Management Program Area: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Goal: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities Objective(s): Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination (Dollars in Thousands) FY 2022 Final Actuals FY 2023 Enacted Operating Plan FY 2024 President's Budget FY 2024 President's Budget v. FY 2023 Enacted Operating Plan Environmental Programs & Management $77,838 $75,958 $90,634 $14,676 HuzuriloH.s II u.sti' lilcclrimic Mimijesl System I 'untl SI 2.-IS 2 SO SO SO Total Budget Authority $90,320 $75,958 $90,634 $14,676 Total Workyears 299.1 303.8 349.3 45.5 Total workyears in FY 2024 include 11.0 FTE funded by e-Manifest fees. All actuals from the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund are funded by user fees. Program Project Description: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires companies that ship hazardous waste to track and report the estimated two million shipments each year. On June 30, 2018, EPA launched a national system for tracking hazardous waste shipments electronically. The system, known as "e-Manifest," was developed per the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (e-Manifest Act, Public Law 112-195), enacted on October 5, 2012. e-Manifest modernizes the Nation's cradle-to-grave hazardous waste tracking process while saving valuable time, resources, and dollars for industry and states. Since system launch through February 2023, EPA has received approximately 8.3 million manifests and collected over $100 million in user fees. EPA estimates the e-Manifest system will reduce the burden associated with paper manifests by between 175,000 and 425,000 hours, saving state and industry users more than $50 million annually, once electronic manifests are widely adopted.1 Since the 2018 launch, e-Manifest has saved state programs $65 million dollars in processing, data entry, and storage costs. The e- Manifest system will provide better knowledge of waste generation and final disposition; enhanced access to manifest information; and greater transparency for the public about hazardous waste shipments. In FY 2014, Congress established the "Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund" to implement the e-Manifest Program, including system development, fee collection authority, rulemaking, and advisory committee establishment. In FY 2024, e-Manifest continues to be fully supported by user fees, which includes support for continuing the development and operation of the system and agency personnel that support its use and further its implementation. 1 For more information, please refer to: https://www.epa.gov/e-iiiaiiifest/leaiii-about4iazardous-waste-electroiiic-iiiaiiifest-svsteiii- e-manifest. ------- FY 2024 Activities and Performance Plan: Work in this program directly supports Goal 6/Objective 6.2, Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2024, EPA will operate the e-Manifest system and will collect and deposit user fees into the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund (approximately $27.0 million is anticipated). The authority to collect and spend fees requires authorization from Congress in annual appropriations bills. In FY 2024, EPA plans to perform the following key activities: • Continue to implement and enhance electronic signature methods that will ease the logistical burdens of adopting greater use of the electronic and image plus data submission methods. • Work with individual generators and generator-associated groups to increase their registration and use of the e-Manifest system, which will allow for greater fully electronic adoption. • Continue to work on rulemaking to address hazardous waste export manifests and how to integrate e-Manifest into other hazardous waste manifest-related reporting requirements under the RCRA regulations. • Continue regular outreach with users and stakeholders to identify new ways to improve the e-Manifest system. This includes regular webinars and targeted demonstrations on how to use the e-Manifest system. • Operate appropriate accounting and financial reporting interfaces needed to collect and manage user fees, adjust fees as appropriate, and comply with the auditing requirements of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act. • Hold periodic meetings of the e-Manifest Advisory Board, consisting of state and industry stakeholders and Information Technology experts, to provide input on system operation and implementation of the user fee regulation. • Develop and enhance the e-Manifest system software to expand developmental capabilities, increase ease of use, and improve program efficiencies. Performance Measure Targets: EPA's FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to this program. FY 2024 Change from FY 2023 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands): • There is no change in program funding. Statutory Authority: Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act. ------- |