(a) Assessment and collection

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, by regulation, assess and collect fees and charges for services and activities carried out pursuant to laws administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.

(b) Amount of fees and charges

Terms Used In 42 USC 4370c

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.

Fees and charges assessed pursuant to this section shall be in such amounts as may be necessary to ensure that the aggregate amount of fees and charges collected pursuant to this section, in excess of the amount of fees and charges collected under current law—

(1) in fiscal year 1991, is not less than $28,000,000; and

(2) in each of fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995, is not less than $38,000,000.

(c) Limitation on fees and charges

(1) The maximum aggregate amount of fees and charges in excess of the amounts being collected under current law which may be assessed and collected pursuant to this section in a fiscal year—

(A) for services and activities carried out pursuant ot 1 the Federal Water Pollution Control Act [33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.] is $10,000,000; and

(B) for services and activities in programs within the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Administrator, shall be limited to such sums collected as of November 5, 1990, pursuant to sections 2625(b) and 2665(e)(2) 2 of title 15, and such sums specifically authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.


(2) Any remaining amounts required to be collected under this section shall be collected from services and programs administered by the Environmental Protection Agency other than those specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).

(d) Rule of construction

Nothing in this section increases or diminishes the authority of the Administrator to promulgate regulations pursuant to section 9701 of title 31.

(e) Uses of fees

Fees and charges collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into a special account for environmental services in the Treasury of the United States. Subject to appropriation Acts, such funds shall be available to the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the activities for which such fees and charges are collected. Such funds shall remain available until expended.