---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 6941"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "6941"
heading: "Objectives of subchapter"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/6941"
units:
  - "Chapter 82 — Solid Waste Disposal"
  - "Subchapter IV — State or Regional Solid Waste Plans"
---

# §6941. Objectives of subchapter


The objectives of this subchapter are to assist in developing and encouraging methods for the [disposal](/usc/42/6903.md?p=3) of [solid waste](/usc/42/6903.md?p=27) which are environmentally sound and which maximize the utilization of valuable resources including energy and materials which are [recoverable](/usc/42/6903.md?p=18) from [solid waste](/usc/42/6903.md?p=27) and to encourage [resource conservation](/usc/42/6903.md?p=21). Such objectives are to be accomplished through Federal technical and financial assistance to [States](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) or [regional authorities](/usc/42/6903.md?p=25) for [comprehensive planning](/usc/42/6903.md?p=30) pursuant to Federal guidelines designed to foster cooperation among Federal, [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31), and local governments and private industry. In developing such comprehensive plans, it is the intention of this chapter that in determining the size of the waste-to-energy facility, adequate provision shall be given to the present and reasonably anticipated future needs, including those needs created by thorough [implementation](/usc/42/6903.md?p=8) of [section 6962(h) of this title](/usc/42/6962.md?p=h), of the recycling and [resource recovery](/usc/42/6903.md?p=22) interest within the area encompassed by the planning process.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–272, title II, § 4001, as added Pub. L. 94–580, § 2, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2813; amended Pub. L. 96–482, § 32(b), Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2353; Pub. L. 98–616, title III, § 301(a), title V, § 501(f)(1), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3267, 3276.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3254 of this title, prior to the general amendment of the Solid Waste Disposal Act by Pub. L. 94–580.

### Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–616, § 501(f)(1), inserted “, including those needs created by thorough implementation of section 6962(h) of this title,”.

Pub. L. 98–616, § 301(a), inserted at end “In developing such comprehensive plans, it is the intention of this chapter that in determining the size of the waste-to-energy facility, adequate provision shall be given to the present and reasonably anticipated future needs of the recycling and resource recovery interest within the area encompassed by the planning process.”

1980—Pub. L. 96–482 included as an objective in the disposal of solid waste the utilization of energy and materials recoverable from solid waste.