PUBLIC LAW 104-298—OCT. 11, 1996 110 STAT. 3623 (2) ascertaining the optimum mix of investment and operating costs; (3) determining the best designs for different conditions of operation; (4) investigating methods of increasing the economic efficiency of desalination processes through dual-purpose co-facilities with other processes involving the use of water; (5) conducting or contracting for technical work, including the design, construction, and testing of pilot systems and test beds, to develop desalting processes and concepts; (6) studying methods for the recovery of byproducts resulting from desalination to offset the costs of treatment and to reduce environmental impacts from those byproducts; and (7) salinity modeling and toxicity analysis of brine discharges, cost reduction strategies for constructing and operating desalination facilities, andf the horticultural effects of desalinated water used for irrigation. (b) PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS TO THE CON- GRESS. —As soon as practicable and within three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall recommend to Congress desalination demonstration projects or full-scale desalination projects to carry out the purposes of this Act and to further evaluate and implement the results of research and studies conducted under the authority of this section. Recommendations for projects shall be accompanied by reports on the engineering and economic feasibility of proposed projects and their environmental impacts. (c) AUTHORITY TO ENGAGE OTHERS. —In carrying out research and studies authorized in this section, the Secretary may engage the necessary personnel, industrial or engineering firms, Federal laboratories, water resources research and technology institutes, other facilities, and educational institutions suitable to conduct investigations and studies authorized under this section. (d) ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES. —In carrying out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that at least three separate technologies are evaluated and demonstrated for the purposes of accomplishing desalination. SEC. 4. DESALINATION DEMONSTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT. 42 USC 10301 (a) IN GENERAL. —In order to further demonstrate the feasibility of desalination processes investigated either independently or in research conducted pursuant to section 3, the Secretary shall administer and conduct a demonstration and development program for water desalination and related activities, including the following: (1) DESALINATION PLANTS AND MODULES.—Conduct or contract for technical work, including the design, construction, and testing of plants and modules to develop desalination processes and concepts. (2) BYPRODUCTS.—Studv methods for the marketing of byproducts resulting from the desalting of water to offset the costs of treatment and to reduce environmental impacts of those byproducts. (3) ECONOMIC SURVEYS.—Conduct economic studies and surveys to determine present and prospective costs of producing water for beneficial purposes in various locations by desalination processes compared to other methods.
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