The Secretary shall, whenever feasible, seek to promote long- and short-term cost savings, increased efficiency, reliability, and safety, and improved environmental results through the use of innovative technology in all phases of water resources development projects and programs under the Secretary’s jurisdiction. To further this goal, Congress encourages the Secretary to—

(1) use procurement and contracting procedures that encourage innovative project design, construction, rehabilitation, repair, and operation and maintenance technologies;

(2) frequently review technical and design criteria to remove or modify unnecessary impediments to innovation;

(3) increase timely exchange of technical information with universities, private companies, government agencies, and individuals;

(4) foster design competition; and

(5) encourage greater participation by non-Federal project sponsors in the development and implementation of projects.

The Secretary shall approve an appropriate number of projects to test, under actual field conditions, innovative technologies for environmentally sound management of contaminated sediments.

(1) Test projects The Secretary shall approve an appropriate number of projects to test, under actual field conditions, innovative technologies for environmentally sound management of contaminated sediments.

(2) Demonstration projects The Secretary may approve an appropriate number of projects to demonstrate innovative technologies that have been pilot tested under paragraph (1).

(3) Conduct of projects Each pilot project under paragraph (1) and demonstration project under paragraph (2) shall be conducted by a university with proven expertise in the research and development of contaminated sediment treatment technologies and innovative applications using waste materials.

(4) Location At least 1 of the projects under this subsection shall be conducted in New England by the University of New Hampshire.

Within 2 years after November 17, 1988, and thereafter at the Secretary’s discretion, the Secretary shall provide Congress with a report on the results of, and recommendations to increase, the development and use of innovative technology in water resources development projects under the Secretary’s jurisdiction. Such report shall also contain information regarding innovative technologies which the Secretary has considered and rejected for use in water resources development projects under the Secretary’s jurisdiction.

For the purpose of this section, the term “innovative technology” means designs, methods, or materials, including roller compacted concrete, geosynthetic materials, and advanced composites, that the Secretary determines are appropriate to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 100–676, § 8, Nov. 17, 1988, 102 Stat. 4023; Pub. L. 106–53, title V, § 503(b), Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 337; Pub. L. 113–121, title III, § 3021, June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1301.)