UNITED
STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
September
17, 2007
SECRETARY’S MEMORANDUM 5500-002
IMPLEMENTING
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13423
Executive
Order (E.O.) 13423 requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adhere to
the policy set forth in the E.O. “that Federal agencies conduct their
environmental, transportation, and energy-related activities under the law in
support of their respective missions in an environmentally, economically, and
fiscally sound, integrated, continuously improving, efficient, and sustainable
manner.” The E.O. requires USDA to develop
and implement environmental management systems (
The
E.O. requires that the head of each executive branch department and agency
implement the policy cited above by taking the following actions:
The
E.O. directs the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the
Steering Committee on Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and
Transportation Management, to issue implementing instructions to the heads of
agencies.
Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management is
a component of the President’s Management Council (PMC) and progress is
measured by three Office of Management and Budget (OMB) scorecards: Environmental
Stewardship, Energy Management, and Transportation Management. Pursuant to E.O. 13423 and these scorecards, USDA
must use environmental management systems as the primary management approach to
address environmental aspects of internal agency operations, including the
collection, analysis, and reporting of information to measure performance in
the implementation of the E.O.
USDA’s
Office of Procurement and Property Management, in consultation with the USDA Sustainable
Operations Council (SOC), will develop internal guidance to comply with E.O. 13423. As ordered by the E.O., USDA has designated a
Senior Official, Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA), Boyd Rutherford,
accountable for the effective implementation of E.O. 13423 within the
Department. The ASA is the designated official for
all information and communications regarding E.O. 13423 and USDA’s
responsibilities under the E.O.
The ASA, through the SOC, will develop and implement policies,
procedures, processes, reporting mechanisms, and required actions that meet the
goals and requirements established by E.O. 13423 and the implementing
instructions issued by the CEQ and OMB.
The
provisions of this memorandum are effective immediately.
It
shall be USDA’s policy to comply with the goals and requirements
established by E.O. 13423 and the implementing instructions issued by the CEQ
and OMB consistent with the
actions ordered below.
The
following actions are hereby ordered:
a. The ASA shall
establish and chair a USDA SOC to advise the ASA and provide ongoing senior
management involvement and coordination to agencies’
b.
USDA shall
establish and implement environmental, energy, and transportation management
performance measures and begin data collection to meet E.O. and OMB scorecard reporting
requirements, utilizing
c.
USDA shall develop
a timeline for, and implement environmental management systems at all
appropriate organizational levels.
d.
Each landholding
agency shall, in the three-year rolling timeline established under E.O. 13327,
include in their plans how the E.O. 13423 goals and performance measures
applicable to design, construction, and operation of real property facilities
will be met.
e.
USDA agencies
shall manage Departmental real and personal property assets consistent with the
goals and objectives of E.O. 13423 and the Department’s implementing
instructions.
6. TERMINATION
This
memorandum shall remain in effect for 12 months.
Mike Johanns
Secretary
Distribution:
Assistant
Secretary for Administration
Director, Office
of Budget and Program Analysis
Chief Information
Officer
Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat
General Counsel