Four Purchasing Guides; Notice of Review and Comment Period
[Federal Register: June 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 125)]
[Notices]
[Page 39471-39474]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn04-69]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPT-2002-0039; FRL-7356-4]
Four Purchasing Guides; Notice of Review and Comment Period
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program is
announcing the posting and public review of four draft EPP guides on
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. This is
part of an effort to implement Presidential Executive Order 13101,
``Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling and
Federal Acquisition.'' EPA's EPP Program operates in a transparent
manner, with open participation and counsel from our stakeholders. In
today's notice, EPA is announcing an open review of the four purchasing
guides that can provide information to Federal procurement officials in
making EPP decisions that can help protect human health and the
environment.
DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPPT-2002-0039, must be
received on or before August 30, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact:
Colby Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance
Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail
address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
For technical information contact: Terry Grogan, Pollution
Prevention Division (7409M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
[[Page 39472]]
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-6317; e-
mail address: grogan.terry@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general. This action may,
however, be of interest to Federal purchasers affected by Executive
Order 13101. This action may also be of interest to: State and local
government and private procurement officials interested in
environmentally preferable products, and persons or organizations
interested in the aforementioned product categories. Since other
entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to
describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action.
If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to
a particular entity, consult the technical person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under docket identification (ID) number OPPT-2002-0039. The
official public docket consists of the documents specifically
referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other
information related to this action. Although a part of the official
docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials
that is available for public viewing at the EPA Docket Center, Rm.
B102-Reading Room, EPA West, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington,
DC. The EPA Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The EPA Docket Center Reading
Room telephone number is (202) 566-1744 and the telephone number for
the OPPT Docket, which is located in the EPA Docket Center, is (202)
566-0280.
2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that
are available electronically. Although not all docket materials may be
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly
available docket materials through the docket facility identified in
Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the
appropriate docket ID number.
Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets.
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent
feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in
EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the
index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the
document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket.
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B.1. EPA intends to work
towards providing electronic access to all of the publicly available
docket materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the docket will
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief
description written by the docket staff.
C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the
appropriate docket ID number in the subject line on the first page of
your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the
comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider
these late comments. If you wish to submit CBI or information that is
otherwise protected by statute, please follow the instructions in Unit
I.D. Do not use EPA Dockets or e-mail to submit CBI or information
protected by statute.
1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as
prescribed in this unit, EPA recommends that you include your name,
mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in
the body of your comment. Also include this contact information on the
outside of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter
accompanying the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be
identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact
you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
or needs further information on the substance of your comment. EPA's
policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, and any identifying or
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket,
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot
read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you
for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/
edocket, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in docket ID number
OPPT-2002-0039. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by e-mail to oppt.ncic@epa.gov,
Attention: Docket ID number OPPT-2002-0039. In contrast to EPA's
electronic public
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docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If
you send an e-mail comment directly to the docket without going through
EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system automatically
captures your e-mail address. E-mail addresses that are automatically
captured by EPA's e-mail system are included as part of the comment
that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in
EPA's electronic public docket.
iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.C.2. These
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
2. By mail. Send your comments to: Document Control Office (7407M),
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001.
3. By hand delivery or courier. Deliver your comments to: OPPT
Document Control Office (DCO), EPA East Building, Rm. 6428, 1201
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Attention: Docket ID number
OPPT-2002-0039. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the DCO is
(202) 564-8930.
D. How Should I Submit CBI to the Agency?
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI
electronically through EPA's electronic public docket or by e-mail. You
may claim information that you submit to EPA as CBI by marking any part
or all of that information as CBI (if you submit CBI on disk or CD ROM,
mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that
is CBI). Information so marked will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes
any information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion
in the public docket and EPA's electronic public docket. If you submit
the copy that does not contain CBI on disk or CD ROM, mark the outside
of the disk or CD ROM clearly that it does not contain CBI. Information
not marked as CBI will be included in the public docket and EPA's
electronic public docket without prior notice. If you have any
questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult
the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
We invite you to provide your views on the various options we
propose, new approaches we have not considered, the potential impacts
of the various options (including possible unintended consequences),
and any data or information that you would like the Agency to consider
during the development of the final action. Provide copies of any
technical information and/or data you used that support your views.
In particular, EPA would like comments to address the following
questions:
1. Is the discussion on the potential environmental impacts of the
product categories useful for Federal purchasers?
2. Is there any more recent information that is germane to or would
enhance the discussion of these product categories?
3. Can Federal purchasers act easily upon the stated
recommendations in the product guides?
4. Is this an approach you would like EPA to take in addressing
EPP?
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA is initiating an open process to allow stakeholders to review
and comment on the four draft EPP product guides. The four product
guides now available for review are:
1. ``Greening Your Purchase of Carpet: A Guide For Federal
Purchasers.''
2. ``Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide For
Federal Purchasers.''
3. ``Greening Your Purchase of Copiers: A Guide For Federal
Purchasers.''
4. ``Greening Your Meetings and Conferences: A Guide For Federal
Purchasers.''
The EPP program does not endorse products nor does it recommend for
or against the purchase of specific products. EPP seeks to provide
information on products with the overall best value, taking into
account price competitiveness, regulatory requirements, performance
standards, and environmental impact. Because purchasers typically have
readily available sources of information on procurement and safety
regulations and well-established methods for evaluating price and
performance, EPA's EPP program has developed these purchasing guides to
help government purchasers consider the environmental factors in the
purchasing process. EPA's EPP program is committed to reviewing and
updating information contained within the purchasing guides when new
information becomes available.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
Spending approximately $230 billion annually on a large quantity
and wide variety of products and services, the Federal government
leaves a large environmental ``footprint.'' However, by purchasing
environmentally preferable products and services, the Federal
government can use its purchasing power to increase national demand for
greener products as well as to help meet environmental goals through
markets rather than mandates. In 1995, in response to Executive Order
12873, EPA established the EPP program to encourage and assist
Executive agencies in the purchase of environmentally preferable
products and services. In 1997, the Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR), which establishes uniform procedures and policies for Federal
acquisition, was amended to support Federal procurement of ``green''
products and services. And, most recently, in 1998, Executive Order
13101, titled ``Greening the Government through Waste Prevention,
Recycling, and Federal Acquisition,'' directed Executive agencies to
``consider . . . a broad range of factors including: elimination of
virgin material requirements; use of biobased products; use of
recovered materials; reuse of product; life cycle cost; recyclability;
use of environmentally preferable products; waste prevention (including
toxicity reduction or elimination); and ultimate disposal'' when making
purchasing decisions and to ``modify their procurement programs as
appropriate.''
Similarly, the Biomass R & D Act of 2000, the Farm Bill of 2002,
and Executive Order 13134 emphasize the potential importance of
biobased products to national economic and environmental interests.
Together these authorities encourage a strong Federal role in the
development and early adoption of biobased products and recognize the
role of procurement as part of an overall Federal policy on biobased
products.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Procurement guidelines,
Environmentally preferable purchasing product guides, Federal
procurement, Environmentally preferable purchasing.
[[Page 39474]]
Dated: June 23, 2004.
Susan B. Hazen,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances.
[FR Doc. 04-14831 Filed 6-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S