[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 189 (Friday, September 29, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50735-50736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24235]



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[OPPTS-62150A; FRL-4980-3]


Guidance on Acquisition of Environmentally Preferable Products 
and Services; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This Notice describes a process that EPA has established to 
solicit input from all interested parties on the proposed guidance that 
Executive agencies can use in determining the preference and purchase 
of environmentally preferable products and services. As a part of this 
process, EPA is announcing a public meeting to be held in October. This 
proposed guidance is being developed to implement section 503 of 
Executive Order on Federal Acquisition, Recycling and Waste Prevention. 
The proposed guidance in its entirety is published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register.

DATES: The meeting will take place on October 26 and 27, 1995, starting 
at 9:30 a.m. and ending each day at 5 p.m. unless concluded earlier. 
Registration will occur one hour before the meeting is scheduled to 
begin on both days. The second day will only proceed if there are more 
confirmed presenters than can be accommodated on the first day.

[[Page 50736]]

    Requests to present oral testimony must be received on or before 
October 18, 1995, and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served 
basis.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at: Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, Telephone number: 703-418-
1234. A small number of rooms have been set aside for those 
participants staying overnight. Reservations must be made by October 4, 
1995, under ``EPA's Public Meeting on Environmentally Preferable 
Products, '' in order to get the special meeting rate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Danielle Fuligni (7409), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, 
Telephone: (202) 260-4172, Fax: (202) 260-0178,

e-mail:fuligni,[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On October 20, 1993, President Clinton signed Executive Order 
12873, entitled ``Federal Acquistion, Recycling and Waste Prevention,'' 
(58 FR 5411, October 22, 1993). Section 503 of Executive Order 12873 
requires EPA to ``issue guidance that recommends principles that 
Executive agencies should use in making determinations for the 
preference and purchase of environmentally preferable products.'' The 
proposed guidance for implementing this provision is published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

II. Process

    This public meeting represents another stop in EPA's effort to make 
the development of section 503 guidance a public process. As a part of 
this process, EPA also developed a ``concept paper'' that outlined 
preliminary thoughts on how the guidance might be structured and some 
guiding principles for implementation of section 503. The public was 
given an opportunity to comment on the concept paper, both in writing 
and at a public meeting held in February 1994.
    EPA also held meetings with ``stakeholders'' to give interested 
parties an additional opportunity to present their views on how EPA 
should proceed in developing principles for Executive agencies to use 
when making determinations for the preference and purchase of 
environmentally preferable products. EPA will continue to solicit input 
from all interested persons and organizations as EPA finalizes the 
guidance and conducts pilot projects.
    To schedule oral testimony at the public meeting and to obtain a 
copy of the proposed guidance, contact EPA's Public Hearing Hotline, 
110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02173-3198; telephone (617) 674-
7374. Callers will receive mail confirmation of their scheduled 
testimony and logistical information. Persons who wish to make oral 
presentations must restrict testimony to 7 minutes and are also 
expected to provide three written copies of their completed comments 
for inclusion in the official record. If interested parties are unable 
to attend the public meetings, they are invited to submit written 
comments to the Agency.

III. Approach

    The Agency has been directed by Executive Order 12873 to develop an 
approach for Federal acquisition of environmentally preferable products 
that not only minimizes environmental burden, but also provides 
incentives to industry to continuously improve the environmental 
performance of products and services to the Federal government. 
Ideally, the approach would guide Federal agencies in comparing 
environmental performance among competing products and services, so 
that the environmental impact becomes a criterion like cost or 
performance against which Federal agencies may select products or 
services.
    In implementing section 503 of the Executive Order, EPA proposes an 
approach that has two components. The first is issuance of a broad, 
umbrella guidance. Following this, additional guidances focussing on 
specific product categories will be issued based on pilot projects. 
These pilots will help EPA and other Executive agencies identify and 
develop the necessary tools, education, and training materials to 
facilitate the application of the general guidance to actual purchases 
of environmental preferable products.

    Dated: September 20, 1995.
William H. Sanders III,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 95-24235 Filed 9-28-95; 8:45 am]
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