[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45053-45055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16946]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2004-0092; FRL7363-5]


Draft Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs; Notice of 
Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Under Executive Order 13101, EPA's Office of Prevention, 
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances is responsible for providing 
information to Federal agencies to assist them in practicing 
environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP). Because construction and 
renovation of buildings constitute a large share of Federal 
expenditures and may involve significant environmental impact, EPA has 
a special interest in providing tools to promote environmentally 
preferable purchasing during these activities. The draft Federal Guide 
for Green Construction Specs is being developed by EPA with our 
partners, the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and the 
members of the multiagency-sponsored Whole Building Design Guide, to 
help Federal building project managers meet various mandates as 
established by statute and Executive Orders, as well as EPA and the 
Department of Energy (DOE) program recommendations. Following an 
advance review with

[[Page 45054]]

approximately 100 building industry organizations, EPA and our partners 
are seeking public input with this notice. The draft is available on 
the Whole Building Design Guide at http://fedgreenspecs.wbdg.org.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPPT-2004-0092, must be 
received on or before September 27, 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: [email protected].
    For technical information contact: Alison Kinn Bennett, Pollution 
Prevention Division, 7409M, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-8859; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of 
particular interest to those persons that design, build, or acquire 
buildings or building products for the Federal government. 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-2004-0092. 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 EPA Docket Center, is (202) 566-
0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access the Draft Federal Guide for 
Green Construction Specifications at the Whole Building Design Guide 
Internet site at: http://fedgreenspecs.wbdg.org. 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

[[Page 45055]]

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-2004-0092. 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 [email protected], 
Attention: Docket ID number OPPT-2004-0092. In contrast to EPA's 
electronic public 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. 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) in EPA East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Attention: Docket ID number 
OPPT-2004-0092. 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 person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    Under Executive Order 13101, EPA's Office of Prevention, 
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances is responsible for providing 
information to Federal agencies to assist them in practicing 
environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP). Because construction and 
renovation of buildings constitute a large share of Federal 
expenditures and may involve significant environmental impact, EPA has 
a special interest in providing tools to promote environmentally 
preferable purchasing during these activities.
    The draft Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs is being 
developed by EPA with our partners, the Office of the Federal 
Environmental Executive and the members of the multiagency-sponsored 
Whole Building Design Guide, to help Federal building project managers 
meet various mandates as established by statute and Executive Orders, 
as well as, EPA and DOE program recommendations.
    Following an advance review with approximately 100 building 
industry organizations, EPA and our partners are seeking public input 
with this notice. The draft is available on the Whole Building Design 
Guide at http://fedgreenspecs.wbdg.org.
    For more information about the scope, purpose, and use of the 
Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs, please see the Frequently 
Asked Questions at http://www.wbdg.org/design/greenspec_faq.php.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Green building, Federal construction and 
renovation.

    Dated: July 12, 2004.
Susan B. Hazen
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.
[FR Doc. 04-16946 Filed 7-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S