[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77427-77428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30501]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Building for 
Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) Please

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 21, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Joshua D. Kneifel, (301) 975-6857 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 77428]]

I. Abstract

    Over the last 19 years, the Engineering Laboratory of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed and 
automated an approach for measuring the life-cycle environmental and 
economic performance of building products. Known as BEES (Building for 
Environmental and Economic Sustainability), the tool reduces complex, 
science-based technical content (e.g., over 500 material and energy 
flows from raw material extraction through product disposal) to 
decision-enabling results and delivers them in a visually intuitive 
graphical format. BEES Please is a voluntary program to collect data 
from product manufacturers so that the environmental performance of 
their products may be evaluated scientifically using BEES. NIST will 
publish in BEES Online (http://ws680.nist.gov/bees) an aggregated 
version of the data collected from manufacturers that protects data 
confidentiality, subject to manufacturer's review and approval. BEES 
measures environmental performance using the environmental life-cycle 
assessment approach specified in the International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO) 14040 series of standards. All stages in the life 
of a product are analyzed: Raw material acquisition, manufacture, 
transportation, installation, use, and recycling and waste management. 
Economic performance is measured using the ASTM International standard 
life-cycle cost method (E 917), which covers the costs of initial 
investment, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair, and 
disposal.

II. Method of Collection

    Data on materials use, energy consumption, waste, and environmental 
releases will be collected using an electronic, MS Excel-based 
questionnaire. An electronic, MS Word-based User Manual accompanies the 
questionnaire to help in its completion.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0036.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 30.
    Estimated Time per Response: 62 hours and 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,875.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 18, 2013.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-30501 Filed 12-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P