[Federal Register: July 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 144)]
[Notices]
[Page 45053-45055]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy04-72]
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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:
TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
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: kinn.alison@epa.gov.
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 oppt.ncic@epa.gov,
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