[Federal Register: November 2, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 211)]
[Notices]               
[Page 63511-63512]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02no04-30]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0134]

 
Submission for OMB Review; Environmentally Sound Products

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding an extension to 
an existing OMB clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 
Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved 
information collection requirement concerning environmentally sound 
products. A request for public comments was published at 69 FR 53420 on 
September 1, 2004. No comments were received.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 2, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Goral, Contract Policy Division, 
GSA (202) 501-3856.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden to the General Services Administration, FAR 
Secretariat, 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405. Please 
cite OMB Control No. 9000-0134, Environmentally Sound Products, in all 
correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    This information collection complies with Section 6002 of the 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. 6962). RCRA 
requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate items 
which are or can be produced with recovered materials. RCRA further 
requires agencies to develop affirmative procurement programs to ensure 
that items composed of recovered materials will be purchased to the 
maximum extent practicable. Affirmative procurement programs required 
under RCRA must contain, as a minimum (1) a recovered materials 
preference program and an agency promotion program for the preference 
program; (2) a program for requiring estimates of the total percentage 
of recovered materials used in the performance of a contract, 
certification of minimum recovered material content actually used, 
where appropriate, and reasonable verification procedures for estimates 
and certifications; and (3) annual review and monitoring of the 
effectiveness of an agency's affirmative procurement program.
    The items for which EPA has designated minimum recovered material 
content standards are (1) cement and concrete containing fly ash, (2) 
paper and paper products, (3) lubricating oil containing re-refined 
oil, (4) retread tires, and (5) building insulation products. The FAR 
rule also permits agencies to obtain pre-award information from 
offerors regarding the content of items which the agency has designated 
as requiring minimum percentages of recovered materials. There are 
presently no known agency designated items.
    In accordance with RCRA, the information collection applies to 
acquisitions requiring minimum percentages of recovered materials, when 
the price of the item exceeds $10,000 or when the aggregate amount paid 
for the item or functionally equivalent items in the preceding fiscal 
year was $10,000 or more.
    Contracting officers use the information to verify offeror/
contractor compliance with solicitation and contract requirements 
regarding the use of recovered materials. Additionally, agencies use 
the information in the

[[Page 63512]]

annual review and monitoring of the effectiveness of the affirmative 
procurement programs required by RCRA.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 64,350.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 64,350.
    Hours Per Response: .5.
    Total Burden Hours: 20,914.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, FAR Secretariat (VR), Room 4035,1800 F Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite OMB control 
No. 9000-0134, Environmentally Sound Products, in all correspondence.

    Dated: October 22, 2004.
Laura Auletta
Director, Contract Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 04-24439 Filed 11-1-04; 8:45 am]