25

Defending the Environment

At the Department of Defense

Using Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

Procedures to Maintain the Pentagon and Other 

DOD Facilities

United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency

EPA742-R-99-002

July 1999

www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/

Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics

(7409)

1EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program

2Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing Program

Environmentally preferable purchasing ensures that

environmental considerations are included in purchasing

decisions, along with traditional factors such as product

price and performance. The EPP program provides guidance for federal agencies to facilitate purchases of goods

and services that pose fewer burdens on the environment. 

We want to hear from you! Please tell us about your environmentally preferable purchasing activities and efforts. We are collecting and sharing information, tools, and hints

about what works and what doesn’t as environmentally preferable purchasing evolves

and expands. Please contact the EPP program by regular mail, e-mail, or fax:

Eun-Sook Goidel

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street, SW. (7409)

Washington, DC 20460

E-mail: goidel.eunsook@epamail.epa.gov

Fax: 202 260-0178

◆ ◆ ◆
Foreword

T

he federal government purchases more than $200 billion worth of goods and

services each year. Recognizing that purchasing decisions can have environmental consequences, the federal government is incorporating environmental considerations into its purchasing practices. As mandated in Executive Order 13101, Greening

the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized draft guidance to help federal agencies consider environmental concerns when making purchasing decisions. The guidance establishes principles to help identify products and services that have a reduced

effect on human health and the environment. 

EPA’s guidance recognizes that environmentally preferable purchasing is a dynamic

concept that, depending on the product category, will not necessarily be implemented

in the same manner from agency to agency or even within a specific agency. To demonstrate some of the ways environmentally preferable purchasing principles are currently

being applied, EPA is documenting pilot procurement projects undertaken by executive agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector.

This case study documents one of these projects. It describes efforts by the U.S.

Department of Defense (DOD), with the help of EPA’s Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing (EPP) Program, to introduce environmentally preferable purchasing into

routine renovations of the Pentagon—DOD’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia—

and several other DOD facilities. The case study focuses on the development, award,

and implementation of a 5-year, $10 million-per-year indefinite delivery/indefinite

quantity (ID/IQ) construction, renovation, and repair contract. The project demonstrates the feasibility of including environmentally preferable purchasing principles into

federal contracts. We hope the lessons and insights documented in this case study will

help you and your organization as you incorporate environmental concerns into your

purchasing decisions. 

This document provides an overview of recent environmentally

preferable purchasing initiatives and includes references to specific

products and companies. These references are included to provide

additional detail and do not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 
Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................1

Project Background...........................................................................................................3

Saving Money and Improving Environmental Performance ............................................4

Incorporating Environmental Purchasing Into the Contract ...........................................5

Product Research...............................................................................................................7

Federal Programs.................................................................................................................7

Environmental Certification Programs..............................................................................8

Independent Product Research.........................................................................................10

Developing the Request for Proposal..........................................................................11

Additional Environmental Concerns................................................................................12

Selecting the Contractor ................................................................................................13

Work Begins.......................................................................................................................13

Educating the Contractor........................................................................................13

Preparing Submittals................................................................................................14

Educating Suppliers......................................................................................15

Verifying Environmental Attributes.............................................................16

Selecting Products....................................................................................................17

Product Availability.......................................................................................18

Revising Specifications..................................................................................18

Using the Products...................................................................................................18

Lessons Learned ..............................................................................................................20

Environmental Products Are Available ...................................................................20

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Can Be Incorporated Into 

the Traditional Purchasing Process.........................................................................20

Environmental Products Can Meet Traditional Performance Requirements......20

Environmental Purchasing Does Not Increase Government Costs .....................20

Product Research Is a Good Investment.................................................................21

Contractors Can Help Increase Awareness of Environmental 

Purchasing Principles...............................................................................................21

Environmental Attribute Information Should Be Verified in Writing..................21

Comprehensive, User-Friendly Environmental Information Is Critical ..............21

Appendix A: Pentagon Renovation...............................................................................22

Afterword ..........................................................................................................................23
Introduction

T

he Pentagon has been a showcase for American pride, strength, and ingenuity for

almost six decades. People around the world can identify it as the headquarters

for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Although the Pentagon provides

office space for approximately 26,000 employees, is twice the size of the Chicago Merchandise Mart, and has three times the floor space of New York’s Empire State building, it is not the only DOD office facility within the Washington, DC, metropolitan

area. DOD’s Washington Headquarters Services division also maintains offices supporting an additional 9,500 DOD employees who work nearby at the U.S. Court of

Appeals for the Armed Forces, the Federal Office Building Number Two (known as the

Navy Annex), and the Hybla Valley Federal Building.

The size of its work force and nature of its work require that DOD routinely renovate, repair, and reconfigure office space. DOD’s Federal Facilities Division coordinates and supervises these routine activities. The 5-year indefinite delivery/indefinite

quantity (ID/IQ) contract DOD awarded in 1997 to perform this type of work is the

subject of this case study. 

The contract is nearly identical to similar ID/IQ construction contracts awarded by

DOD throughout the last six decades with one notable exception—its inclusion of language requiring the contractor to use environmentally preferable construction materials and practices. This case study documents DOD’s reasons for incorporating

environmental concerns into the contract, its methods for doing so, and its successes

and lessons learned.

Introduction ◆ 1

Environmentally preferable products are “products and services [that] have a

lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to

other products and services that serve the same purpose.” This comparison may

consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or service.

—Executive Order 13101, Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention,

Recycling, and Federal Acquisition, September 16, 1998.

DOD’s 5-year

ID/IQ contract

requires the use of

environmentally

preferable materials

and practices.
2 ◆ Introduction

Pentagon Facts and Figures

The Pentagon is a virtual city in itself. Approximately 26,000 employees, both

military and civilian, contribute to the planning and execution of the defense of

the United States. They arrive daily from Washington, DC, and its suburbs via

subway at a station below the building or by driving over approximately 30

miles of access highways that include express bus lanes. Those driving park

approximately 8,770 cars in 16 parking lots. Once inside the building,

employees climb 131 stairways or ride 19 escalators to reach offices occupying 3,705,793 square feet.

While in the building, they tell time by 4,200 clocks, drink from 691 water

fountains, and utilize 284 rest rooms. A restaurant staff of 230 people working in one dining room, two cafeterias, and six snack bars (including one

outdoors) serve 4,500 cups of coffee, 1,700 pints of milk, and 6,800 soft

drinks each day.

More than 200,000 telephone calls are made daily through phones connected by 100,000 miles of telephone cable. The Defense Post Office handles

about 1,200,000 pieces of mail monthly. Various Pentagon libraries support

DOD research needs. The Army Library alone provides 300,000 publications

and 1,700 periodicals in various languages. 

Stripped of its occupants, furniture, and various decorations, the building

alone is an extraordinary structure. Built during the early years of World War II,

it is still thought of as one of the most efficient office buildings in the world.

Despite 17.5 miles of corridors, it takes only 10 minutes to walk between any

two points in the building. 
I

n early 1993, President Clinton began issuing a series of Executive Orders mandating that executive agencies take actions to improve their environmental performance.

The Executive Orders promote energy efficiency, water conservation, reduced toxic

emissions, waste prevention and recycling, and environmentally preferable purchasing.

Three years before the first of these Executive Orders was issued, Congress authorized

$1.1 billion for the first major renovation of the Pentagon in 50 years. Responding to

this new call from the President to reduce environmental impacts of government activities, DOD decided to use that planned renovation to make the Pentagon an environmental showcase, demonstrating and promoting energy-efficient and environmental

technologies. While this major renovation is unrelated to the routine office renovation

and reconfiguration work supervised by DOD’s Federal Facilities Division, its history

provides important context for the work described in this case study.

1

1 For more information on the overall Pentagon renovation effort, please see page 22.

Project Background ◆ 3

Environmental Executive Orders

The Executive Orders listed below provided additional incentives for DOD’s

incorporation of environmentally preferable purchasing language in its ID/IQ

construction contract. To obtain copies of the Executive Orders, please visit

<www.pub.whitehouse.gov/search/executive-orders.html>.

• Executive Order 13123, Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy

Management, June 8, 1999: This order strengthened and replaced several

Executive Orders in place during the early phases of DOD's ID/IQ construction contract planning, including Executive Order 12902, Energy Efficiency

and Water Conservation at Federal Facilities, and Executive Order 12845,

Requiring Agencies to Purchase Energy Efficient Office Equipment. Executive

Order 12902 mandated energy and water conservation in federal buildings

and directed agencies to make profitable investments in energy efficiency to

benefit the environment and the economy. It also directed agencies to designate a “showcase” facility incorporating these measures. Executive Order

12845 mandated that federal agencies purchase personal computers, monitors, and printers that meet EPA Energy Star requirements for energy efficiency, and “sleep” when they are inactive to conserve additional energy.

• Executive Order 13101, Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention,

Recycling, and Federal Acquisition, September 14, 1998: This order strengthened and replaced an earlier order, Executive Order 12873, Federal Acquisition, Recycling and Waste Prevention. Executive Order 12873 required Federal

agencies to purchase recycled-content products designated by EPA and to

buy other environmentally preferable products according to guidance developed by EPA's EPP Program.

• Executive Order 12856, Federal Compliance with Right-To-Know Laws and

Pollution Prevention Requirements, August 3, 1993: This order directs agencies

to cut toxic emissions 50 percent to improve indoor and outdoor air quality.

Executive agencies

must increase

energy efficiency,

water conservation,

and environmentally

preferable

purchasing and

reduce toxic

emissions.

Project Background 
The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an independent, nonprofit research and educational foundation, provided consulting support on how to incorporate environmental

and energy technologies into the Pentagon. RMI, together with the Pentagon Renovation and Planning Office, assembled 30 of the country’s leading environmental and

energy design experts for an intensive 3-day workshop to explore energy saving and

environmental options for the overall Pentagon renovation project. The team identified numerous measures to help decrease energy use, improve overall environmental

performance, and enhance human health and productivity.

The resulting report, Energy Efficient/Environmentally Sensitive DOD Showcase 

Facility: The Pentagon, A National Historic Landmark, contains a series of recommendations made by the workshop participants. The report is organized into five sections—

energy; building ecology; water, landscaping, and grounds; materials, waste, and

resource management; and cultural and behavioral change—but stresses the importance of an integrated approach to the overall environmental features of the building.

Saving Money and Improving Environmental

Performance

In addition to identifying ways to improve the Pentagon’s environmental features,

the RMI report also noted that the improved environmental performance could produce significant cost savings. RMI’s results suggested the following possibilities:

• Investing in energy-efficient technologies would allow DOD to reduce the

Pentagon’s energy consumption by 55 to 60 percent.

• Improving indoor air quality (IAQ) by eliminating the use of construction

materials with adverse IAQ impacts could increase worker productivity and

save money by reducing absenteeism and decreasing medical and liability

costs.

• Maintaining a comfortable working environment by upgrading the building’s

HVAC system and improving IAQ are expected to increase worker productivity by 6 percent, which represents a $72 million annual savings.

• Installing water-efficient sinks, toilets, water fountains, and showers could

reduce the Pentagon’s water consumption, currently 125 million gallons a

year, by as much as 25 percent—a savings of more than 31 million gallons 

a year.

• Making recycling easier for employees by creating room for additional collection bins and relocating collection stations will allow the Pentagon to double

its current recycling rate from 25 percent to 50 percent. Doubling the recycling rate will allow DOD to double the money generated by the Pentagon

recycling program.

4 ◆ Project Background

DOD assembled

30 leading

environmental and

energy design

experts to explore

options for the

renovation project.
Incorporating Environmental Purchasing Into the

Contract

Although the RMI report was prepared originally for the overall Pentagon renovation effort and not specifically for the routine ID/IQ construction contracts, DOD’s

Federal Facilities Division (FFD) recognized that some of the suggestions could be

incorporated into its next contract. Based on its experience with a previous environmentally preferable purchasing project—the repair and maintenance of the Pentagon

parking lots (see box on page 6)—FFD had a good understanding of what was needed

to successfully incorporate its environmental criteria into the contract. It needed to:

• Understand the environmental impacts of the construction materials used in

the contract.

• Modify traditional product contract specifications to incorporate environmental requirements.

• Select a contractor willing to commit to DOD’s environmental objectives.

Project Background ◆ 5

Contract Time Line

The following time line identifies key dates in the development and implementation of the ID/IQ construction contract.

• DOD begins developing contract January 1997

• DeLima Associates researches February/March 1997

environmental products

• Request for Proposal (RFP) released April 1997

• Contract awarded to HITT December 1997

contracting firm

• HITT begins submittals research January 1998

• HITT starts construction project March 1998
6 ◆ Project Background

DOD’s Green Parking Lots

In 1995, DOD contacted EPA’s EPP Program to help develop contract

specifications to apply environmentally preferable purchasing in repairing and

maintaining its parking lots. Together, the agencies created a successful

approach for integrating environmentally preferable purchasing practices into

contract language. 

To prepare the contract, DOD and EPA used publicly available information

and conducted a limited market survey to identify environmental attributes for

20 product categories. The team used this research to develop the RFP and

resulting contract specifications. 

The contract was awarded in June 1997 and proved it is possible to incorporate environmentally preferable purchasing practices into federal contracts.

Although the ID/IQ construction contract is much larger in scope and complexity (referencing more than 400 products), a similar process was used to develop

the specifications for both projects.

For more information on the parking lot repair and maintenance project,

refer to EPA’s case study, Paving the Road to Success (EPA 742-R-97-007). Call

EPA’s Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at 202 260-1023 for a

free copy or visit EPP’s Web site at <www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp>. 
Product Research ◆ 7

With the help of EPA’s EPP Program, DOD began searching for environmental attributes to include in the ID/IQ construction contract along with

traditional performance requirements. To help identify these attributes,

DOD examined the efforts of EPA and other federal agency programs and

nongovernmental environmental certification programs, and hired an independent

research organization.

Federal Programs

In addition to the EPP program, which focuses on multiple attributes, DOD consulted several single-attribute environmental purchasing programs including EPA’s

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG), Energy Star, and Green Lights programs; and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Federal Energy Management

Program (FEMP). DOD also consulted the National Park Service’s Sustainable Design

Database, which includes some multiple-attribute information. These programs provided environmental attribute information on a variety of products used in the ID/IQ

construction contract. DOD used the information to develop its product specifications

for the RFP. A brief description of each program follows:

• As required by Executive Order 13101 and Section 6002 of the Resource

Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA’s CPG program designates

products available containing recovered materials. The program recommends

recycled-content percentages and identifies potential suppliers. When purchasing designated products, federal agencies are required to purchase them

containing the highest percentage of recycled content if the product meets

agency needs.To date, the CPG program has designated and recommended

recycled-content percentages for 55 products in eight categories, including

products in the construction category. The construction products include

building insulation products; carpet; cement and concrete containing coal fly

ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag; consolidated and reprocessed latex

paint; floor tiles; laminated paperboard; patio blocks; shower and restroom

dividers/partitions; and structural fiber board. For additional information

about the CPG program, please visit <www.epa.gov/cpg>.

• The EPA/DOE Energy Star program identifies ways to conserve energy,

which saves money and helps protect the environment. In addition to numerous other product categories, the Energy Star program offers product information on a number of building products including utility distribution

transformers, exit signs, heating and cooling systems, windows, doors, and

skylights. For additional information, please visit <www.epa.gov/energystar>.

• EPA’s Green Lights program focuses on the energy savings that can be

obtained by installing highly energy-efficient lighting in homes and offices.

Like the Energy Star program, it provides product information and identifies

the potential cost savings of specific technologies. For additional information,

visit <www.epa.gov/greenlights>.

• DOE’s FEMP program provides energy and water efficiency recommendations for 29 products in 11 categories. Each recommendation includes a chart

Product Research 

DOD gained

insight from other

federal government

environmental

purchasing

programs.
8 ◆ Product Research

identifying the expected cost and energy or water savings. For additional

information, visit <www.eren.doe.gov/femp>.

• The National Park Service’s Sustainable Design and Construction database

contains environmental attribute information on more than 1,300 products

from more than 550 manufacturers. It lists more than 7,000 construction

debris recyclers and contains an extensive listing of books, periodicals, organizations, and online sources of sustainable design information. For additional

information, please visit <www.nps.gov/dsc/dsgncnstr/susdb/>.

Environmental Certification Programs

DOD also reviewed environmental attribute information from governmental and

private environmental certification programs around the world such as the German

government’s Blue Angel program, the Canadian government’s Environmental Choice

program, and Green Seal, an independent, nonprofit organization in the United States.

While DOD project managers found that most of these programs focus on office and

household products and appliances rather than construction materials, they did discover that several certification programs have examined paint products. Green Seal, for

example, maintains 24 paint products in its database that have met its environmental

standards. DOD referred to Green Seal’s paint standards, including volatile organic

compound (VOC) content levels and lists of prohibited organic and inorganic compounds in developing its paint specifications for the RFP (see page 9).

Paints used as part of the renovation

were screened for environmental

preferability.

DOD reviewed

information from

third-party

certification groups.
Product Research ◆ 9

DOD Paint Specifications

Using information from third-party certification organizations and federal environmental programs, DOD developed specifications for paint used in

the ID/IQ construction contract. It is important to note, however, that these

specifications had to be modified when the contractor was unable to find a paint

meeting all of them. The original environmental requirements included:

• The contractor must provide certification stating that paints proposed

for use contain no mercurial mildewcide or insecticide.

• Toxic compounds having ineffective physiological properties, such as

odor or irritation levels, shall not be used unless approved by the contracting officer.

• Paints containing lead in excess of 0.06 percent by weight of the

total nonvolatile content (calculated as lead metal) shall not be used.

Paint cans and their components cannot be fabricated with lead. 

• Paints containing zinc chromate or strontium chromate pigments shall

not be used.

• Paint shall not exceed VOC concentrations (in grams/liter), using EPA’s

test method 24 to determine concentration, higher than the following:

- interior coatings - nonflat: 150 g/l; flat: 50 g/l

- exterior coatings - nonflat: 200 g/l; flat: 100 g/l

- solvent-based paints - 380 g/l

- high-performance water-based acrylic coatings: 250 g/l

- catalyzed epoxy coatings: 250 g/l

• All latex paints shall contain at least 50 percent recovered material.

(NOTE: DOD eventually removed this requirement. See page 18 for

additional information.)

• Products shall not contain the following materials:

- Halomethanes: methylene chloride

- Chlorinated ethanes: 1,1,1-trichloroethane

- Aromatic solvents: benzene, toluene (methylbenzene), ethylbenzene

- Chlorinated ethylenes: 1,2-dichlorobenzene

- Polynuclear aromatics: naphthalene

- Chlorobenzenes: 1,2-dichlorobenzene

- Phthalate esters: di (2-ethylexyl) phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate,

di-n-octyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate

- Miscellaneous volatile organics: acrolein, acrylonitrile
Independent Product Research

With funding provided by the EPP Program, DOD hired an independent product

researcher, DeLima Associates, for a 60-day research effort to supplement the information gathered from federal sources and environmental certification organizations. The

contractor’s primary goal was to identify environmentally preferable products that met

DOD’s performance standards.

Using building magazines, catalogs, directories, and Internet sites that emphasize

environmental issues, the contractor identified at least three suppliers offering products

with enhanced environmental features for each product on DOD’s initial list of 178

conventional building products. It then broke down DOD’s initial product list into 44

product categories and developed a market survey to gather environmental information

for each category. These surveys were mailed to more than 200 suppliers.

The surveys were designed to help DOD determine which environmental attributes

to include for each product that would be described in the construction specifications.

They included general questions about material acquisition, manufacturing and fabrication, construction, product use, maintenance, recyclability and disposal, packaging,

and transportation issues. Additional product-specific questions elicited detailed information on each product category. Questions regarding forestry management practices,

for example, were included in the surveys sent to wood product manufacturers. Sealant

manufacturers received different environmentally oriented questions about VOC and

toxic material content.

The researcher’s effort produced ten, 3-inch-thick binders of product information,

including Material Safety Data Sheets, product literature, and survey answers. DOD

used the information to help develop the product specifications it included in the RFP.

10 ◆ Product Research

A market survey

helped DOD

determine which

environmental

attributes to include

in its specifications.
After completing the product research, DOD incorporated its findings into the

product specifications section of the RFP used to solicit potential contractors.

Traditionally, DOD inserts existing product specifications from previous RFPs

when preparing a new one. Though the traditional approach saves time and helps

ensure consistent performance, it limits the opportunity to introduce innovative products and processes, including products and services with improved environmental performance. For the ID/IQ construction RFP, DOD modified 75 percent of the more

than 400 product specifications to include specific environmental features, according

to Bob Cox, DOD project director for the ID/IQ construction contract.

“We improved every one we had information to improve,” explained Cox. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have environmental information for every product. We felt that

some didn’t require any improvements in environmental performance.” Recognizing

that it would take a contractor extra time to locate suppliers on nontraditional products, DOD concentrated on incorporating environmental requirements where they

were not already standard business practice. Cox explained that electric wires, for

example, already routinely contain recovered copper so DOD felt no reason to specify

that electric wires contain recovered copper in the RFP.

The following examples highlight a few of the beneficial environmental attributes

introduced into the product specifications:

• Packaging of Materials: To the extent possible, all packaging, labeling, and

instruction materials shall be made from recovered or biodegradable materials

with the highest percentage of postconsumer materials possible. Contractor

shall give preference to those manufacturers that minimize packaging.

• Plumbing Fixtures: All fixtures shall be water conserving, in accordance with

the National Standard Plumbing Code.

• Masonry: Reinforcing steel rods and bars shall contain a minimum recycled

steel content of 60 percent. Concrete masonry units shall contain a minimum

recycled materials content of 50 percent.

• Building Insulation: Extruded polystyrene insulation shall not be manufactured with ozone depleting blowing agents and shall maximize use of recycled

material.

Developing the Request for Proposal ◆ 11

Developing the Request for Proposal 

Basic Product Requirements

Although DOD added environmental attributes to its specifications, it did not

modify its traditional performance requirements. All of the specified products are

required to meet DOD’s traditional criteria, including that they:

• Meet consumer performance requirements.

• Meet industry standards, local codes, and all pertinent regulations.

• Are price competitive in the marketplace.

DOD modified

more than 300

specifications to

include specific

environmental

features.
Additional Environmental Concerns

In addition to incorporating environmental attributes into the product specifications, DOD included evaluation criteria in the RFP designed to measure each bidders’

commitment to the environmental goals of the ID/IQ construction project. These criteria included language in the RFP requesting bidders to list the resources they would

use to identify, evaluate, and obtain products meeting the environmental specifications.

With this language, DOD could ensure that bidders were aware of the importance

being placed on the RFP’s environmental product requirements.

DOD’s environmental commitment was not limited to the products to be used in

the project—the RFP also emphasized that the contractor would be required to collect,

segregate, and recycle or properly dispose of all construction and demolition (C&D)

debris. As a result, bidders were asked to submit proposals for preparing a waste management plan that minimized construction waste and maximized C&D recycling.

DOD felt one way to ensure bidders were committed to and would promote its

environmental goals was to identify companies that could demonstrate an existing

environmental commitment. As a result, the RFP also required all bidders to discuss

their current “operational practices [demonstrating] environmental stewardship.” The

RFP defined environmental stewardship as practices that protect and enhance the

environment or limit negative environmental impacts, such as company recycling 

initiatives, energy conservation measures, or a subsidized public transportation or

car pool program for company employees.

12 ◆ Developing the Request for Proposal

Summary of the RFP’s Environmental Requirements

To ensure DOD could evaluate contractors on their environmental qualifications as well as traditional qualifications, the RFP requested bidders to explain

the following:

• How they would identify and purchase products with positive environmental attributes.

• How they would minimize construction waste and maximize C&D

debris recycling.

• How their current operating practices demonstrate environmental

stewardship.

DOD requires the

contractor to

recycle or properly

dispose of

construction and

demolition debris.
Selecting the Contractor ◆ 13

DOD released the RFP in April 1997 and began evaluating proposals the following July. The bids were evaluated along traditional factors, including each

contractor’s past experience, previous job performance, references, quality control management plan, and cost estimates. In addition, DOD evaluated the proposals

along environmental criteria identified in the RFP, including the contractor’s proposal

for identifying, evaluating, and obtaining environmentally preferable products; its plan

to maximize C&D debris recycling; and the company’s demonstrated environmental

stewardship. 

Although DOD was concerned the environmental features of the RFP would

increase the bidders’ proposed cost estimates, bids were well within the traditional

price ranges for ID/IQ construction contracts of similar size and scope.

After evaluating all of the proposals, DOD determined several bids could meet its

traditional price and performance requirements. One of the defining differences

among the proposals was the winning contractor’s strategy for identifying environmental products and its demonstrated environmental stewardship. On December 30, 1997,

HITT Contracting, Inc. was awarded the ID/IQ construction contract, which incorporated all of the environmental features originally identified in the RFP.

Work Begins

After winning the contract, HITT had 60 days to prepare for project work. The

contractor spent that time applying for security clearances and access badges for the

Pentagon, setting up trailer space in the area allotted to contractors, and, most importantly, preparing the product information submittals as specified in the contract. As

with any construction contract, before beginning work, the contractor is required to

identify the products it will use to complete the job and obtain approval of the construction manager to use them. With the DOD contract, the contractor had to locate

products meeting not only the performance specifications, but also the environmental

specifications identified in the contract.

Educating the Contractor

Although HITT was selected in part on the quality of its strategy for selecting environmental products, DOD spent significant time with the contractor ensuring that it

fully understood DOD’s commitment to environmental purchasing. Bob Cox, the

DOD project director, suggested several improvements to HITT’s product selection

process, including proposing specific questions to ask of manufacturers and suppliers

and recommending additional sources of information HITT did not include in its

original strategy. DOD also shared the results of the DeLima Associates research project as a source of potential manufacturers and suppliers providing products with the

environmental features DOD specified.

Throughout the submittal process, DOD emphasized to the contractor that it was

carefully reviewing the contractor’s implementation of the environmentally preferable

purchasing plan. DOD wanted to ensure HITT and its subcontractors took the environmental specifications as seriously as DOD took them.

Selecting the Contractor

Contractor bids

were well within

traditional price

ranges even with

environmental

criteria included.
Preparing Submittals

HITT implemented its plan for locating environmental products, incorporating the

additional strategies suggested by DOD, as soon as the contract was awarded. Though

a part of every contract, the submittal process for the ID/IQ construction contract was

the most extensive the contractor had encountered. The contractor began its research

by asking all of the company’s construction managers for any information on products

that met the contract’s environmental product requirements. The request did not produce many promising leads, but did identify the name of a green building construction

expert with which the company had previously worked. The consultant was able to

suggest a few products, but ultimately did not have the type of information that would

help HITT identify and locate the needed products within its limited time frame.

Consequently, HITT began researching product information through available

green building resources, including magazines and Internet sites. Although this effort

produced lots of promising leads, the contractor found that the information was frequently not specific enough to ensure that the products would meet both DOD’s performance and environmental requirements. To supplement the information, HITT

began calling its regular manufacturers and vendors to determine what information

they had available.

Many suppliers were extremely helpful and had environmental information available

or were able to recommend other suppliers and products. Other suppliers, however,

were surprised to learn that the products they had been selling to HITT for years

could not automatically be used for DOD’s ID/IQ construction contract. “Surprisingly,

one of the hardest things we had to do was get our suppliers to realize that this was a

different contract with new environmental requirements,” reported Lee Davies,

HITT’s Senior Project Manager. “They kept saying, ‘We’ve been submitting these

[nonenvironmental] products for years and they’ve always been accepted.’ Once we

explained DOD’s need for environmental products, things got a little easier.”

Since contractors traditionally use the same manufacturers, suppliers, and products

for each contract, a contractor typically only has to make one or two phone calls per

product to identify the products it will use for a particular contract. To locate the products used for the ID/IQ construction contract, however, HITT relied on a team of

eight full-time employees who worked for 2 months calling manufacturers and vendors. Each of the 400 products took an average of 15 to 20 calls to locate a product

meeting DOD’s specifications. As a result, HITT made between 6,000 and 8,000

phone calls as part of the submittal process.

14 ◆ Selecting the Contractor

“The contractor had a good environmentally preferable purchasing strategy in

its proposal, but because of our extensive product research, we could identify

several areas for improvement. We worked closely with HITT to ensure they had

all of the information they needed to do the job well. In fact, HITT had numerous manufacturers call me directly so I could explain the origins and importance

of certain environmental attributes. At one point, I was fielding as many as 20

calls a day.”

— Bob Cox, DOD project director 
Selecting the Contractor ◆ 15

To help manage the large volumes of product information it was gathering, the contractor developed a submittal package for potential vendors. After identifying a potential product, it sent the vendor an

overview of the project and a list of the

performance and environmental specifications required for the product in question. The vendor could simply follow

the enclosed instructions to provide the

contractor with the necessary information. A few forms came back incomplete

and required additional phone calls, but,

overall, the process worked well.

Although the number of calls and

logistics involved seem excessive, HITT

recognizes that over the life of the 5-

year contract, which is worth as much as

$25 million to the company, the costs

involved were minimal. In addition, the

contractor views the cost as an investment towards future federal contracts.

“For future contracts,” suggests Davies,

“we will not need to conduct as much

research. We can return to one or two

calls per product just to keep our product information current. In addition, we

now know more about environmental

construction products and can use that knowledge to try and win future contracts.”

Educating Suppliers

In order to ensure it was identifying products meeting DOD’s environmental specifications, HITT discovered that it needed to first educate potential suppliers about

environmentally preferable purchasing and then get the product information in writing. Many of the suppliers contacted by the contractor were unfamiliar with the environmental attributes of the products they were manufacturing or selling. As a result,

HITT spent considerable time explaining DOD’s motivations for environmental purchasing. HITT also referred many of its potential suppliers to DOD when it could not

answer specific questions about the environmental attributes.

One of the most challenging environmental specifications for HITT to explain was

its search for wood products obtained from trees harvested from a sustainable forest.

There is not currently any consensus among industry and environmental groups on

the definition of “sustainable forestry.” Although the contract allowed the contractor

to use products manufactured with timber grown in accordance with any one of several

certification or forest management programs, most suppliers were not familiar with

them. Many potential suppliers incorrectly assumed that because trees are a renewable

resources, all forests are sustainable.2

2 According to EPA’s Interim Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, natural resources generally

are not considered renewable unless they are naturally renewable in less than 200 years. Natural resources such

as trees can be harvested in such a way that they are nonrenewable or nonsustainable.

Practice Makes Perfect

While HITT was researching and

selecting the environmental products

to use for the DOD project, the contractor decided to test some of the

products itself. The contractor set up

its trailer at the Pentagon using environmental products. “Everything in

here is environmentally preferable,”

Davies explained as he pointed at the

walls painted with low VOC paint; the

recycled-content carpet with minimal

VOC emissions from the adhesive;

the energy-efficient lights; recycledcontent ceiling tiles; and sustainably

harvested-wood furniture. “We figured if we’re going to be a part of this

environmental building project, we’ll

be a real part of it.”
16 ◆ Selecting the Contractor

According to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent, nonprofit,

nongovernmental organization founded in 1993 by a diverse group of representatives

from environmental and conservation groups, the timber industry, the forestry profession, indigenous peoples’ organizations, community forest groups, and forest product

certification organizations from 25 countries, a forest is sustainable if it is managed in

an ecologically sound, socially responsible, and economically viable manner. The FSC

defines a sustainable forest as a place where timber growth equals or exceeds harvesting

rates in both quantity and quality while protecting rivers and streams from degradation

due to erosion, decreasing the damage caused by harvesting, promoting biodiversity,

and fairly compensating workers and local populations.

The American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), the national trade association

of the forest, paper, and wood products industry, defines sustainable forestry as that

which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Through its Sustainable Forestry Initiative, AF&PA

members practice a land stewardship ethic that integrates the reforestation, managing,

growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products while conserving soil,

air and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, and aesthetics.

Sustainable forestry was a new concept for many of HITT’s traditional vendors and

required quite a bit of additional explanation and verification to ensure the products

would meet DOD’s environmental requirements. Part of the challenge was that with

certain products like wood doors, the door manufacturer frequently did not know the

origin of the wood it was using. To complicate the matter, HITT found that even the

wood suppliers are not always sure of the origins of their wood.

“I talked to the vendor, the manufacturer, the mill manager, and the forest manager,”

said Ruth Bodnar, HITT Project Manager. “I did everything but talk to the tree

before feeling satisfied that the products met contract specifications.” Ultimately, the

contractor only found a single company claiming to manufacture products in

accordance with DOD’s sustainable forestry specification that was willing to put the

certification in writing. 

Verifying Environmental Attributes

Another important lesson HITT learned while conducting its product submittal

research is the importance of obtaining environmental attribute information in writing.

The contractor encountered several instances in which overzealous sales people misstated the environmental benefits of their products. According to Davies, “Some suppliers will tell you what you want to hear to get you to buy their product.”

The sales representative for a recycled-content gypsum wall board manufacturer, for

example, assured the contractor that the product contained 60 percent postconsumer

content as specified in the DOD contract requirements. When HITT requested that

the sales representative verify the information in writing, the representative refused to

guarantee anything greater than 30 percent recycled content. Unable to locate any

vendor with a product meeting DOD’s specification, the contractor concluded that

DOD’s contract specifications were based on misinformation obtained during DOD’s

original product research. As a result, DOD revisited the specification and altered it to

reflect the environmental information collected by HITT.

Other supplier and product experiences were much more positive. One manufacturer of a low VOC paint, for example, was convinced its paint exceeded DOD’s

Requiring

environmental

attribute

information in

writing helped

ensure that

products met

DOD’s 

specifications.
requirement that paint contain less than 50 grams per liter of VOCs. Unfortunately,

the manufacturer did not have written documentation supporting its contention. Due

to the volume of paint HITT was likely to purchase throughout the life of its Pentagon

contract, the manufacturer paid several thousand dollars to have its product tested.

Upon receiving the results proving that the product contained zero VOCs, the manufacturer shared them with HITT. The contractor subsequently included the product

on its official product submittal list. The paint manufacturer is hoping the positive

results will help it win other customers too.

Selecting Products

After identifying products meeting DOD’s performance and environmental requirements, HITT determined which of the products it should submit for use on the project. When the contractor located only one product meeting DOD’s specifications, it

was the product submitted. In instances when more than one product was identified,

HITT compared the price, environmental attributes, and product availability before

selecting the product. The contractor attempted to maximize the number of positive

environmental attributes and minimize cost. Product availability, however, was also an

important factor because many of the ID/IQ construction projects require quick turnaround.

Selecting the Contractor ◆ 17

Comparing Environmental Attributes

Situations arose during the course of this contract that made it difficult to

determine which was the environmentally preferable solution. For example,

when HITT was researching two-foot by four-foot, recycled-content,

suspended ceiling tiles, it located a manufacturer making both a recycledcontent and a virgin material product. While typically there is no performance

difference between recycled-content and virgin products, HITT questioned

the durability of the recycled-content product in this case. “It’s unusual

for a manufacturer to make two competing products,” explained Davies, “so we

were worried the manufacturer was not confident in the recycled-content 

product’s performance.”

According to the vendor, its recycled-content product contains impurities

that make it less durable than its virgin material product. The vendor explained

that its recycled-content product was subject to sagging after 15 years of use,

which was not true of the virgin product. Since HITT was selecting the product for a space that would typically be used for only 5 to 10 years, the reported

performance difference was not an issue. After consulting with the DOD project manager, HITT decided to use the manufacturer’s recycled-content product on this project.
Product Availability

HITT discovered a few environmental products that it wanted to use but could not

obtain easily. Suppliers frequently do not keep products in stock that are not in high

demand. Rather, they manufacture them only when an order has been placed. As a

result, these products can take weeks to become available. This was the case with some

of the environmental products that HITT staff wanted to use but they needed access to

products quickly because of the rapid five-day turnaround on many of the DOD jobs.

They do not have time to wait for them to be manufactured and delivered.

The contractor worked closely with several vendors to resolve the availability issue.

One manufacturer agreed to produce larger quantities of its products, anticipating that

HITT would be using them frequently. For another product, HITT decided it was

cost-effective to order a large quantity and store them off site.

Revising Specifications

The contractor was unable to locate a paint meeting all of DOD’s paint specifications. When developing the paint specification, DOD incorporated many of Green

Seal’s paint standards, which do not include a recycled-content requirement, along with

a recycled-content requirement promoted by EPA’s CPG program. Unfortunately, as

HITT discovered, recycled-content paint is not yet available meeting all of the environmental standards adopted by DOD. Consequently, DOD was forced to decide

whether the recycled-content requirement or the other environmental attributes were

more important. After confirming that recycled-content paints meeting its standards

were not available, DOD decided that protecting indoor air quality by minimizing

VOCs and eliminating other constituents it determined to be hazardous was the more

important environmental consideration. As a result, DOD removed the recycledcontent requirement. HITT was then able to locate several products meeting DOD’s

revised specification.

Using the Products

After submitting its product submittals and receiving DOD approval, HITT was

ready to begin using the products. While most environmental products perform the

same as traditional products, some require slightly different handling procedures in

order to guarantee maximum performance. One of HITT’s painting subcontractors,

for example, reported that a certain VOC-free paint was not coating as well as traditional paints with higher VOC contents. The paint tended to pool at the point of

application. The contractor reported the problem to the manufacturer and the manufacturer suggested a small change to the traditional application process, which dramatically improved the paint’s performance.

For other products, manufacturers trained the contractor and subcontractors before

work began to ensure that their environmental products were installed properly. One

vendor, for example, manufactures a fire proofing material that DOD and HITT

determined to be environmentally preferable. The company demonstrated the proper

installation techniques and certified that HITT and its subcontractors were properly

trained. The contractor has been so impressed with the product, it is using it on other

jobs even when they do not require the use of environmental products.

18 ◆ Selecting the Contractor

Proper training and

communication

ensured successful

installation and

performance of

environmentally

preferable products.
Unlike many traditional institutional floor covering materials, another vendor’s floor

covering does not require wet adhesives and is installed slightly differently than traditional products. This vendor also provided HITT and its subcontractor with training

to properly install its product.

As of May 1999, HITT had completed more than 150 jobs, all of which use products meeting DOD’s environmental and performance criteria. DOD is happy with the

quality of the work and very pleased with the cost and the environmental performance

of the products being used to complete the work. The success of this effort clearly

demonstrates that environmental products can be incorporated into federal construction contracts without decreasing quality or increasing costs.

Selecting the Contractor ◆ 19
T he size and scope of the DOD contract provided many valuable lessons about the

environmental attributes for numerous construction materials. A few of these are

described below.

Environmental Products Are Available

Manufacturers do not always advertise the environmental features of their products

even when they are impressive. The secret to finding them, according to those involved

with this project, is to know what questions to ask. “Don’t ask for environmental products,” suggested Bob Cox, DOD project director, “ask for products containing specific

environmental attributes. It can be difficult for manufacturers to know if their product

meets your definition of ‘environmentally preferable.’ If you give them a list of attributes, the question is easier to answer.”

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Can Be Incorporated Into

the Traditional Purchasing Process

As DOD discovered, incorporating environmentally preferable purchasing concerns

into the traditional contracting process was not difficult. The same process was used

that DOD uses with “traditional” ID/IQ contracts. The only important difference was

the time DOD spent revising its product specifications. “Product specifications are

periodically revised anyway,” explained Bob Cox, DOD project director, “We simply

reviewed them earlier than normal and incorporated environmental concerns during

the revision process.”

Environmental Products Can Meet Traditional Performance

Requirements

DOD did not modify its traditional performance requirements to incorporate environmental products into the ID/IQ construction contract. Instead, it added environmental requirements to its existing specifications. Using environmental products does

not require lowering performance standards. In fact, the DOD contractor has discovered several environmental products that perform better and are less expensive than the

products it traditionally used. As a result, the contractor is using them even when the

specifications do not require the use of environmental products.

Environmental Purchasing Does Not Increase Government Costs

Although DOD was concerned initially that the environmental specifications in the

contract might increase costs, the actual bids were very consistent with similar contracts without an environmental emphasis. Contractors did not charge DOD a premium for using environmental products as some contracting officials feared. Instead,

according to Bob Cox, the DOD project director, “The contract allows DOD to renovate or reconfigure interior office space using environmentally preferable products and

remain within traditional price and time parameters.”

20 ◆ Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

Incorporating

environmentally

preferable

purchasing concerns

into the traditional

DOD contracting

process was not

difficult.
Product Research Is a Good Investment

DOD’s initial product research allowed it to identify the environmental attributes

available in construction products. This allowed DOD’s Federal Facilities Division to

develop specifications that could be met by products currently available in the marketplace. The research effort will also make it easier to incorporate environmental specifications in future contracts.

Similarly, HITT conducted significant research to locate products meeting DOD’s

specifications. Its research will allow the contractor to accurately bid the environmental

products on future contracts. HITT also feels its product research places the company

at a potential advantage for future federal work, given the mandates for environmentally

preferable purchasing.

Contractors Can Help Increase Awareness of Environmental 

Purchasing Principles

The EPP Program’s experience suggests environmental purchasing will become

easier and easier as more and more people become familiar with the concept. One of

the challenges has been spreading the message. Under the ID/IQ construction contract,

the DOD contractor shared the environmental purchasing message with thousands of 

suppliers as part of its search for products meeting DOD’s specifications. The contractor quickly recognized that as more and more manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors

understand the emphasis the federal government is placing on environmental products,

the easier the products should become to identify and locate. In fact, many suppliers are

now contacting HITT directly because they have learned of its interest in environmental products.

Environmental Attribute Information Should Be Verified In Writing

HITT and DOD quickly learned during the product submittal process that the accuracy of the environmental information provided by suppliers tends to increase if it is

requested in writing. It helps ensure that suppliers have time to carefully compare their

products against the selected environmental attributes. Requesting such information in

writing also helps communicate the government’s emphasis on the importance and

accuracy of the information.

Comprehensive, User-Friendly Environmental Information Is Critical

To purchase the best environmental products, consumers must have access to accurate information on the multiple environmental attributes of a product throughout its

lifecycle—from raw material acquisition through manufacturing, use, and ultimate disposal. Unfortunately, the DOD team for this pilot project did not have access to as

much environmental information as it would have preferred. As a result, when determining whether a product was environmentally preferable, the team relied primarily on

single environmental attributes such as energy efficiency, recycled content, or toxicity

instead of on multiple environmental attributes.

Providing comprehensive environmental data in a user-friendly format is the next

important challenge. As Bob Cox explains, “The challenge is daunting, but the federal

government must find ways to encourage industry and educational institutions to participate in the fact-finding process. Providing the information will make environmental

purchasing easier and educate industry about the environmental impacts of its products

and, hopefully, encourage industry to further improve its environmental performance.”

Lessons Learned ◆ 21

Product research

allowed DOD

to develop

specifications that

could be met by

products currently

available in the

marketplace.
22 ◆

Built in 1942 to help meet U.S. defense needs during World War II, the

Pentagon—now a National Historic Landmark—has never undergone a major

renovation. After more than 50 years, renovation has become essential in order

to meet health, fire, and safety codes and to provide reliable electrical, air-conditioning,

and ventilating services. Absent a major renovation, the building infrastructure could

become unreliable and unable to effectively support DOD’s mission. Repairs are necessary not only to ensure the safety and comfort of Pentagon workers, but also to save

money and improve agency operations.

Acknowledging the need for major renovation, Congress appropriated $1.1 billion in

1990 to modernize the Pentagon. DOD immediately began prioritizing its renovation

needs and initiating the necessary design work. Renovation work is currently underway

in the first of the Pentagon’s five “wedges.” The entire renovation is expected to be

completed by Spring 2010.

Appendix A: Pentagon Renovation

All 7,748 windows in the Pentagon

will be removed (most of the frames

are covered with lead paint) and

replaced with double-pane thermal

insulation glass. This alone will

improve the energy efficiency of the

building by about 25 percent.
Many of the lessons learned as a result of DOD’s experience with the ID/IQ

construction contract have been incorporated into the numerous contracts

supporting the overall Pentagon renovation effort. Similar environmental contract language also has been incorporated into a contract to build a new

Remote Delivery Facility (RDF) to support Pentagon operations. The

200,000-square-foot RDF will allow DOD officials to safely inspect the cargos

of the more than 300 vehicles per day that deliver goods to the Pentagon. This

precaution is necessary to help prevent terrorist activity from affecting Pentagon operations. 

The RDF contract, like the contract described in this case study and other

contracts supporting the renovation effort, includes environmentally preferable purchasing goals. The offerers on this contract must show how they will

integrate sustainable design and environmental purchasing into the design and

construction of the RDF within the project constraints of cost, schedule, program requirements, and site conditions. Examples of sustainable design criteria

include an emphasis on energy conservation, water conservation, waste management, and recycling, and protecting indoor air quality. Future Pentagon

renovation contracts will continue to include environmentally preferable purchasing goals and sustainable design.

Afterword
1EPA

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

(7409)

Washington, DC 20460

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