### 70938 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices

submitters, updates to control techniques can be provided via EIS.

• Boiler design capacity. The EPA seeks comment on the design capacity
of boilers as characterized in the

DESIGN

_ CAPACITY and DESIGN

_ CAPACITY

_ UNITS columns of point source emission inventory flat files. Design capacity is included in the stack parameter summary. For EIS data submitters, updates to design capacities can be provided via EIS.

• Emissions modeling methods. The EPA is using the SMOKE version 3.5 to prepare data for air quality modeling. The EPA requests comment on the methods by which SMOKE is used to develop air quality model-ready emissions, as illustrated in the scripts provided with the modeling platform.

• Temporal allocation. Annual
emission inventories must be allocated to hourly values prior to air quality modeling. This may be done with temporal profiles in several steps, such as annual-to-month, month-to-day, and day-to-hour. The exact method used depends on the type of emissions being processed. The EPA seeks comment on
the allocation of the emission inventories to month, day, and hour for all types of emission processes. In particular, the EPA seeks information that could help improve the temporal allocation of emissions from EGUs, onroad and nonroad mobile sources,
and residential wood combustion
sources. The EPA seeks to continue to improve temporal allocation factors with additional local and region-specific data. In addition to providing temporal allocation data as SMOKE input files, spreadsheets containing temporal
allocation factors and cross references are provided for readability.

• Spatial surrogates. Spatialsurrogates are used to allocate countylevel emissions into grid cells used for air quality modeling. The EPA requests comment on the spatial surrogates used in the 2011 emissions modeling platform. Plots of spatial surrogates and a spreadsheet containing the spatial cross reference data are provided for readability.

• Chemical speciation. Prior to air quality modeling, the pollutants in the
emission inventories must be converted into the chemical species used by the air quality model using speciation profiles. The speciation profiles in the 2011 emissions modeling platform are
consistent with version 4.5 of the SPECIATE database. The EPA requests comment on the speciation profiles used in the 2011 modeling platform, as well as any information that could help improve the speciation of oil and gas
emissions in both the eastern and western United States. In addition to providing chemical speciation data as SMOKE input files, spreadsheets containing chemical speciation factors and cross references are provided for readability.

To aid in the interpretation of the provided data files and how they relate to the aspects of the data on which the EPA is requesting comment, the EPA has provided in the docket a document describing the information included in the provided data files.

Dated: November 20, 2013.
Mary Henigin, Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards.

[FR Doc. 2013–28508 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION**
**AGENCY**

**[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2013–0579; FRL–9394–7]**

**Draft Guidelines; Product**
**Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Voluntary Use in**  **Federal Procurement; Notice of Availability and Request for Comments** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  EPA is announcing for public
review and comment draft Guidelines intended to provide a transparent, fair,and consistent approach to using nongovernmental product environmental performance standards and ecolabels in Federal purchasing, consistent with Federal standards policy and sustainable acquisition mandates. These draft Guidelines have been developed in response to requests via a wide variety of stakeholder engagement channels from suppliers, manufacturers, environmental organizations, Federal purchasers, and other stakeholders over the last several years. Voluntary guidelines for standards and ecolabels would help agencies implement sustainable acquisition requirements of
Executive Order 13514 and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 23.103 which requires 95% of the government’s applicable contract actions to be sustainable. Specifically, the Guidelines
for standards and ecolabels could provide clarity regarding the term ‘‘environmentally preferable’’ for purposes of the Executive Order. In addition to seeking input on the draft Guidelines themselves, EPA is seeking input on how standards and ecolabels
should be assessed for conformance to such guidelines. The proposed draft Guidelines and supplementary
information can be found in the docket
and at http://www.epa.gov/epp/ draftGuidelines.

**DATES :**  Comments must be received on or before February 25, 2014.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2013–0579, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001.

• Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), William Jefferson Clinton (WJC) East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington,
DC. ATTN: Docket ID Number EPA– HQ–OPPT–2013–0579. 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. Such deliveries are only accepted during the DCO’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information.

• Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPPT– 2013–0579. EPA’s policy is that all
comments received will be included in the docket without change and may be
made available online at http:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or email. The regulations.gov Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in
the docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid


### 70939 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices

the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects

or viruses.

• Docket: All documents in the
docket are listed in the docket index
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are
available in the electronic docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or at the
OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/ DC) at Rm. 3334, WJC West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566–0280. Docket visitors are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the building and returned upon departure.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For information regarding environmentally preferable purchasing, contact: Alison Kinn Bennett, Senior Advisor, Pollution Prevention Division (7409M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 564–8859; email address: kinn.alison@epa.gov.

For information regarding standards policy, contact: Mary McKiel, Standards Executive, International Staff (7101M), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 564–0532; email address: mckiel.mary@epa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
I. Does this action apply to me?

This action is directed to the public in general. Although this action may be of particular interest to those persons who purchase or provide products and services for Federal agencies, developers of standards and ecolabels, and the manufacturers of products, 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 contact person listed under

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**

. II. Background

A. What action is the agency taking?

EPA is announcing for public review
and comment draft Guidelines intended
to assist the Federal workforce in more consistently utilizing non-governmental product environmental performance
standards and ecolabels in the Federal procurement process, consistent with Federal standards policy and sustainable acquisition mandates.

Federal agencies must comply with the following sustainability-related purchasing mandates: section 2(h) of Executive Order 13514 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance), section
6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, The Energy Policy Act, section 2(d) of Executive Order 13423 (Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management) (72 FR 3919, January 26, 2007), and the FAR, including FAR Part 23 (Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety, and Drug-Free Workplace) (see http:// www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ procurement

_index

_green). Section 2(h) of Executive Order 13514
states that:

The Head of each Agency shall . . . advance sustainable acquisition to ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions including task and delivery orders, for products and services with the exception of acquisition of weapon systems, are . . . energy-efficient (Energy Star or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated), water-efficient, biobased, environmentally preferable (e.g., Electronic
Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) certified), non-ozone depleting, contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less toxic alternatives, where such products and services meet agency performance requirements.

In addition, via the ‘‘National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995’’ (Pub. L. 104–113; hereinafter ‘‘the NTTAA’’), Congress required Federal agencies to ‘‘use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities,’’ except when an agency determines that such use ‘‘is inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical.’’ Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A–119 (titled ‘‘Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities’’) reaffirms Federal agency use of non-governmental standards in procurement.

While Federal purchasing policy is
clear for the several standards and ecolabels that are listed in statute, regulation, or Executive Order, the lack of guidance on using other product environmental performance standards
and ecolabels often results in an inconsistent approach by Federal purchasers and confusion and uncertainty for vendors and
manufacturers.

Therefore, in accordance with Federal obligations under the NTTAA and OMB Circular A–119 (see http:// www.standards.gov), EPA is requesting
comments on draft Guidelines that
could be used to select nongovernmental product environmental performance standards and ecolabels for voluntary use in Federal procurement. Additionally, the Guidelines could provide clarity regarding the term ‘‘environmentally preferable’’ for purposes of Executive Order 13514, building upon EPA’s ‘‘1999 Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing’’ (see http:// www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/guidance/ finalguidance.htm ) which defines ‘‘environmentally preferable’’ to mean products or services that ‘‘have a lesser
or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or 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’’.

As envisioned by EPA, guidelines for
standards and ecolabels that would be used by the Federal government would not be applied to products directly or to government standards and ecolabels or to non-governmental standards and ecolabels that are already mandated for procurement via statute or Executive Order. Moreover, these draft Guidelines
are not intended to discontinue or diminish procurement of products conforming to government standards and ecolabels. Existing mandates and government standards and ecolabels were influential in framing the draft Guidelines, especially guidelines regarding the environmental
effectiveness of a standard’s criteria.
These standards and ecolabels were


### 70940 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices

later assessed for conformance with the draft Guidelines and found to align in principle (e.g., participatory process, transparency), considering the differences in administrative procedures of the government and of standards development organizations.

Rather, EPA envisions that nongovernmental standards and ecolabels
determined to be in conformance with the Guidelines would supplement existing mandates and government standards and ecolabels. [For illustration purposes, ‘‘product category
x’’ has a recovered content minimum of 20% per the EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) (section
6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). A multi-attribute environmental performance standard for ‘‘product category x’’ is determined to conform to the Guidelines. Depending on the standard, Federal procurement
officials could be informed that either (1) the non-governmental standard facilitates meeting the mandate (e.g., the standard includes the CPG requirementas a prerequisite) or (2) the nongovernmental standard addresses important environmental considerations, but does not necessarily fully address the CPG requirement, so the standard could be specified in addition to the CPG requirement.]

B. How were these draft guidelines developed?

In 2011 and 2012, EPA and the General Services Administration (GSA) convened several listening sessions to solicit input regarding the Federal Government’s role in sustainability. A number of sessions were held following the release of the National Academy of Sciences report ‘‘Sustainability and the
U.S. EPA.’’ Other sessions were held under the auspices of the Interagency Workgroup established by GSA per
section 13 of Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance (74 FR 52117, October 8, 2009).

EPA heard some common themes from suppliers, manufacturers,environmental organizations, multistakeholder bodies, regulatory partners, and others. Key points included: (1) The desire for greater clarity in the marketplace regarding standards and ecolabels and (2) the opportunity to leverage the Federal Government’s purchasing power toward sustainability goals.

The Interagency Workgroup developed an initial set of draft Guidelines and contracted with Big Room Inc. (developers of
www.EcoLabelIndex.com ) to test the feasibility and appropriateness of the draft Guidelines. Big Room Inc. conducted a survey of a subset of government and non-governmental environmental performance standards and ecolabel developers. Based on the results of the study and external stakeholder input, the Interagency workgroup revised the draft Guidelines.

C. Authorities

EPA is issuing this notice pursuant to the authority in the Pollution Prevention Act [42 U.S.C.A. § 13103(b)(11)] which requires EPA to ‘‘Identify opportunities to use Federal procurement to encourage source reduction’’ and Section 12(d) of the NTTAA, which requires Federal agencies to ‘‘use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or

activities.’’

III. Draft Guidelines

The draft Guidelines are organized into the following four sections:

• Section I, ‘‘Guidelines for the Process for Developing Standards’’ addresses the procedures used to develop, maintain, and update a product environmental performance
standard.

• Section II, ‘‘Guidelines for the
Environmental Effectiveness of
Standards’’ addresses the criteria in the standard or ecolabel that support the claim of environmental preferability.

• Section III, ‘‘Guidelines for Conformity Assessment’’ addresses the procedures and practices by which products are assessed for conformity to the criteria specified by standards and ecolabeling programs.

• Section IV, ‘‘Guidelines for Management of Ecolabeling Programs’’ addresses the organizational and management practices of an ecolabeling

program.

EPA recognizes that the level to which sustainability practices have been incorporated varies by industry sector and even from product category to product category. Therefore, a single, one-size-fits-all approach to assessing
standards and ecolabels would not be appropriate or useful. To address differences among sectors, EPA is requesting comment on an approach that provides flexibility. For example,
each draft Guideline has been designated either as ‘‘baseline’’ or ‘‘leadership.’’ Based on initial analysis, draft ‘‘baseline’’ Guidelines align with Federal goals and requirements, are relatively straightforward to evaluate, and are applicable across industry sectors. Draft ‘‘leadership’’ Guidelines represent best practices and are currently achievable by some standards
and ecolabels.

Another example of the flexibilities EPA has considered arises with respect
to the draft Guidelines sections addressing Conformity Assessment and Management of Ecolabeling Programs. Specifically, there may not be amarketplace need for a second or thirdparty conformity assessment program depending upon, among other factors, the degree of risk associated with a product’s nonconformity to the standard. In those cases, a supplier’s self-declaration of conformity would suffice. Similarly, there may not be a marketplace need for an ecolabel, depending upon the type of product and/or how it is procured. In those cases, the Guidelines for Management of Ecolabeling Programs would not apply.

The proposed draft Guidelines and supplementary information can be
found at http://www.epa.gov/epp/ draftGuidelines.

IV. Pilot Program Under Consideration

In addition to seeking input on the draft Guidelines themselves, EPA is seeking input on how standards and
ecolabels should be assessed for conformance to the Guidelines if they are finalized and implemented. Based on discussions with stakeholders, EPA anticipates that a number of organizations may be positioned to respond to the need for assessment of standards and ecolabels for conformity with the Guidelines. Taking this into account, EPA is considering a limited pilot project, assuming sufficient appropriations are available, to test an assessment approach, especially with respect to Guidelines addressing the
‘‘environmental effectiveness’’ of a standard or ecolabel’s criteria. During this pilot, EPA expects that an external entity (or entities) would convene and work with a multi-stakeholder panel (orpanels) to develop product categoryspecific programs to assess conformity
of standards and ecolabels with the Guidelines. The entity (or entities)
would then conduct the assessments for selected product categories in a manner
consistent with the International Organization for Standardization’s Guides on conformity assessment, and develop a list of standards and ecolabels
that conform to the Guidelines. The results from the pilot project would be made publicly available and EPA would evaluate the results to inform any future action such as making available a list of conforming standards and ecolabels for voluntary use by Federal agencies in procurement activities.


### 70941 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2013 / Notices

The external entity (or entities) would not perform any inherently governmental functions such as procurement policy, procurement decisions, or strategic implementation
decisions.

V. Request for Comments

EPA is seeking public input on the draft Guidelines and the concept of assessing non-governmental standards and ecolabels for voluntary use in Federal procurement. Recognizing that implementation of these draft
Guidelines will call for additional stakeholder engagement and assessment processes, EPA also welcomes comment on the overall approach, including the potential pilot project. In particular:

1. How might the Guidelines benefit the broader marketplace?

2. Are there any draft Guidelines that
should be removed or modified? Are there gaps in the draft Guidelines that could be addressed by a new Guideline(s)?

3. Are the designations of ‘‘baseline’’ and ‘‘leadership’’ in the draft Guidelines understandable? Can the designations be easily implemented? Do they appropriately reflect varying approaches in the marketplace today?

4. How should the leadership Guidelines be applied to standards and ecolabels in different product categories (e.g., different weightings in an overall conformity assessment scheme)?

5. What processes, approaches, measures, and mechanisms should be
used to determine conformance with the Guidelines, if they are finalized and implemented?

6. Under what circumstances and under what authorities, if any, should the Federal Government require a particular type of conformity assessment to provide adequate confidence that the products have met a particular environmental performance standard or
ecolabel?

7. Are there alternatives to the pilot project that EPA should consider?

8. If EPA were to move forward with a pilot project to test the proposed
standards and ecolabels assessment approach, which product categories should be prioritized?

9. What challenges need to be addressed/resolved in implementing the proposed Guidelines in order to be a transparent, fair, and consistent process?

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, government procurement, standards, ecolabels, Guidelines. Dated: November 15, 2013.

James Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

[FR Doc. 2013–28507 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION**
**AGENCY**

**[FRL–9903–55–Region–5]**

**Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Great Lakes Advisory Board** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a public
teleconference of the Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB). The purpose of
the teleconference is to conclude
discussions that will inform the development of a draft Great Lakes

Restoration Initiative FY 2015–2019
Action Plan.

**DATES :**  The public teleconference will be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. Central Time, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The teleconference number is: (877) 744–6030; Participant code: 11645588.

**ADDRESSES :**  The public teleconference will take place by telephone only.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION :**  Any member of the public wishing further information regarding this teleconference may contact Taylor Fiscus, Acting Designated Federal Officer (DFO), GLAB, by telephone at
312–353–6059 or email at mailto:Fiscus.Taylor@epa.gov. General
information on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the
GLAB can be found on the GLRI Web

site at http://www.glri.us

. **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

Background: The GLAB is a federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92–463. EPA established the GLAB in 2013 to provide independent advice to the EPA Administrator in her capacity as Chair of the federal Great Lakes Interagency
Task Force. The GLAB conducts
business in accordance with FACA and related regulations.

The GLAB consists of 18 members appointed by EPA’s Administrator. Members serve as representatives of state, local and tribal government, environmental groups, agriculture, business, transportation, foundations, educational institutions, and as technical experts. The GLAB held a teleconference and meeting on May 21–22, 2013 (as noticed in 78 FR 26636–26637) and on November 13, 2013 (as noted in 78 FR 66356) to discuss the development of a
draft FY 2015–2019 GLRI Action Plan.

The teleconference will provide opportunity for members of the public to submit oral comments in response to
the draft of the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative FY 2015–2019 Action Plan.

Availability of Teleconference
Materials: The agenda and other materials in support of the
teleconference will be available on the
GLRI Web site at http://www.glri.us in
advance of the teleconference.

Procedures for Providing Public Input: Federal advisory committees provide independent advice to federal agencies. Members of the public can submit relevant comments for consideration by the GLAB. Input from the public to the GLAB will have the most impact if it provides specific information for the
GLAB to consider. Members of the public wishing to provide comments should contact the Acting DFO directly.

Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at this public
teleconference will be limited to three minutes per speaker, subject to the number of people wanting to comment. Interested parties should contact the Acting DFO in writing (preferably via email) at the contact information noted above by December 9, 2013 to be placed on the list of public speakers for the
teleconference.

Written Statements: Written statements must be received by December 9, 2013 so that the information may be made available to
the GLAB for consideration. Written statements should be supplied to the Acting DFO in the following formats: One hard copy with original signature and one electronic copy via email. Commenters are requested to provide
two versions of each document
submitted: one each with and without signatures because only documents without signatures may be published on the GLRI Web page.

Accessibility: For information on
access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact the Acting DFO at the phone number or email address noted above, preferably at least 10 days prior to the teleconference, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

Dated: November 20, 2013.

Cameron Davis,

Senior Advisor to the Administrator.

[FR Doc. 2013–28527 Filed 11–26–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**