14372 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 53 / Thursday, March 19, 2015 / Notices 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2014–0838; FRL–9923–58] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Proposed Collection and 

Comment Request; Assessment of 

Environmental Performance Standards 

and Ecolabels for Federal Procurement 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 

document announces that EPA is 

planning to submit an Information 

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). The 

ICR, entitled: Assessment of 

Environmental Performance Standards 

and Ecolabels for Federal Procurement, 

and identified by EPA ICR No. 2516.01 

and OMB Control No. 2070-new, 

represents a new request. Before 

submitting the ICR to OMB for review 

and approval under the PRA, EPA is 

soliciting comments on specific aspects 

of the proposed information collection 

that is summarized in this document. 

The ICR and accompanying material are 

available in the docket for public review 

and comment. EPA is also announcing 

the testing of draft guidelines and a pilot 

project on an assessment approach for 

recognizing product environmental 

performance standards and ecolabels for 

Federal procurement in the following 

three categories: Furniture, building 

flooring, and building paints/coatings/

removers. An additional purchase 

category may be piloted, depending on 

available resources and other 

considerations. EPA is seeking comment 

on the criteria/qualifications that will be 

used for the selection of the multistakeholder panel members, who will 

refine the draft guidelines for specific 

sectors. In addition, EPA is seeking 

volunteer standards development 

organizations and ecolabel programs to 

be assessed per the draft guidelines. 

DATES: Comments on multi-stakeholder 

panel member criteria/qualifications 

must be received on or before April 20, 

2015. Expressions of interest to 

participate in the pilot and comments 

on the ICR must be received on or before 

May 18, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your expressions of 

interest to participate in the pilot and 

comments on the ICR and multistakeholder panel member criteria/

qualifications, identified by docket 

identification (ID) number EPA–HQ– 

OPPT–2014–0838, by one of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Do not submit electronically any 

information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. 

• Mail: Document Control Office 

(7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 

Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: To make special 

arrangements for hand delivery or 

delivery of boxed information, please 

follow the instructions at 

http://www.epa.gov/dockets/

contacts.html. 

Additional instructions on 

commenting or visiting the docket, 

along with more information about 

dockets generally, is available at http:// 

www.epa.gov/dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

For technical information contact: 

Julie Shannon, Chemistry, Economics, 

and Sustainable Strategies Division 

(7409M), Office of Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics, Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 

Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone 

number: (202) 564–8834; email address: 

shannon.julie@epa.gov. 

For general information contact: The 

TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 

South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 

14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 

1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@

epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Testing of Updated Draft Guidelines 

In the Federal Register of November 

27, 2013 (78 FR 70938) (FRL–9394–6), 

EPA issued for public comment draft 

guidelines for product environmental 

performance standards and ecolabels for 

voluntary use in Federal procurement. 

EPA’s goal in developing these draft 

guidelines is to create a ‘‘transparent, 

fair, and consistent approach to 

selecting product environmental 

performance standards and ecolabels to 

support the Agency’s mission and 

federal sustainable acquisition 

mandates.’’ The fundamental aim of the 

draft guidelines is to establish a crosssector framework to be used in 

recognizing non-governmental 

environmental standards (and 

consequently, environmentally 

preferable products meeting these 

standards) for use in Federal 

procurement. 

The draft guidelines include four 

sections: 

1. Guidelines for the process for 

developing standards refers to the 

procedures used to develop, maintain, 

and update an environmental standard. 

2. Guidelines for the environmental 

effectiveness of the standards refers to 

the criteria in the environmental 

standard or ecolabel that support the 

claim of environmental preferability. 

3. Guidelines for conformity 

assessment refers to the procedures and 

practices by which products are 

assessed for conformity to the 

requirements specified by standards and 

ecolabeling programs. 

4. Guidelines for Management of 

Ecolabeling Programs refers to the 

organizational and management 

practices of an ecolabeling program. 

EPA has responded to public 

comments and released a new version of 

the ‘‘Guidelines for the Environmental 

Effectiveness of the Standards’’ at 

http://www.epa.gov/draftGuidelines/

responses.html. The majority of public 

comments supported EPA 

undertaking—with key external entity 

and stakeholder participation— 

additional work to further refine the 

draft guidelines and test a potential 

approach to assessing standards and 

ecolabels. Therefore, in this next phase 

of work, EPA is contracting with an 

entity to convene a coordinating 

Governance Committee, product 

category-specific multi-stakeholder 

panels, and independent assessment 

entity(ies) to develop and pilot test an 

approach in three product categories: 

Furniture, building flooring, and 

building paints/coatings/removers. 

These sectors were chosen because they 

meet some or all of the following 

criteria: 

• Potentially significant 

environmental and/or human health 

impact (based on lifecycle assessments 

and hazard and risk assessments). 

• Opportunity for environmental and/ 

or human health improvement through 

private sector standards/ecolabels. 

• Significant volume of Federal 

purchases. 

• Current Federal sustainable 

acquisition mandates in the category are 

limited, out-of-date, and/or could be 

augmented with private sector 

standards. 

An additional to-be-determined 

purchase category may be piloted, 

depending upon available resources and 

other considerations. In addition, due to 

significant interest, EPA will explore the 

potential for the draft guidelines to 

apply to service sector standards and 

ecolabels (e.g., services related to 

building maintenance, cafeterias, and 

professional consultants, among others). 

The potential pilot for this sector would 

not assess service sector standards; 

rather the analysis and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 53 / Thursday, March 19, 2015 / Notices 14373 

recommendations could potentially 

position the draft guidelines to 

accommodate such assessments in 2016 

and beyond. 

II. Opportunity To Participate in a Pilot 

Standards development organizations, 

ecolabel programs, and certification 

entities that have product 

environmental performance standards 

and/or ecolabels that cover one or more 

of the three product categories, and 

could be considered for use in Federal 

procurement per E.O. 13514, entitled: 

Federal Leadership in Environmental, 

Energy, and Economic Performance (74 

FR 52117, October 8, 2009), the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR 

23.103), and Federal government 

standards policy, should consider 

submitting those standards and 

ecolabels for assessment as a part of the 

pilot project. 

Those standards and ecolabels 

assessed will provide information per 

product-category specific checklists 

(based on the draft guidelines), to be 

developed by multi-stakeholder panels, 

as described at http://www.epa.gov/epp/ 

draftGuidelines/pilot.html. Each 

purchase category panel shall include a 

balanced group of relevant stakeholders 

in the environmental and human health 

performance standards and ecolabels 

space and ensure an objective, open, 

and consensus-driven process and 

credible results. The stakeholder types 

that may be represented on the multistakeholder panels include, but are not 

limited to: 

• Standards development 

organizations. 

• Ecolabel program managers/system 

owners. 

• Conformity assessment bodies. 

• Federal purchasers. 

• Other large institutional purchasers 

such as state governments or 

universities. 

• Manufacturers and/or vendors in 

the product categories targeted for 

assessment. 

• Professional societies, users groups, 

and industry consortia. 

• Research and development 

organizations and academia. 

• Non-governmental organizations 

widely respected for their work on 

public health, environmental protection, 

and sustainability issues. 

• Federal government agencies 

knowledgeable in conformity 

assessment. 

EPA is seeking input from the public 

regarding the multi-stakeholder panel 

member criteria/qualifications. EPA 

proposed the following: 

• Knowledge of the environmental 

and/or human health impacts of the 

particular product category. 

• Experience working with diverse 

stakeholders towards consensus. 

• Familiarity with the draft 

Guidelines and Federal sustainable 

acquisition mandates. 

• Familiarity with standards 

development and conformity 

assessment approaches. 

• Ability to devote the necessary time 

to the panel (including one meeting and 

regular conference calls). 

• Willingness to sign a conflict of 

interest disclosure form. 

III. Information Collection Request 

(ICR) 

A. What comments are sought on the 

ICR? 

Pursuant to the PRA section 

3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 

EPA specifically solicits comments and 

information to enable it to: 

1. Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the Agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility. 

2. Evaluate the accuracy of the 

Agency’s estimates of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

4. Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology, e.g., permitting 

electronic submission of responses. 

In particular, EPA is requesting 

comments from very small businesses 

and non-profit organizations (those that 

employ less than 25) on examples of 

specific additional efforts that EPA 

could make to reduce the paperwork 

burden for very small businesses and 

non-profit organizations affected by this 

collection. 

B. What information collection activity 

or ICR does this apply to? 

Title: Assessment of Environmental 

Performance Standards and Ecolabels 

for Federal Procurement. 

ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2516.01. 

OMB control number: OMB Control 

No. 2070—New. 

ICR status: This ICR is for a new 

information collection activity. An 

Agency may not conduct or sponsor, 

and a person is not required to respond 

to, a collection of information, unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. The OMB control numbers for 

EPA’s regulations in title 40 of the Code 

of Federal Regulations (CFR), after 

appearing in the Federal Register when 

approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, 

are displayed either by publication in 

the Federal Register or by other 

appropriate means, such as on the 

related collection instrument or form, if 

applicable. The display of OMB control 

numbers for certain EPA regulations is 

consolidated in 40 CFR part 9. 

Abstract: EPA is engaging in this 

collection pursuant to the authority in 

the Pollution Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. 

13103(b)(11)), which requires EPA to 

‘‘Identify opportunities to use Federal 

procurement to encourage source 

reduction’’ and section 12(d) of the 

National Technology Transfer and 

Advancement Act (NTTAA) (15 U.S.C. 

272 note), 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.’’ Federal agencies need this 

assessment per the draft guidelines to 

determine which, among sometimes 

dozens of private sector standards 

within a single purchase category, are 

appropriate and effective in meeting 

Federal procurement goals and 

mandates. 

Federal agencies must comply with 

the following sustainability-related 

purchasing mandates: Section 2(h) of 

E.O. 13514; section 6002 of the Resource 

Conservation and Recovery Act (42 

U.S.C. 6002); section 9002 of the Farm 

Security and Rural Investment Act (7 

U.S.C. 8102); the Energy Policy Act (42 

U.S.C. 13201 et seq.); section 2(d) of 

E.O. 13423, entitled: Strengthening 

Federal Environmental, Energy, and 

Transportation Management (72 FR 

3919, January 26, 2007); and the FAR, 

including 48 CFR part 23, entitled: 

Environment, Energy and Water 

Efficiency, Renewable Energy 

Technologies, Occupational Safety, and 

Drug-Free Workplace (see http://

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

procurement_index_green). 

Via NTTAA, Federal agencies are 

required 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.’’ OMB Circular 

A–119, entitled: Federal Participation in 


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14374 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 53 / Thursday, March 19, 2015 / Notices 

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 independently assessed information 

about and Federal 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. 

Burden statement: The annual public 

reporting and recordkeeping burden for 

this collection of information is 

estimated to average 8.5 hours per 

response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 

1320.3(b). 

The ICR, which is available in the 

docket along with other related 

materials, provides a detailed 

explanation of the collection activities 

and the burden estimate that is only 

briefly summarized here: 

Respondents/Affected Entities: 

Entities potentially affected by this ICR 

are standards development 

organizations, ecolabeling programs, 

and environmental certification entities. 

Estimated total number of potential 

respondents: 20. 

Frequency of response: Once during 

2015 pilot; and, a to-be-determined 

frequency depending upon learnings 

from the pilot. 

Estimated total average number of 

responses for each respondent: 2. 

Estimated total annual burden hours: 

340 hours. 

Estimated total annual costs: 

$24,711.20 for burden hours, and $0 

estimated costs for capital investment or 

maintenance and operational costs. 

C. What is the next step in the process 

for this ICR? 

EPA will consider the comments 

received and amend the ICR as 

appropriate. The final ICR package will 

then be submitted to OMB for review 

and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 

1320.12. EPA will issue another Federal 

Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 

1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the 

submission of the ICR to OMB and the 

opportunity to submit additional 

comments to OMB. If you have any 

questions about this ICR or the approval 

process, please contact the technical 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 

Dated: March 11, 2015. 

James Jones, 

Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical 

Safety and Pollution Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2015–06275 Filed 3–18–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0176; FRL–9924–61] 

Certain New Chemicals; Receipt and 

Status Information 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: EPA is required under the 

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to 

publish in the Federal Register a notice 

of receipt of a premanufacture notice 

(PMN); an application for a test 

marketing exemption (TME), both 

pending and/or expired; and a periodic 

status report on any new chemicals 

under EPA review and the receipt of 

notices of commencement (NOC) to 

manufacture those chemicals. This 

document covers the period from 

January 2, 2015 to January 30, 2015. 

DATES: Comments identified by the 

specific PMN number or TME number, 

must be received on or before April 20, 

2015. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by docket identification (ID) 

number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0176 

and the specific PMN number or TME 

number for the chemical related to your 

comment, by one of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Do not submit electronically any 

information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. 

• Mail: Document Control Office 

(7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 

Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: To make special 

arrangements for hand delivery or 

delivery of boxed information, please 

follow the instructions at http://

www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. 

Additional instructions on 

commenting or visiting the docket, 

along with more information about 

dockets generally, is available at 

http://www.epa.gov/dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

technical information contact: Jim 

Rahai, Information Management 

Division (7407M), Office of Pollution 

Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 

Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; 

telephone number: (202) 564–8593; 

email address: Rahai.jim@epa.gov. 

For general information contact: The 

TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 

South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 

14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 

1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@

epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information 

A. Does this action apply to me? 

This action is directed to the public 

in general. As such, the Agency has not 

attempted to describe the specific 

entities that this action may apply to. 

Although others may be affected, this 

action applies directly to the submitter 

of the PMNs addressed in this action. 

B. What should I consider as I prepare 

my comments for EPA? 

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this 

information to EPA through 

regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark 

the part or all of the information that 

you claim to be CBI. For CBI 

information in a disk or CD–ROM that 

you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the 

disk or CD–ROM as CBI and then 

identify electronically within the disk or 

CD–ROM the specific information that 

is claimed as CBI. In addition to one 

complete version of the comment that 

includes information claimed as CBI, a 

copy of the comment that does not 

contain the information claimed as CBI 

must be submitted for inclusion in the 

public docket. Information so marked 

will not be disclosed except in 

accordance with procedures set forth in 

40 CFR part 2. 

2. Tips for preparing your comments. 

When preparing and submitting your 

comments, see the commenting tips at 

http://www.epa.gov/dockets/

comments.html. 

II. What action is the agency taking? 

This document provides receipt and 

status reports, which cover the period 

from January 2, 2015 to January 30, 

2015, and consists of the PMNs and 

TMEs both pending and/or expired, and 

the NOCs to manufacture a new 

chemical that the Agency has received 

under TSCA section 5 during this time 

period. 

III. What is the agency’s authority for 

taking this action? 

Section 5 of TSCA requires that EPA 

periodical publish in the Federal 


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