[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 109 (Monday, June 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31214-31217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-15175]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[SWH-FRL-6108-8]


Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability of document.

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SUMMARY: EPA is providing notice of the availability of the Paper 
Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II (Paper RMAN II), which 
revises EPA's 1996 recommendations for purchasing specified printing 
and writing papers containing postconsumer fiber. Under section 6002 of 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which establishes a buy-
recycled program for federal agencies, EPA designates items that are or 
can be made with recovered materials and provides recommendations for 
government procurement of these items. Under Executive Order 12873, 
Federal executive agencies are required to purchase specified printing 
and writing papers containing 30% postconsumer fiber beginning on 
December 31, 1998. Paper RMAN II incorporates this 30% postconsumer 
fiber content level. This action will promote paper recycling by using 
government purchasing to expand and maintain markets for recovered 
paper.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Supporting materials are available for viewing in the RCRA 
Information Center (RIC), located in Crystal Gateway I, 1235 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, First Floor, Arlington, Virginia. The Docket 
Identification Number is F-98-PPRA-FFFFF. The RIC is open from 9:00 am 
to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. To 
review docket materials, it is recommended that the public make an 
appointment by calling (703) 603-9230. The public may copy a maximum of 
100 pages from any

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regulatory docket at no charge. Additional copies cost $0.15 per page. 
The supporting materials are also available electronically. See section 
III of the ``Supplementary Information'' section for information on 
accessing the materials electronically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, please 
contact the RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346, TDD (800) 553-7672 (hearing 
impaired) or, in the Washington, DC area at (703) 412-9810 or TDD (703) 
412-3323.
    For more detailed information regarding the recommendations in 
today's notice, contact Terry Grist of the Office of Solid Waste at 
(703) 308-7257 or at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (5306W), 401 
M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Preamble Outline

I. Authority
II. Revisions to Purchasing Recommendations
III. Supporting Materials and Accessing Internet
IV. Use of EPA's Recommendations
Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II

I. Authority

    The Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II (Paper 
RMAN II) is published under authority of sections 2002(a) and 6002 of 
the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation 
and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6912(a) and 6962, and 
Executive Order 12873, ``Federal Acquisition, Recycling, and Waste 
Prevention'' (58 FR 54911, October 22, 1993).

II. Revisions to Purchasing Recommendations

A. Summary of the Revised Content Level Recommendations

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing 
Paper RMAN II, which contains revised recommendations for procuring 
agencies to use when purchasing specified printing and writing papers 
in accordance with section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and Executive Order 12873.
    Section 504 of Executive Order 12873 (58 FR 54916, October 22, 
1993), as amended by Executive Order 12995 (61 FR 13645, March 28, 
1996) requires Federal executive agencies to purchase specified 
uncoated printing and writing papers containing postconsumer fiber. The 
Executive Order established a 20% postconsumer content level for these 
papers beginning December 31, 1994. The level increases to 30% 
postconsumer fiber beginning December 31, 1998. The specified printing 
and writing papers are high speed copier paper, offset paper, forms 
bond, computer printout paper, carbonless paper, file folders, white 
wove envelopes, writing and office paper, book paper, cotton fiber 
paper, and text and cover paper. EPA incorporated the 20% postconsumer 
content level into its recommendations for printing and writing papers 
in the 1996 Paper RMAN. See Tables A-1a, A-1b, and A-1c (61 FR 26991, 
May 29, 1996).
    Today, EPA is revising Tables A-1a, A-1b, and A-1c of the Paper 
RMAN to incorporate the 30% postconsumer content level. EPA is basing 
its recommendations, in part, on its determination, discussed below, 
that printing and writing papers with 30% postconsumer fiber are or 
will be available for purchasing by procuring agencies by December 31, 
1998. This revision will maintain the consistency between EPA's 
recommendations and the Executive Order requirements. While Federal 
executive agencies are not required to purchase paper products 
containing 30% postconsumer fiber until December 31, 1998, EPA 
recommends that agencies begin now to determine their paper performance 
needs, research product availability, and conduct any needed product 
testing.
    In the 1996 Paper RMAN, EPA used slightly different terminology 
than that used in the Executive Order to reflect the way in which terms 
are currently used by paper mills, vendors, and procuring agencies. The 
revised Table A-1a uses this same terminology.

B. Product Availability

    EPA researched current availability of the specified printing and 
writing papers containing 30% postconsumer fiber. EPA found that paper 
companies either are or plan to manufacture most of the specified 
printing and writing papers with a 30% postconsumer fiber content. Most 
of the paper products will be offered for sale to government agencies, 
and most will be available from the vendors as stock items, rather than 
as special order items. In the case of three products--tablets, file 
folders, and papeteries--initial availability of the product containing 
30% postconsumer fiber may be limited. Additional information on 
sources for each paper product can be found in EPA's report entitled, 
``Availability of Uncoated Printing and Writing Papers Containing 30 
Percent Postconsumer Fiber.'' See section III below for obtaining 
copies of this report or for accessing the report on the internet.
    There may be instances in which a paper product containing 30% 
postconsumer fiber is unavailable or only available at an unreasonable 
price. In these instances, procuring agencies should purchase paper 
products containing the highest levels of postconsumer fiber available, 
consistent with the RCRA section 6002 requirement that procuring 
agencies purchase paper products containing postconsumer fiber to the 
maximum extent practicable.

III. Supporting Materials and Accessing Internet

    EPA's research report, ``Availability of Uncoated Printing and 
Writing Papers Containing 30 Percent Postconsumer Fiber,'' is available 
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC) and on the Internet. The address 
and telephone number of the RIC are provided in ADDRESSES above.
    Follow these instructions to access the information electronically:

WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure.htm
FTP: ftp.epa/gov
Login: anonymous
Password: your Internet address
Files are located in /pub/epaoswer.

IV. Use of EPA's Recommendations

    EPA encourages state and local agencies to use the recommendations 
in today's Paper RMAN II when purchasing paper and paper products. EPA 
also encourages private sector purchasers to use the information 
provided by EPA when purchasing paper and paper products. EPA 
recommends that purchasers establish their minimum content standards at 
the highest percentages available to them that achieve their price and 
performance objectives, even if these standards are higher or lower 
than EPA's recommendations. If a product is not available at a 
competitive price containing 30% postconsumer fiber, purchasers should 
set their standards at the highest levels available to them that meet 
their price and performance objectives. In this way, EPA's 
recommendations will encourage both public and private sector 
purchasers to purchase paper products containing the highest levels of 
postconsumer fiber practicable.
    EPA cautions persons using EPA's recommendations to use them only 
for the specific items for which they were intended. It is not 
appropriate to analogize from one type of printing and writing paper to 
another without first researching the use of postconsumer fiber in the 
other item. The two items could have different performance

[[Page 31216]]

requirements necessitating different levels of postconsumer fiber.

    Dated: June 1, 1998.
Timothy Fields, Jr.,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 
Response.

Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II

    This Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice II (Paper 
RMAN II) revises EPA's 1996 recommendations to procuring agencies for 
purchasing paper and paper products in compliance with section 6002 of 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). These 
recommendations replace Tables A-1a, A-1b, and A-1c found in EPA's 1996 
Paper RMAN (61 FR 26991, May 29, 1996). The remainder of EPA's 1996 
recommendations are unchanged.

Part A--Paper and Paper Products (Revised)

Section A-1--Printing and Writing Papers (Revised)

    Preference Program: EPA recommends that procuring agencies 
establish minimum content standards expressed as a percentage of 
recovered fiber, including a percentage of postconsumer fiber. EPA 
recommends that procuring agencies base their minimum content standards 
for uncoated and coated printing and writing papers based on the 
content levels shown in Tables A-1a, A-1b, and A-1c, respectively. 
EPA's revised recommendations are indicated in Bold type. EPA further 
recommends that if a paper product containing 30% postconsumer fiber is 
not reasonably available, then procuring agencies establish the highest 
postconsumer fiber content levels available.
    Percentages are based on the fiber weight of the product. The 
content levels in the tables should be read as X% recovered fiber, 
including Y% postconsumer fiber and not as X% recovered fiber plus Y% 
postconsumer fiber. Where the content level is the same in both columns 
(e.g., 30% in both the recovered fiber and postconsumer fiber columns), 
this means that EPA is recommending that agencies establish identical 
content levels for both postconsumer and recovered fiber.

  Table A-1a.--Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Uncoated  
                       Printing and Writing Papers                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Recovered   Postconsumer
                     Item                       fiber (%)     fiber (%) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reprographic Paper (e.g., mimeo and                                     
 duplicator paper, high-speed copier paper,                             
 and bond paper*)............................           30            30
Offset Paper (e.g., offset printing paper*,                             
 book paper*, bond paper*)...................           30            30
Tablet Paper (e.g., office paper such as note                           
 pads, stationery* and other writing* papers)           30            30
Forms Bond (e.g., forms, computer printout                              
 paper, ledger*).............................           30            30
Envelope Paper:                                                         
    Wove.....................................           30            30
    Kraft White and colored (including                                  
     manila).................................       10--20        10--20
Unbleached...................................           10            10
Cotton Fiber Paper (e.g., cotton fiber                                  
 papers, ledger*, stationery* and matching                              
 envelopes, and other writing* papers).......           30            30
Text & Cover Paper (e.g., cover stock, book                             
 paper*, stationery* and matching envelopes,                            
 and other writing* paper)...................           30            30
Supercalendered..............................           10            10
Machine finish groundwood....................           10            10
Papeteries...................................           30            30
Check Safety Paper...........................           10           10 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* These items can be made from a variety of printing and writing papers,
  depending on the performance characteristics of the item. Some of the 
  papers are a commodity-type and some are specialty papers. EPA        
  recommends that procuring agencies determine the performance          
  characteristics required of the paper prior to establishing minimum   
  content standards. For example, bond, ledger, or stationery made from 
  cotton fiber paper or a text & cover paper have different             
  characteristics than similar items made from commodity papers.        


    Table A-1b.--Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Coated  
                       Printing and Writing Papers                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Recovered   Postconsumer
                     Item                       fiber (%)     fiber (%) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coated Printing Paper........................           10            10
Carbonless...................................           30            30
------------------------------------------------------------------------


  Table A-1c.--Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Bristols  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Recovered   Postconsumer
                     Item                       fiber (%)     fiber (%) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
File Folders (manila and colored)............           30            30
Dyed Filing Products.........................       20--50            20
Cards (index, postal, and other, including                              
 index sheets)...............................           50            20
Pressboard Report Covers and Binders.........           50            20
Tags and Tickets.............................       20--50            20
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[[Page 31217]]

[FR Doc. 98-15175 Filed 6-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U