Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0768-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: EPA Role in Advancing Sustainable Products
Posted Date: 2010-09-16T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 16, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 179)]
[Notices]               
[Page 56528-56529]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16se10-48]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0768; FRL-8847-1]

 
EPA's Role in Advancing Sustainable Products

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is interested in soliciting individual stakeholder input 
regarding the Agency's role in the ``green'' or sustainable products 
movement. The Agency will consider the information gathered from this 
notice and other sources as it works to define its role and develop a 
strategy that identifies how EPA can make a meaningful contribution to 
the development, manufacture, designation, and use of sustainable 
products.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 19, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0768, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line 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.
     Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA 
East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 
Attention: Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0768. 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-
2010-0768. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line 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 e-
mail. 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 e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, 
your e-mail 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 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 either in the electronic 
docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard 
copy, at the OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket 
Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA 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

[[Page 56529]]

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 technical information contact: Thomas Tillman, Pollution 
Prevention Division Mail Code (7409M), Office Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-8263; e-mail 
address: tillman.thomas@epa.gov.
    For general information contact: The Pollution Prevention 
Information Clearinghouse (7409M), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 566-0799; e-mail 
address: PPIC@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, 
distribute, label, certify, verify, and purchase or use consumer, 
commercial, or industrial products that may be considered as ``green,'' 
``sustainable,'' or ``environmentally preferable.'' Potentially 
affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
     Manufacturing (NAICS codes 31-33).
     Construction (NAICS code 23).
     Wholesale trade (NAICS code 42).
     Retail trade (NAICS codes 44-45).
     Professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 
code 54).
     Accommodations and food services (NAICS code 72).
     Other services, except public administration (NAICS code 
81).
     Public administration (NAICS code 92).
    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this 
action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any 
questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular 
entity, consult the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

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 e-mail. 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 submitting comments, 
remember to:
    i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying 
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
    ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
    iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and 
substitute language for your requested changes.
    iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information 
and/or data that you used.
    v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and 
suggest alternatives.
    vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of 
profanity or personal threats.
    viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.

II. Background

A. What action is the Agency taking?

    EPA is interested in soliciting individual stakeholder input 
regarding the Agency's role in the ``green'' or sustainable products 
movement. The Agency will consider the information gathered from this 
notice and other sources as it works to define its role and develop a 
strategy that identifies how EPA can make a meaningful contribution to 
the development, manufacture, designation, and use of sustainable 
products.
    More specifically, EPA would appreciate your individual views 
regarding the following types of questions:
    1. What do you see as the major policy and research challenges, 
opportunities, and trends impacting the development, manufacture, 
designation, and use of sustainable products?
    2. What do you see as EPA's overall role in addressing these 
challenges and opportunities?
    3. In particular, how do you see EPA's role in:
     Assembling information and databases.
     Identifying sustainability ``hotspots'' and setting 
product sustainability priorities.
     Evaluating the multiple impacts of products across their 
entire life cycle.
     Defining criteria for more sustainable products.
     Generating eco-labels and/or standards.
     Establishing the scientific foundation for these eco-
labels and/or standards.
     Verifying that products meet standards.
     Stimulating the market.
     Developing end-of-life management systems (reuse, 
recycling, etc.).
     Measuring results, evaluating programs.

B. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?

    Section 13103(b) of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires 
the Administrator of EPA to facilitate the adoption of source reduction 
techniques by businesses and to identify opportunities to use Federal 
procurement to encourage source reduction.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, environmentally preferable products, 
green products, procurement, sustainable products.

    Dated: September 10, 2010.
Wendy Cleland-Hamnett,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2010-23123 Filed 9-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P