Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/09/03/2015-21746/federal-acquisition-regulation-epeat-items
Timestamp: 2017-07-23 21:05:46
Document Index: 681311481

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 7', 'ART 7', 'arts 7', 'art1', 'arts 7', 'art2', 'art3', 'art4', 'art5', 'art6', 'art7']

:: Federal Acquisition Regulation; EPEAT Items
Effective: October 5, 2015.
53436-53438
FAR Case 2013-016
Docket 2013-0016, Sequence 1
9000-AM71
1. EPEAT® Issues
2. Interim Rule
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 7, 23, and 52
PART 7—ACQUISITION PLANS
Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items (Oct 2015)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-21746
DoD, GSA, and NASA are adopting as final, with changes, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement changes in the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) registry.
Mr. Charles Gray, Procurement Analyst, at 202-208-6726, for clarification of content. For information pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the Regulatory Secretariat at 202-501-4755. Please cite FAC 2005-84, FAR Case 2013-016.
DoD, GSA and NASA published an interim rule in the Federal Register at 79 FR 35859 on June 24, 2014, to expand the Federal requirement to procure EPEAT®-registered products beyond personal computer products to cover imaging equipment (i.e., copiers, digital duplicators, facsimile machines, mailing machines, multifunction devices, printers, and scanners) and televisions and modify the existing FAR requirements to recognize the revised standard applicable to computer products. One respondent submitted public comments on the interim rule. Comments were also received informally from within the Government.
There is no significant change in the final rule in response to the public comments received.
Comment: The respondent expressed concern about the use of EPEAT® standards because it is a registered trademark and manufacturers must purchase an annual license. The respondent also expressed concern over the use of a private entity as a source of standards for Government purchasing. The respondent recommended that the Government rely on the underlying ANSI-accredited technical standards used by EPEAT®, such as the IEEE 1680TM family of standards, and accept third party certification of conformance to the IEEE 1680TM family of standards. The respondent recommended issuing further guidance clarifying the reliance on the IEEE 1680TM family of standards when new product categories are added.
Response: The requirement to purchase “EPEAT®-registered” electronic products was established under the interim rule for FAR Case 2006-030 which was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 73215 on December 26, 2007. The FAR case implemented section 2(h) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management. Subsequently, E.O. 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, directed agencies to purchase EPEAT®-registered products as part of a broader goal to advance sustainable acquisition. Although E.O.s 13423 and 13514 have now been superseded by E.O. 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, this final rule does not change the requirement to purchase EPEAT®-registered products. The FAR will be revised to be consistent with the new E.O. 13693, which does not endorse any private labels. It does, however, clearly require in section 3(l) that Federal agencies ensure a procurement preference for environmentally sustainable electronic products. EPEAT® continues to be an important tool for agencies to utilize to comply with the electronic stewardship goals that are required by E.O. 13693.
Comment: The respondent stated that the decision to publish this rule as an interim rule misapplied the “urgent and compelling” exception to the standard notice and comment process.
Response: This action was appropriate because imaging equipment and television items have already been added to the EPEAT® registry. Therefore, under the requirements of E.O.s 13423 and 13514, agencies are already required to fulfill at least 95 percent of their annual acquisition requirement for electronic products with EPEAT®-registered electronic products.
Based on informal comments from within the Government, the final rule amends FAR 23.704(a) to reflect more clearly the language in E.O. 13423 as it pertains to the requirement for agencies, when acquiring electronic product, to meet at least 95 percent of those requirements with an EPEAT®- registered electronic product. The exceptions to this requirement are also amended to align with both E.O.s. Products that fall within the exceptions in FAR paragraphs 23.704(a)(1)(i) through (iii) are not included when calculating the achievement of the 95 percent goal. A determination by the agency head is not required if no EPEAT®-registered product meets agency requirements, but the agency head may provide an exemption in accordance with FAR 23.105.
However, a determination is required, in accordance with agency procedures, if the agency decides not to acquire an EPEAT®-registered product because the product will not be cost effective over the life of the product (FAR 23.704(a)(2)). Because the E.O.s do not provide an exception based on cost, such an acquisition would be included as noncompliant, when calculating achievement of the 95 percent goal.
Executive Order 13423 (signed January 24, 2007, and published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 3919 on January 26, 2007) requires Federal agencies to satisfy at least 95 percent of their requirements for electronic products with EPEAT®-registered electronic products unless there is not an EPEAT® standard for such product. As of today, products must conform to the IEEE 1680TM family of standards in order to be listed on the EPEAT® product registry. The EPEAT® requirement, including a specific requirement for the purchase of EPEAT®-registered personal computer products, was added to the FAR by FAR Case 2006-030. Since that final rule was issued on January 15, 2009, the IEEE has published an updated standard for personal computer products and two additional standards, for imaging equipment and televisions, and these standards have been added to the EPEAT® system. The objective of this final rule is to implement the changes to the EPEAT® registry.
No comments were raised by the public in response to the initial regulatory flexibility analysis.
Searching within the EPEAT® registry on October 1, 2014, the following numbers of products were listed as registered in the United States:Start Printed Page 53438
Product categoryBronzeSilverGoldTotalPersonal computer products123211,1821,515Imaging equipment26345081794Televisions120537243
These numbers refer to products, not individual companies. However, most (90-100 percent) of the companies with products listed on the EPEAT® registry are large businesses. These companies pay an annual fee, based on a sliding scale determined by the firm's revenue for that product the previous year, in order to be able to list the products on the EPEAT® registry.
However, purchasers often procure EPEAT®-registered products through resellers or distributors rather than directly from the manufacturers. These resellers are often small businesses. EPA's Office of Small Business Programs stated that the majority of the resellers and distributors for EPEAT®-registered products are categorized as small businesses. Further, only the actual manufacturer pays to list products on the EPEAT® registry. The resellers or distributors pay no fees but reap the benefit of the EPEAT® categorization. Therefore, there will be little or no impact on small businesses due to this rule.
There are no reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements associated with this rule. The only requirement is that businesses submitting proposals to the Government be aware of the EPEAT® registry and Web site and refer to it during the preparation of proposals. Small entities can comply with the requirements either as manufacturers, resellers, or distributors.
Accordingly, the interim rule amending 48 CFR parts 7, 23, and 52, which was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 35859 on June 24, 2014, is adopted as a final rule with the following changes:
Start Amendment Part1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 7, 23, and 52 continues to read as follows:End Amendment Part
Start Amendment Part2. Amend section 7.103 by removing from paragraph (p)(2) “non-ozone depleting” and adding “non-ozone-depleting” in its place. End Amendment Part
Start Amendment Part3. Amend section 23.000 by removing from paragraph (d) “non-ozone depleting” and adding “non-ozone-depleting” in its place. End Amendment Part
Start Amendment Part4. Amend section 23.704 by revising paragraph (a) and removing from paragraph (b)(1)(iii) “Meets EPA” and adding “Meet EPA” in its place, the revised text reads as follows: End Amendment Part
Electronic products environmental assessment tool.
Start Amendment Part5. Amend section 52.212-5 by revising the date of the clause, paragraphs (b)(36)(ii) and (b)(39)(i), to read as follows: End Amendment Part
_(36)(i) * * *
_(39)(i) 52.223-16, Acquisition of EPEAT®-Registered Personal Computer Products (OCT 2015) (E.O.s 13423 and 13514).
Start Amendment Part6. Amend section 52.223-13 by revising the date of the Alternate I; and removing from paragraph (b) of Alternate I “EPEAT” and adding “EPEAT®” in its place. The revised text reads as follows: End Amendment Part
Acquisition of EPEAT®-Registered Imaging Equipment.
Alternate I (OCT 2015) * * *
Start Amendment Part7. Amend section 52.223-16 by revising the date of the clause; and removing from paragraph (c) “EPEAT” and adding “EPEAT®” in its place. The revised text reads as follows: End Amendment Part
Acquisition of EPEAT®-Registered Personal Computer Products.
[FR Doc. 2015-21746 Filed 9-2-15; 8:45 am]