United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Pollution Prevention
and Toxics
(7409)
EPA742-N-00-002
September 2000
www.epa.gov/oppt/epp
Highlights
• Buy Clean—Preventative
Procurement for Schools
• EPA's Web-based Tools
• U.S. Postal Service
Delivers Green Message
• Reducing Pesticide Use
Through Integrated Pest
Management
• Pentagon Renovations
Include New EPP Approach
• EPP Leaders Discuss
Smart Green Purchasing
• The Buzz About BEES
• Wearing It With
Environmental Pride
Issue 7
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING
New FAR Language Emphasizes
Green Purchasing
The Civilian Agency Acquisition
Council and the Defense Acquisition
Regulations Council recently adopted
a rule amending the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) to implement Executive
Order (EO) 13101. The rule is intended to
improve the governments use of recycled
and environmentally preferable products
and services as mandated under the EO.
< Continued on Page 3 >
PROFILE OF A PIONEER:
EPP at the Pentagon
Bob Cox, chief of technical staff for
the Federal Facilities Division at the
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD),
has always felt a responsibility towards
the environment. Since his early days as a
facility management officer for the
National Guard, he has constantly sought
ways to improve the environmental per-
formance of the various organizations he
represented. He lead efforts in two ground-
breaking EPP pilot projects, which con-
vinced his Division to make EPP the
standard for all of its contracts. He has
also been instrumental in implementing
building commissioning and sustainable
design into the $1.2 billion renovation of
the Pentagon. He didn't stop at just trying
to educate his organization. He has spoken
at several national conferences, sharing
what he has learned and trying to teach
others of new and better ways to imple-
ment EPP into contracting practices and
how to create affirmative procurement
practices. The White House recently rec-
ognized his efforts
by presenting him
with a White
House "Closing the
Circle Award."
Bob Cox is a
true EPP pioneer
because his efforts
have cleared the path for many others.
Most importantly, through the two pilot
projects, he proved EPP could be incorpo-
rated into large-scale, federal contracts
without a cost increase and without com-
promising quality. Now he is helping to
implement EPP and sustainable design
into a 14-year, $500 million contract
through performance-based specifications
that will provide a major overhaul to the
entire Pentagon facility's building infra-
structure. He also has ambitious plans for
incorporating EPP into many new Federal
Facilities Division contracts, including
DoD custodial, operations and mainte-
nance, and recycling programs.
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The EPP Update is high-
lighting a variety of paper
types EPA has determined
to have certain positive
environmental attributes.
The paper choice for this
issue is Everest #24. Look
to future issues of the EPP
Update to highlight addi-
tional paper types.
EPP in Practice
This issue of the EPP Update is printed on Everest #24, developed by New Leaf
Paper. It is a processed chlorine-free (PCF), acid-free paper made from 100 per-
cent postconsumer waste. The paper is manufactured using hydrogen peroxide
rather than chlorine to produce the crisp white color, which reduces the amount of
toxic dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants released into the environment
with the more traditional chlorine bleaching method. This paper can be made with
custom watermarks and in custom colors upon request.
New Leaf also offers a coated (glossy) paper that contains 100 percent recovered
fiber, 50 percent of which is postconsumer waste. (This issue of the EPP Update is
printed on uncoated paper.) Coated papers can be recycled, but it depends on the
technology employed by the mill. Coated papers also tend to yield less fiber than
uncoated papers, making them less desirable by many paper recyclers. In some cases
the use of coated paper might be preferred because the long-term durability of the
printed piece is the main consideration (e.g., an art book or poster that will not
quickly enter the waste stream). Like the Everest #24, New Leaf's Reincarnation coat-
ed paper is PCE If you must use coated paper, please consider one that is PCF and
highest in recycled content. To our knowledge, New Leaf is the only manufacturer
that offers coated paper with 100 percent recovered content, half of which is post-
consumer. If you are aware of others, please let us know by e-mailing
.
For more information on New Leaf Paper, contact Reece Gordon at 336 992-3880.
Buy Clean—Preventative
Procurement for Schools
Anew multiagency initiative is making schools safer for our children. As part of
the Asthma and the Environment Strategy, issued by the President's Task Force
on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, the Buy Clean
Initiative will aid schools in purchasing products and services with reduced adverse
respiratory effects on children. Children can be particularly susceptible to these types
of health risks. It is prudent, therefore, to select products and services used in schools
in a way that will minimize the risk of triggering asthma attacks and other adverse
health impacts.
The goals of the Buy Clean Initiative are to develop procurement guidelines that pro-
mote the purchase and use of lower risk products and services and to identify effective
incentives for developing, marketing, and buying lower risk products and services. In
order to accomplish these goals, EPA Regional offices will issue grants to selected school
districts and form partnerships to assist them in minimizing harmful products. Schools
will choose their target products (e.g., pesticides, cleaners) and services (e.g., building
maintenance, cleaning, landscaping) on an individual basis and develop procurement
specifications that encourage the purchase of these lower risk products and services.
Buy Clean is part of the overall federal initiative on asthma, which also includes
efforts by various EPA offices, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. For more information, contact Christina Cinalli at
or 202 260-3913.
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How Do I Make EPP Happen? Check
Out EPA's Web-based Tools!
Putting EPP into practice has never been easier. EPAs new Web-based teaching
module—the EPP Training Tool—is here! Check it out at . This interactive, multimedia teaching tool uses audio
narration and animated graphics to introduce EPP principles and to teach purchasers
how to apply these concepts in the real world.
Next, check out EPAs newly revised online EPP Database at . It's jam-packed with environmental specifications, contract lan-
guage, and great links to the best and most relevant product- and service-specific
environmental information available today. The newest update has added a search
engine and covers additional hot topics, including health care, green power, and organic
food. The Department of Interior (Interior) used the EPP Database in preparing for its
$45 million uniforms contract. According to Heather Davies of Interior, "the EPP
Database served as a helpful starting point for us when we began to consider how the
National Park Service could make its uniforms greener. This resource gave us a direct
link to the European Union standard for environmentally preferable textiles. From
there, we were able to learn about attributes of concern. We didn't directly use the
EU standard, but instead used it as a starting point to craft our own approach to
greening our uniform contract."
New FAR Language < Continued from Page 1 >
The most significant modifications to
the FAR include:
• Subpart 7.1 was revised to ensure that
requirements for printing and writing
paper meet minimum recycled-content
standards. Stronger language now
emphasizes the importance of acquisi-
tion planning.
• Subpart 11.3 redefines terms such as
postconsumer material to reflect EO
requirements and EPA regulations
regarding the acquisition of printing
and writing paper. This section now
clarifies that contracting officers can
include additional information in
solicitations to determine if a product
meets requirements for recycled
content or related standards.
• Part 13 clarifies that the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act's
(RCRAs) procurement requirements
apply to micro-purchases (i.e., any
purchase under $2,500) and acquisi-
tions up to $100,000.
• Subparts 23.4 and 23.7 were reorga-
nized and revised to conform to addi-
tional EO regulations and RCRA.
According to Linda Mesaros of the
Office of the Federal Environmental
Executive, the new FAR language adopts
a holistic approach to government pur-
chasing, placing a stronger emphasis on
the considerations and requirements for
environmentally preferable purchasing.
''One of the easiest ways to encourage
recycling and environmentally prefer-
able purchasing is to consider it early
on in the building blocks and planning
stages," Mesaros said. "And the new
language in the FAR does just that.'
One of the most important changes.
according to Mesaros, is the addition of
procurement requirements for micro-
purchases. She explains that anyone with
a government purchase or credit card
can make micro-purchases, but many of
these purchasers are not cognizant of EPP
requirements. "The people who are
responsible for the majority of purchas-
es are unaware that they are supposed
to be buying green products, even when
using a purchase card," Mesaros said.
For more information or to download
the complete Federal Register notice with the
new FAR language, visit .
Who is visiting the
EPP Database?
Lots of people, according to a
recent data gathering effort.
Check out the numbers.
To date there have been 1,125
new visitors to the EPP Data-
base, and still counting!
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United States Postal Servic
USPS has reduced
its energy use
by 18 percent
since 1991
and will reach
a 30 percent
reduction by 2005.
The United States Postal Service
(USPS) is delivering an environ-
mentally sustainable future
through a variety of "green" activities.
This article highlights a few USPS initia-
tives serving as models for others.
Building a Green Future
USPS awards 400 to 500 new build-
ing contracts each year and is using the
opportunity to advance its Green
Buildings Program. USPS, for example,
recently completed a "green" post office
in Fort Worth, Texas. The building
incorporates a number of environmen-
tal attributes, including recycled-content
concrete and extensive natural lighting.
Rainwater is collected from the roof for
landscape irrigation. Because of these
features, USPS is anticipating annual
savings of $1,100 and $2,800 in energy
and water costs, respectively.
Driving the Green Message Home
USPS has been and continues to be a
leader in the use of alternatively fueled
vehicles. It already delivers mail in
compressed natural gas vehicles and
flexible fuel vehicles, which run on
either gasoline or ethanol. In December
1999, USPS announced it would
purchase 500 electric vehicles and
should receive the first shipment in
January 2001. Of the 500 electric
vehicles, 480 will be deployed in
California, and 20 will be deployed in
Washington, DC.
Electric vehicles are well-suited for
dense urban environments because dri-
ving distances are short, so the risk of
depleting battery power is small. They
are also very environmentally beneficial
when compared to traditional gasoline
vehicles. According to EPAs Alternatively
Fueled Vehicles Program, electric vehi-
cles can be up to 90 percent cleaner
than the cleanest conventional gasoline-
powered vehicle, even after considering
power plant emissions.
Batteries for the electric vehicles can
be costly, and replacement significantly
affects the lifecycle cost expenditures.
To minimize costs for the electric vehi-
cles, USPS solicited outside funding
from several key sources, including
California state agencies, air districts,
and utilities; New York state agencies;
and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Power of Going Green
Next to the U.S. military, USPS con-
sumes the largest amount of electricity
in the federal sector. To reduce the costs
and environmental impact of its electricity
purchases, it is actively pursuing oppor-
tunities for increased energy efficiency
and the use of renewable technologies.
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e Delivers Green Message
USPS recently contracted with
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
to design a new interior lighting system
for its post offices. A demonstration
project using this new design in Rodeo,
California, significantly reduced the
building's electricity load and won an
award from the U.S. Department of
Energy.
To further reduce its environmental
impacts, USPS committed in April to a
100 percent green power purchase.
USPS will purchase 33 million kilowatt-
Tiours of green power for each of the
next 3 years to power more than 1,100
California facilities. USPS required the
electricity provider to be Green-e certi-
fied, which ensures at least 50 percent
of the electricity is derived from renew-
able sources such as geothermal, wind,
and biomass energy. USPS will not pay
a premium for the electricity because
the supplier can purchase renewable
power using California's "Customer
Credit" discount.
Cleaning Green
USPS, through its environmental mis-
sion statement, has made a commit-
ment to purchase environmentally
responsible products. Maintenance staff
in the operations and vehicle groups
recently reviewed common products
used by mechanics, engineers, and cus-
todians to identify chemicals posing a
serious hazard to humans and the envi-
ronment. As a result, USPS is purchas-
ing new products that reduce the safety
and health risks to employees and
reduce the risks to the environment
associated with accidental hazardous
releases. Many of USPS's new purchas-
es, such as custodial cleaning solutions
and parts washers for vehicles, contain
low volatile organic compounds or
alternative substances.
Aqueous-based
cleaners are replacing
hazardous chemicals in
many USPS cleaning
and maintenance
operations. The use of
17 targeted hazardous
chemicals has been
reduced by more than
50 percent.
For more information on the programs highlighted in this article, contact the
following individuals and Web sites:
Fort Worth Post Office
Visit EPP's Promising Practices Guide at
.
USPS Green Buildings Program
Contact Ujwala Tamasker at
703 526-2757 or visit
.
USPS Electric Vehicles Purchase
Contact Marguerite Downey at
202 268-5073 or visit
.
USPS Green Power Purchase and
Other Energy Programs
Contact Paul Fennewald at 202 268-6239
or visit .
Reduction of Hazardous Chemicals
in USPS Purchases
Contact Mike Barr at 202 268-3135 or
visit .
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Reducing Pesticide Use
Every year in the United States, more
than 4.5 billion pounds of chemi-
cals are used to control unwanted
insects, rodents, and weeds. To minimize
the environmental impacts associated
with the use of these chemicals, pur-
chasers are investigating Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) as an environmentally
preferable alternative. A wide variety of
IPM approaches exist, from large-scale
industrial agricultural applications to
green building methods employing pest-
resistant construction materials.
Government purchasers, however, are
primarily integrating IPM into building
maintenance and landscaping contracts.
In this context, IPM combines employee
education, limited applications of less-
toxic chemicals, and traps and barriers to
drastically reduce pesticide quantities and
environmental impacts. It can also save
money because reduced pesticide use
means fewer pesticide purchases. San
Francisco and Santa Monica, California,
have two of the most well-established
IPM programs, but many others are cur-
rently exploring or practicing IPM,
including the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts; Cape May County, New
Jersey; Chatham County, North Carolina;
King County, Washington; Monroe
County, Indiana; and Portland, Oregon.
Prompted by an IPM ordinance passed
in 1996, San Francisco established an
aggressive IPM approach. As part of its
program, San Francisco established a
citywide IPM coordinator who is respon-
sible for overseeing its IPM efforts. An
essential component to this approach is
requiring the city's pest control contrac-
tors to use less toxic pest control meth-
ods, including preventative measures and
traps, before resorting to chemical appli-
cation. If the contractor determines that
chemical controls are necessary, it must
choose from a list of 45 reduced-risk pes-
ticides developed by an expert panel con-
vened by the city. The list includes
information about each pesticide's type
(e.g., fungicide, insecticide), use category
(allowed, limited, special concern), hazard
tier (less hazardous to more hazardous),
product name, active ingredients, EPA
registration number, and use limitations.
Products not included on the list can only
be used with a one-time exemption
approved by the citywide IPM coordinator.
According to Debbie Raphael, San
Francisco's pesticide reduction
coordinator, the city's emphasis
on training and the
willingness to pilot
alternative pest control
methods are the secret
to its success. San
Francisco has success-
fully stopped all indoor
pesticide spray
applications and
eliminated the
use of all
organophos-
phates and
the most
acutely
hazardous
pesticides.
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PM1
In place of
chemical herbicides to
control weeds, San Francisco garden-
ers have been piloting green-flamers
(propane torches that heat, steam, and
kill weeds), corn gluten meal, brush-
eating machinery, and even a herd of
goats. The pesticide contractor is
emphasizing prevention through
mechanical control (e.g., vacuums,
steam cleaning trash areas), and it is
working. The city's Recreation and
Parks Department, formerly the largest
chemical user in the city, has reduced
its pesticide purchase and use by 60
percent. Furthermore, in 1997, 40 per-
cent of visits by the pesticide contractor
required no pesticide applications, and
in 1999 that number reached 72 percent.
The city of Santa Monica is enjoying
similar success with its IPM program.
The city has drastically reduced pesti-
cide usage and has reduced pest control
costs by approximately 30 percent. The
number of pest complaints received by
facilities managers has also decreased.
Like San Francisco, Santa Monica
designated a citywide IPM coordinator
who oversees pest management practices
and communicates the city's require-
ments to pest contractors. The IPM
coordinator is also responsible for gen-
erating and updating the city's approved
chemicals list and, if necessary, approv-
ing the use of pesticides not on the list.
To develop the contract language and
list of approved chemicals, Santa
Monica assembled a team of experts
that included representatives from
universities, governments, a nonprofit
organization, and an IPM contractor.
The team provided the city with specif-
ic pest control techniques, including
their relative efficacy and toxicity It also
provided advice on working with IPM
contractors and the type of training that
would be beneficial to city employees
involved in pest management. After
soliciting information on common pests
from facilities managers, the city devel-
oped its IPM contract specifications.
In the past, Santa Monica's primary
pest control method was to hire multi-
ple contractors to regularly spray pesti-
cides in and around city buildings. The
city now has developed pest control
specifications and more detailed con-
tracts with service providers that
emphasize long-term and preventative
measures. Key management strategies
include pest identification, baits,
employee training, and employee
behavioral modification to reduce food,
water, access, and environmental condi-
tions favored by pests.
Other communities are enjoying posi-
tive results from similar IPM efforts.
Cape May County, for example, saved
$45,000 from 1993 to 1998 through its
IPM program. Monroe County imple-
mented an IPM program throughout its
school system, decreasing pest control
costs by 35 percent and pesticides use
by 90 percent.
For additional IPM information, visit
.
Here you will find an extensive list of
federal, state, and local government
IPM resources, among others.
Teaching IPM in Schools
One of EPA's highest priorities is
protecting children from unnec-
essary exposure to pesticides
used in and around schools.
EPA's Office of Pesticide
Programs helps schools under-
h printed publications,
IPM program grants, workshops
and courses, and partnerships
with universities and national
associations.
The Agency will also further
IPM's cause in schools through
the Center for IPM Excellence,
which will be established next
year through an EPA grant. The
IPM pilot program will provide
juidelines, contract specifica-
tions, outreach, and consultants
to conduct onsite evaluations of
participating schools. EPA offi-
cials are hopeful that the Center
will educate and inform the pub-
lic about IPM. For more informa-
tion, contact Kathy Seikel at 703
308-8272, or visit:
• EPA's IPM in Schools Web site
Dest/matilla/iDm.html>
Fhe University of Florida's
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Pentagon Renovations Include
New EPP Approach
"Doing what's easiest
isn't the same as doing
what's right. I don't
want to be in the posi-
tion of telling my chil-
dren or grandchildren
that I didn't do every-
thing I could to ensure
they inherited a world
where they can breathe
the air, drink the water,
and enjoy the diversity
and wonder of life on
earth."
-Bob Cox, Chief of
Technical Staff, DoD
Federal Facilities Division
The U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD) is no stranger to EPP. Over
the last 5 years, DoD's Federal
Facilities Division, part of the Washington
Headquarters Services, has successfully
incorporated EPP into two pilot projects—
a $5 million Parking Lot Repair Project
and a $50 million Pentagon Interior
Renovation Project. The Federal Facilities
Division is responsible for the operation of
the Pentagon and several other DoD-owned
and operated buildings in the National
Capitol Region. Now the Washington
Headquarters Services Pentagon Renovation
Office is going one step further by using
an even more innovative approach for its
upcoming $500 million, 14-year contract
for the Pentagons renovations.
Unlike earlier DoD contracts that incor-
porated EPP, the new contract does not list
environmental specifications for the hun-
dreds of products and services needed for
the project. Instead, DoD is using a
"performance-based" contract that sets a
number of environmental goals the con-
tractor must try to achieve. Project goals
include using products made from sus-
tainably harvested wood; reducing green-
house gas emissions; establishing an onsite
recycling program to divert 50 percent of
construction and demolition debris from
landfills; and eliminating the use of and
preventing the generation of ozone-
depleting substances, volatile organic
compounds, polyvinyl chloride, and all
other chlorine-based compounds.
DoD's new approach builds upon the
experiences gained from its previous
efforts. Although DoD believes its earlier
method of writing EPP specifications into
its contracts was effective, DoD also found
this had some drawbacks. Writing EPP
specifications required DoD to conduct
extensive market research to determine
the types of environmentally preferable
products contractors should be able to
find in the marketplace. In addition, once
written, DoD found the specifications lim-
ited the contractor to the types of prod-
ucts existing at the beginning of the
project. This did not encourage the con-
tractor to seek out products with addition-
al environmentally preferable features as
new technologies emerged. DoD's new
approach overcomes these drawbacks
since it requires the contractor—not
DoD—to conduct market research to
determine the availability of environmen-
tally preferable products, and also places
no limits on the positive environmental
attributes a product can have.
DoD's new approach incorporates a
monetary incentive called an award fee.
The award fee motivates the contractor to
achieve DoD's environmental goals, as well
as meet other aspects of the contract such
as quality of work, schedule adherence,
safety, and socioeconomic program com-
pliance. It can total up to 10 percent of
the $500 million contract and is awarded
based on DoD's periodic assessments of the
contractor's performance. Since DoD will
evaluate the contractor's environmental
performance, it is in the contractor's best
interest to adopt an aggressive EPP policy.
In addition, DoD will select the contractor
based on the company's past sustainable
design experience and its proposed meth-
ods for meeting DoD's environmental goals.
For more information, contact Bob Cox,
chief of technical staff, DoD Federal
Facilities Division, at 703 693-3765, or
Tom Fontane, public affairs officer for
the Pentagon Renovation Office at
703 693-8935.
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EPP Leaders Discuss Smart
Green Purchasing
More than 50 federal, state, and
local government EPP practi-
tioners and other advocates
recently convened to discuss the issues
and challenges facing EPP programs. The
workshop, "Government to Government:
A Smart Green Purchasing Summit" met
on July 21 and 22 at the White House
Conference Center in Washington, DC.
The Office of the Federal Environmental
Executive and the Center for a New
American Dream sponsored the event.
'The environment is in serious trouble.
in large part due to unsustainable pat-
terns of consumption. Local govern-
ments are already alleviating many
environmental problems by simply buy-
ing green, for example, saving thousands
of trees by using recycled paper products.
and taking tons of carbon dioxide out of
the atmosphere by purchasing refined oil
for public vehicles. This meeting was
convened to help strengthen the EPP
programs nationwide," said Betsy Taylor.
executive director of the Center for a
New American Dream.
During the meeting, participants:
• Reviewed success stories.
• Examined obstacles to future progress.
• Explored promising strategies for accel-
erating green purchasing by city, state.
and county government agencies.
• Discussed how to increase public
awareness and support for these
programs.
According to Eric Friedman at the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Operational and Services Division, "The
workshop was successful because it
brought together people from different
areas of EPP—federal, state, and local—
and identified the real barriers and key
issues that all of us face. There are prob-
lems we all deal with that cross geo-
graphical barriers, political affiliations.
etc."
"An emphasis was also placed on
learning from the valuable lessons avail-
able in those already well-established
and successful EPP programs," said EPAs
Julie Shannon. Hallmark programs such
as those in the city of Santa Monica, the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and
King County, Washington, were featured
at the workshop in presentations geared
towards helping jump-start nascent
programs.
Participants in the workshop identified
several key areas in need of attention.
They include:
• How to generate broad-based political
support and develop constituencies.
• How to develop forums for informa-
tion exchange so that new programs
learn from the lessons of successful,
well-established programs.
• How to establish relationships with
non-environmental groups that are
involved with purchasing
In order to sustain the momentum
generated by the conference, attendees
formed a steering committee to help
oversee a new national network of gov-
ernment purchasing experts and agents
dedicated to accelerating and expanding
EPP. The committee's first meeting will
be at the beginning of September, and
the new network of officials will be
staffed by the Center for a New American
Dream, a nonprofit organization dedicat-
ed to responsible consumption.
For more information, contact Betsy
Taylor at the Center for a New American
Dream at 301 891-3683 or .
Calling All EPP
Pioneers and
Pilots!
The EPP Program encour-
ages federal agencies to
put environmentally
preferable purchasing
concepts into practice
by initiating EPP pilot
projects. Green purchas-
ing "pioneers" already
exist in many agencies,
but EPA wants to expand
the list. The EPP Program
is currently accepting pro-
posals for pilot projects,
and a modest amount
of seed money is avail-
able. If interested, contact
the EPP Program for
an application at
.
The due date for applica-
tions is October 31, 2000.
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BEES, Please
, o you manufacture a
building material?
. "BEES Please" is an
utive that promotes the
lange of environmental
3 between product manu-
The Buzz About BE ES
(See EPP Update #2 [EPA742-F-97-002] for a previous article on the BEES software.)
Evaluating the environmental preferability of building products has just become
easier, thanks to an upgraded software program. Within 3 weeks of its release,
more than 500 people had downloaded free copies of version 2.0 of the
Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software. BEES 2.0
offers comparative environmental and economic performance data for more than
twice as many building products as the previous version, and provides environmental
analyses of four new impact categories (ozone depletion, smog, ecological toxicity
and human toxicity) for several products. Together with the original six, there are
now a total of 10 impact categories for many products.
Designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with
support from the EPP Program and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Developments Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), BEES
helps designers, builders, manufacturers, purchasers, and specifiers select cost-
effective "greener" building materials. The decision-support software supplies envi-
ronmental and economic impact data for 65 building materials.
The software developers expect to update BEES every 12 to 18 months. Analyses
of the four new environmental impact categories will be expanded to cover all
building products. Other enhancements will include adding region-specific environ-
mental data and combining building product data to enable a comparative analysis
of entire buildings.
You can download a free copy of BEES from the Internet at or contact the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at
202 260-1023. For additional information, contact Barbara Lippiatt with NIST at
.
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Wearing It With Environmental
Pride
Throughout history and across cultures, uniforms have been a symbol of pride.
When National Park Service (NFS) rangers don new uniforms later this year,
they will have even more to be proud of. These new uniforms are not just green
in color—they're environmentally "green," as well. For the first time, NFS sought a
supply contract for its uniform program that emphasized environmental preferability
in addition to cost and quality.
The new contract, which begins October 1, 2000, includes uniforms for NFS, the
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Office of Surface
Mining—approximately 24,000 personnel in all. The contract includes environmentally
preferable features such as online catalogs and ordering to reduce the tons of paper
and ink previously used for paper catalogs and order forms; shipping materials made
from postconsumer recycled content that meet EPAs Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines; and garment care instructions that include the least toxic method for
effectively cleaning the garment. The garments themselves will have environmental
features. Fleece jackets and vests, for example, will be made from 100 percent recy-
cled plastic and a 65 percent recycled cotton twill fabric.
"We realized that a conservation agency needed to be a step above just compliance
of environmental laws," explained Ken Mabery NPS's uniform program director. "We
needed to go the extra mile."
That extra mile will include quarterly environmental performance reviews, plus
working with the contractors environmental performance coordinator and a mentor-
ing group composed of environmentally preferable purchasing experts from EPA and
other organizations. Together, the group will identify ways to increase energy efficien-
cy in the production phase and determine ways to cost-efficiently eliminate waste
streams. "This doesn't mean just complying with laws on how to dispose of machin-
ery oil or dyes," Mabery pointed out. "This is determining how and where material,
thread, and leather scraps can be recycled, or switching to more energy-efficient light
bulbs and using recycled-content paper in the contractor's office."
While negotiating the contract was challenging at times, NFS thinks the new con-
tract is better than originally anticipated. The new contract is more environmental in
focus, but remains less than 1 percent more expensive than the current contract, an
increase deemed appropriate when factoring in administrative costs. Mabery credits
the bid's success to the contractor's willingness to move beyond its initial hesitance
and lack of understanding of the EPP process. "We had a choice at the onset to either
incorporate a lot of 'must dos' into the contract or just offer concepts that we wanted
to incorporate," Mabery said. "We chose to let the contractor have more of a role in
determining how the contract would develop, and that helped [the contractor] buy
into the idea more." Now it will be up to NFS and the vendor to work together to
ensure the environmental performance elements of the contract are met.
For more information
about the NPS Uniform
Program, contact Ken
Mabery at 202 208-
6380 or Shawn Norton,
NPS's environmental
leadership manager, at
202 565-1260.
11
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New MOA Aims to Green Mandatory Sources
A recently signed Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) will focus on enhancing the supply
and purchase of environmentally preferable
products and services through mandatory federal
procurement sources. The MOA, signed by the
Department of the Interior (Interior), EPA, the
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind
or Severely Disabled (Committee), National
Industries for the Blind (NIB), and NISH (serving
people with a range of disabilities), presents an
opportunity to not only green the procurement
process across the federal government, but also to
promote employment opportunities for individuals
who are blind or severely disabled.
NIB and NISH are organizations that work with
associated nonprofit agencies to provide products and
services to government agencies as mandatory
sources under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Act.
The JWOD Act is intended to generate training and
employment opportunities through the federal acqui-
sition process for people who are blind or have other
severe disabilities.
"This is a defining moment for the JWOD
Program, as it—like the country—transitions
to the more resource-conscious and resource
conservation buying practices of the 21st
century."
—Leon A. Wilson, Jr., Executive Director of the
Committee that administers the JWOD
Program
The MOA outlines specific responsibilities for each
of the participating agencies. Interior will promote
the purchase of environmentally preferable products
and services from NIB and NISH organizations. The
Committee, NIB, and NISH will increase efforts to
incorporate environmental considerations into the
products and services they manufacture and provide.
EPA will assist NIB and NISH organizations in green-
ing their products by preparing a "Green Product
Development" guidance and by providing training.
To access a copy of the MOA, visit
.
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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