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Guidance on Conducting Inspections of Federal Facilities for Compliance with Section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act May 12, 1999
This guidance is intended to assist EPA and State compliance inspectors determine compliance with EPA guidelines on procuring recycled content products by all Federal facilities. To promote compliance with the guidelines, this guidance is being made available to Federal facilities.
Introduction: On September 14, 1998, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13101: "Greening the Government Through Waste revention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition". Section 403 of the Order directed that EPA develop guidance for inspections of Federal facilities for compliance with the buy-recycled program established under section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The guidance is to be used by EPA whenever the Agency conducts RCRA inspections or multi-media regulatory compliance inspections where RCRA compliance is a component of the inspection. The guidance may also be used by States authorized to conduct inspections under RCRA.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13101 GREENING THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH WASTE PREVENTION, RECYCLING, AND FEDERAL ACQUISITION
Sec. 403. Federal Facility Compliance.
(a) Within 6 months of the date of this order, the Administrator of the EPA shall, in consultation with the Federal Environmental Executive, prepare guidance for use in determining Federal facility compliance with section 6002 of RCRA and the related requirements of this order.
(b) EPA inspections of Federal facilities conducted pursuant to RCRA and the Federal Facility Compliance Act and EPA "multimedia" inspections carried out at Federal facilities will include, where appropriate, evaluation of facility compliance with section 6002 of RCRA and any implementing guidance.
(c) Where inspections of Federal facilities are carried out by authorized States pursuant to RCRA and the Federal Facility Compliance Act, the Administrator of the EPA will encourage those States to include evaluation of facility compliance with section 6002 of RCRA in light of EPA guidance prepared pursuant to subsection (a), where appropriate, similar to inspections performed by the EPA. The EPA may provide information and technical assistance to the States to enable them to include such considerations in their inspection.
(d) The EPA shall report annually to the Federal Environmental Executive on the results of inspections performed by the EPA to determine Federal facility compliance with section 6002 of RCRA not later than February 1st for those inspections conducted during the previous fiscal year.
Inspection Focus: EPA has determined that for the first year of implementation, inspection activities carried out pursuant to section 403 of the Order should focus primarily on information collection. EPA compliance assistance programs will use this information to promote Federal facility awareness of, and compliance with, RCRA section 6002 requirements. To ensure federal facility compliance with RCRA section 6002 in the future, EPA's response to non-compliance with that section may change.
Enforcement: Violations of RCRA section 6002 by federal agencies do not give rise to administrative penalty actions or orders under RCRA's enforcement authorities. This conclusion does not, however, limit EPA's authority to issue notices of violation (NOV) or enter into compliance agreements at Federal facilities for violations of RCRA section 6002 that are discovered through the inspections mandated by Executive Order 13101. Moreover, citizens may take action pursuant to RCRA section 7002 for violations of RCRA 6002 requirements.
Background: When the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted in 1976, Congress stated that objectives of the statute included the conservation of resources through recycling. Recognizing that recycling works best if there are markets for the materials collected, Congress directed the Federal government to employ its purchasing power to help create and sustain those markets by buying products manufactured with the collected materials. Section 6002 of RCRA establishes the Federal program that directs federal purchasing decisions for recycled content products.
Buy Recycled Program: Section 6002 of RCRA establishes a Federal buy-recycled program. RCRA section 6002(e) requires EPA to: (1) designate items that are or can be made with recovered materials and (2) prepare guidelines to assist procuring agencies in complying with affirmative procurement requirements set forth in subsections (c), (d), and (i) of section 6002. Once EPA has formally designated items, section 6002 requires that any procuring agency using appropriated Federal funds must purchase those items composed of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable.
RCRA '6002: Federal Procurement
(c)(1) ... each procuring agency which procures any items designated in such guidelines shall procure such items composed of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable ....
(e) The Administrator shall ... prepare ... guidelines for the use of procuring agencies .... Such guidelines shall designate those items which are or can be produced with recovered materials ....
Procuring Agencies: For the purposes of RCRA section 6002, procuring agencies include the following:
(1) any Federal agency;
(2) any State or local agencies using appropriated Federal funds for a procurement, or
(3) any contractors with these agencies (with respect to work performed under the contract).
The requirements of RCRA section 6002 apply to such procuring agencies only when procuring designated items where the price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the quantity of the item purchased in the previous year exceeded $10,000. The $10,000 threshold applies to all purchases made by an entire agency rather than regional or local offices (e.g., Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, etc). Most Federal agencies exceed the $10,000 threshold for EPA designated items. (Section 403 of Executive Order 13101 states that inspectins carried out under the Order 13101 are to be conducted at Federal facilities; state and local agencies using appropriated funds will not be included in these inspections. Governement owned, contractor operated (GOCO) facilities are considered Federal Facilites for the purposes of this guidance.)
CPG Items: The Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) designate those items that must contain recycled content when purchased by Federal agencies. The CPG acknowledges, however, that specific circumstances may arise that preclude the purchase of products made with recovered materials.
... for the EPA-designated guideline items, ... and for all future designated guideline items, agencies shall ensure that their affirmative procurement programs require100 percent of their purchases of products to meet or exceed the EPA guideline unless written justification is provided that a product is not available competitively within a reasonable time frame, does not meet appropriate performance standards, or is only available at an unreasonable price. (EO 13101, Sec. 402 (c)).
Designated items that do not contain recovered materials may be purchased if it is determined that:
- the price of a given designated item made with recovered materials is unreasonably high,
- there is inadequate competition (not enough sources of supply),
- unusual and unreasonable delays would result from obtaining the item, or
- it does not meet the agency's reasonable performance specifications.
Designated Items: To date, the EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) program has designated 36 products in 8 product categories. In 1998, EPA proposed to designate an additional 19 products; EPA expects those products to be formally listed in June of 1999. EPA research indicates that the designated items are of high quality, are widely available, and cost-competitive with products made from virgin materials. Moreover, Government procurement of these products will create markets for a variety of recycled materials that make up a large part of the municipal waste stream, including various types of paper, used tires, oil and antifreeze, plastics, steel, and yard debris. Purchase of the guideline items also creates markets for non-hazardous industrial wastes that are generated in large quantities, such as coal fly ash and blast furnace slag.
A key component of the CPG program is EPA's list of designated products and the accompanying recycled content recommendations. EPA has already designated or has proposed designating the products listed below. EPA has also published final or proposed recycled content recommendations for each item. All proposals, designations and recommendations are published in the
Federal Register. Additional information on the CPG designated items and content recommendations can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/products.htm
EPA Designated and Proposed CPG Items
Construction Products
Designated:
Building insulation products
Carpet
Cement and concrete containing:
-Coal fly ash
-Ground granulated blast furnace slag
Consolidated and reprocessed latex paint
Floor tiles
Laminated paperboard
Patio blocks
Shower and restroom dividers/partitions
Structural fiberboard
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Proposed:
Carpet backing
Carpet cushion
Flowable fill
Railroad grade crossings/surfaces
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Landscaping Products
Designated:
Garden and soaker hoses
Hydraulic mulch
Lawn and garden edging
Yard trimmings compost
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Proposed:
Food waste compost
Landscaping timbers and posts (plastic lumber)
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Non-Paper Office Products
Designated:
Binders (paper, plastic covered)
Office recycling containers
Office waste receptacles
Plastic desktop accessories
Plastic envelopes
Plastic trash bags
Printer ribbons
Toner cartridges
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Proposed:
Plastic binders (solid)
Plastic clipboards
Plastic clip portfolios
Plastic file folders
Plastic presentation folders
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Paper and Paper Products
Designated:
Commercial/industrial sanitary tissue
products
Miscellaneous papers
Newsprint
Paperboard and packaging products
Printing and writing papers
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Proposed:
None at this time.
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Park and Recreation Products
Designated:
Plastic fencing
Playground surfaces
Running tracks
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Proposed:
Park and recreational furniture
Playground equipment
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Transportation Products
Designated:
Channelizers
Delineators
Flexible delineators
Parking stops
Traffic barricades
Traffic cones
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Proposed:
None at this time.
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Vehicular Products
Designated:
Engine coolants
Re-refined lubricating oils
Retread tires
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Proposed:
None at this time.
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Miscellaneous Products
Designated:
Pallets
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Proposed:
Sorbents
Awards and plaques
Industrial drums
Mats
Signage
Strapping and stretch wrap
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Recovered Material Recommendations: For each of the designated and proposed products, EPA has issued a Recovered
Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) which establishes the recommended
recycled content level for a given product. In most circumstances,
minimum content recommendations are provided for both postconsumer
recycled content and recovered material levels. "Postconsumer
material" means a material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, having completed its life as a consumer item. "Postconsumer material&qout; is part of the broader category of "recovered material". "Recovered materials" mean waste materials and byproducts that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste, but such term does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process.
Exhibit 1 below provides an example of such an RMAN for the product Building Insulation.
| Product |
Material |
Postconsumer Content (%) |
Total Recovered Materials Content (%) |
| Rock Wool |
Slag |
-- |
75 |
| Fiber Glass |
Glass Cullet |
-- |
20-25 |
Cellulose Loose-Fill and Spray-on |
Postconsumer Paper |
75 |
75 |
| Perlite Composite Board |
Postconsumer Paper |
23 |
23 |
Plastic Rigid Foam, Polysocyanurate/ Polyurethane: Rigid Foam Foam-in-Place Glass Fiber Reinforced |
-- -- -- |
-- -- -- |
9 5 6 |
| Phenolic Rigid Foam |
-- |
-- |
5 |
| Plastic, Non-Woven Batt |
Recovered and/or Postconsumer Plastics |
-- |
100 |
In other circumstances, where
specific recycled material content is not appropriate or where on-site
management of the designated items may be more effective, the RMAN may
indicate a preference for an activity over a given level of recovered
material. An example of this type of RMAN, for engine coolants, is
presented in Exhibit 2 below.
Exhibit 2:Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges - Coolants:
EPA recommends that
procuring agencies whose vehicles are serviced by a motor pool or
vehicle maintenance facility establish a program for engine coolant
reclamation and reuse that consists of either reclaiming the spent
engine coolants onsite for use in the agencies' vehicles or
establishing a service contract for reclamation of the agencie' spent
engine coolant for use in the agencies' vehicles.
EPA also
recommends that procuring agencies request reclaimed engine coolant
when having their vehicles serviced at commercial service centers.
Additionally, EPA recommends that agencies purchase reclaimed engine
coolant when making direct purchases of this item, such as when
necessary to make up for losses due to leakage or spillage
EPA does
not recommend one type of engine coolant over another. EPA recommends,
however, that procuring agencies purchase engine coolant containing
only one base chemical, typically ethylene glycol or propylene glycol,
to prevent the commingling of incompatible types of engine
coolant.
To facilitate ease of implementation, the EPA RMAN
documents also include known product specifications as well as product
information such as product manufacturers and suppliers.
Inspection
Guidance:
During initial implementation of the requirement for EPA
inspections at Federal facilities for compliance with RCRA 6002, EPA
has elected to focus on field level awareness of the RCRA 6002
requirements. As such, inspections at Federal facilities pursuant to
RCRA and the Federal Facility Compliance Act and EPA
"multimedia" inspections carried out at Federal facilities,
will include;
1) distribution of a questionnaire to the facility
and,
2) inspection of the facility motor vehicle maintenance
activities (where such activities exist) for compliance with RCRA 6002
.
Motor vehicle maintenance activities were selected for this
effort due to the:
1) common presence of such activities at a broad
range of Federal facilities,
2) significant awareness and
availability of products and services that meet the EPA guidelines for
vehicular products and,
3) likelihood that RCRA inspections would
normally be conducted at these locations.
Inspectors should become
familiar with the basic concepts of the CPG program and are requested
to briefly outline to facility personnel EPA's authority for both
generating the CPG designations under RCRA section 6002 and conducting
inspections under section 403 of EO 13101. While the introduction and
background to this document provide a brief overview on this topic,
inspectors should contact RCRA personnel or the Federal Facility
Coordinator in their Region for additional information. Inspectors may
also wish to contact the RCRA hotline at 800-424-3323 or search the
Internet at http://www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm for further
information.
FACILITY QUESTIONNAIRE: Attached to this document is a
questionnaire including a matrix addressing facility purchase and use
of CPG items. The questionnaire and matrix should be provided to the
facility environmental manager for response. The questionnaire
requests that the manager, in coordination with the facility
procurement manager, provide a response to each written question and
complete the matrix. Once completed, the entire package is to be
mailed to EPA Headquarters by the facility within two weeks of the
inspection.
INSPECTION: The CPG designation of "Vehicular
Products" has been in existence for a lengthy period of time and has
received considerable attention in the Federal community. Therefore,
during the first year of implementing the inspections called for in EO
13101, EPA has elected to gather information on facility compliance
with this aspect of the CPG program.
Inspectors should visit the
facility motor vehicle maintenance facility if one exists. If the
facility is large and has more than one vehicle maintenance/service
facility, the inspector should request visit the largest facility
(shop) which deals with cars, trucks and or tactical vehicles. If no
motor vehicle maintenance activities occur at the facility, certain
questions in the following list may be still relevant.
These
recommended inspection protocols and questions are based on the EPA CPG
designated items in the category of Vehicular Products and reflects the
RMAN for those products. Some additional background questions are also
included.
Inspection Procedures at a Specific Federal Facility
Motor Vehicle Maintenance Shop.
RE-REFINED OILS AND LUBRICANTS:
BACKGROUND: Re-refined lubricating oils include engine
lubrication oil, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils. EPA's designation
specifically excludes marine and aviation oils. The recycling of used
oil has evolved from simply removing water, insolubles, and dirt, to
the more complicated removal of heavy metals, nitrogen, chlorine, and
oxygenated compounds. Today, re-refined lubricating oil is subject to
the same stringent refining, compounding, and performance standards as
virgin oil for use in automotive, heavyduty diesel, and other internal
combustion engines, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils. In addition,
extensive laboratory testing and field studies have concluded that
re-refined oil is equivalent to virgin oil, passes all prescribed tests,
and can even outperform virgin oil. In fact, the three major U.S.
automobile manufacturers now recognize that re-refined oil meets the
performance criteria in their warranties.
While oil that is removed from vehicles may be disposed of as a waste, it is generally kept for pick-up by a recycling contractor. In some circumstances, the facility may burn the used oil in its boilers to recover the heating value of the oil.
RMAN for RE-REFINED OILS: Recommended Recovered
Materials Content Ranges:
EPA recommends that procuring agencies
set their minimum re-refined oil content standard at the highest level
of re-refined oil that they determine meets the statutory requirements
of RCRA section 6002(c)(1), but no lower than 25 percent re-refined
oil.
EPA recommends that procuring agencies review their
procurement practices and eliminate those which would inhibit or
preclude procurement of lubricating oils containing re-refined oil. For
example, procuring agencies should avoid the practice of inviting bids
and issuing contracts to do the following:
- Supply a broad range
of lubricating oil products on an "all or none" basis.
- Supply
lubricating oils for an excessively long period of time.
- Deliver
lubricating oils to geographic locations throughout the United States
or to an excessively broad geographic area.
- Supply excessively
large contract quantities.
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
offers re-refined engine lubricating oils for diesel and non-diesel
vehicles. DLA also offers closed loop contracts for used oil removal
and supply of re-refined oil.
General questions:
Approximately
how many vehicles (including aircraft) are serviced by the shop
annually? What type of vehicles are serviced? (e.g., sedans,
trucks, heavy equipment, aircraft)
Specific questions regarding
shop use of oil and lubricants:
What is the estimated annual
consumption of oil and lubricants in the shop? Does the shop use
re-refined oil for replacement engine lubricating oils? Does the
shop use re-refined oil for replacement hydraulic fluids? Does the
shop use re-refined oil for replacement gear oils? If the shop does
not use re-refined oils for any or all of these uses, are they aware of
the RCRA/CPG requirement to do so? If they are aware of the
requirement to do so yet still do not use re-refined oils, what is
their explanation for not using these products?
Does their facility
procurement process allow them to purchase re-refined oil? If not,
what are the barriers to such purchases? Do they purchase oil for
use in the shop using a government charge card at a commercial vendor
(e.g., K-Mart or Sears) outside of the facility? What is the fate
of used oil removed from the facility's vehicles? If the oil is
sent out to a recycler, do they know if it ultimately used for energy
recovery or if it is re-refined?
Shop inspection protocol:
Inspectors should ask to see the oil containers used by the facility.
If the shop uses re-refined products, these products can be recognized
quickly by the label on the oil container. At some facilities a bulk
distribution apparatus that is fed by 55 gallon (or larger) drums of
oil is used for shop distribution of engine lubricating oils and
hydraulic fluids. Like quart cans and one or five gallon jugs, these
drums are generally marked if their contents contain re-refined oil;
the bulk distribution may not contain any markings reflecting
re-refined content. Inspectors should record and include in their
inspection report whether the oil being used for engine lubrication,
hydraulic fluid and gear oils is re-refined.
RETREAD TIRES
BACKGROUND: For most cases, retread tires can be driven under the same
conditions and at the same speeds as new tires with no loss in safety
or comfort. In fact, retread tires have been safely used on school
buses, trucks, cars, fire engines, and other emergency vehicles for
years. Retreading tires also helps conserve a valuable nonrenewable
resource-oil. Every year, retreading saves more than 400 million
gallons of oil in North America. Retread tires also help divert
thousands of scrap tires from disposal each year.
RMAN for RETREAD
TIRES: Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges:
EPA
recommends that procuring agencies purchase either tire retreading
services for worn tires or retread tires as replacement tires. The
U.S. Army Tank-automotive Command (TACOM) recently replaced the U.S.
General Services Administration (GSA) as manager of tires, although GSA
still offers retreading services contracts for medium truck-bus tires.
TACOM offers a specification, Qualified Products List, and list of
suppliers for retread tires. TACOM also is offering an inspection
program to assure the quality of retreading operations.
Questions regarding shop use of retread tires:
Approximately how many tires
does the shop replace annually? What type(s) of tires does the shop
use (i.e., bus, heavy truck, medium truck, light truck, off-road,
passenger vehicle)? Does the shop use retread tires? If so, for
which types of tires? Does the shop have in place an agreement or
contract with a "retreader" to retread the facility's tires? If the
shop does not use retread tires for any or all of the uses, are they
aware of the RCRA/CPG requirement to do so? If they are aware of
the requirement to do so yet still do not use retread tires, what is
their explanation for not using these products? Does their facility
procurement process allow them to purchase retread tires? If not, what
are the barriers? Do they purchase retread tires for use in the
shop using a government charge card at a commercial vendor (e.g.,
Bandag, Goodyear, or other retreader) outside of the facility? What is the fate of used tires removed from the facility's vehicles?
Shop inspection protocol: Inspectors should be aware that a facility might be using retread truck tires but not retread passenger tires because of availability problems or performance concerns. Inspectors should ask to see replacement tires stored for use by the facility. If the shop uses retread products, these products can generally be recognized quickly by the label on the side of the tire or actual markings remaining from the retread process. If there are vehicles in the shop for repair, inspectors should determine whether the tires on a representative sample of those vehicles are retread tires. Inspectors should record and include in their inspection report whether the tires being used at the facility are retread tires.
ENGINE COOLANT
BACKGROUND: Recycled engine coolants, also known as
antifreeze, might actually be purer than virgin coolant because the
recycling process reduces the chlorides that come from hard water.
Testing shows that, like new coolant, recycled coolant meets nationally
recognized performance specifications established by the American
Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE).
RMAN for Engine Coolants: Recommended Recovered
Materials Content Ranges:
EPA recommends that procuring agencies
whose vehicles are serviced by a motor pool or vehicle maintenance
facility establish a program for engine coolant reclamation and reuse
that consists of either reclaiming the spent engine coolants onsite for
use in the agencies' vehicles or establishing a service contract for
reclamation of the agencies' spent engine coolant for use in the
agencies' vehicles.
EPA also recommends that procuring agencies
request reclaimed engine coolant when having their vehicles serviced at
commercial service centers. Additionally, EPA recommends that agencies
purchase reclaimed engine coolant when making direct purchases of this
item, such as when necessary to make up for losses due to leakage or
spillage.
EPA does not recommend one type of engine coolant over
another. EPA recommends, however, that procuring agencies purchase
engine coolant containing only one base chemical, typically ethylene
glycol or propylene glycol, to prevent the commingling of incompatible
types of engine coolant.
Specific questions regarding shop use of
engine coolants:
How frequently is the coolant changed in each
vehicle? What is the estimated average annual usage of coolant in
this shop? Does the shop use reclaimed engine coolant? Does the
shop have in place an agreement or contract with a vendor to reclaim
the facility's used coolant? Does the shop have on-site, a
reclamation device to reclaim used coolant? If the shop does not
use reclaimed coolant, are they aware of the RCRA/CPG requirement to do
so? If they are aware of the requirement to do so yet still do not
use reclaimed coolant, what is their explanation for not using this
product? Does their facility procurement process allow them to
purchase reclaimed coolant? If not, what are the barriers to such
purchases? Do they purchase coolant (reclaimed or virgin) for use
in the shop using a government charge card at a commercial vendor
(e.g., K-Mart or Sears) outside of the facility? What is the fate
of used coolant removed from the facility's vehicles?
Shop
inspection protocol: Inspectors should ask to see the area where engine
coolants are stored for use by the facility. If the shop uses
reclaimed coolant, these products can generally be recognized by the
label on container. Inspectors should record and include in their
inspection report how storage and disposal of engine coolants is
handled at the facility.
INSPECTORS:
SEE ATTACHED INSPECTOR CHECK LIST (Attachment 1)
Please provide attached questionnaire to facility contact.
(Attachment 2)
INSPECTOR CHECKLIST FOR
INSPECTIONS OF FEDERAL FACILITIES FOR COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 6002 OF THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND
RECOVERY ACT
Note to inspectors: If the facility has no motor
vehicle maintenance shop, please provide the Inspection Questionnaire
to the facility and note on the top of this form that the facility does
not maintain vehicles onsite. If the facility has more than one motor
vehicle maintenance shop, please indicate whether the response to
questions listed below reflect practices at the entire facility or only
the shop(s) inspected.
Re-refined oils and lubricants:
Background questions:
Approximately how many vehicles are serviced
for replacement or addition of oils and lubricants by the shop or
facility annually? ___________________________
What type of vehicles are serviced?
(e.g., sedans, trucks, heavy equipment, aircraft) ___________________________________________________________________
Specific questions regarding use of oil and lubricants:
What is the estimated annual consumption of oil and lubricants in the
shop? Motor oil: __________ gallons Other lubricants:
__________ gallons
Approximately how frequently is the engine oil
replaced in facility vehicles? Every ____________ miles or
__________ months
Does the facility or shop test the oil to
determine if replacement is needed? yes _____ no _____
Does the
shop or facility use re-refined oil for replacement engine lubricating
(motor) oils? yes _____ no _____
Does the shop or facility use
re-refined oil for replacement hydraulic fluids? yes _____ no
_____
Does the shop or facility use re-refined oil for replacement
gear oils? yes _____ no _____
Do shop containers containing
unused oils and other lubricants indicate these products are
re-refined? Oil - yes _____ no _____ Hydraulic fluids - yes
_____ no _____ Gear oils - yes _____ no _____
Is the shop or
facility aware of the RCRA/CPG requirement to use re-refined oils or
lubricants? yes _____ no _____
If the facility is aware of the
requirement to use re-refined oils and lubricants and still does not
use these products, what is their explanation for not using these
products? Re-refined is too expensive ____ Specifications
don't allow use of re-refined ____ Re-refined is not available
____ Other _____________________________________
Where does the
shop or facility purchase oil and other lubricants? Commercial bulk
vendor (e.g., Safety Kleen) yes _____ no _____ Govt. vendor (e.g.,
DLA, GSA) yes _____ no _____ Local commercial vendor (e.g., auto
supply) yes _____ no _____ Other _________________
Do shop or
facility personnel purchase oil or other lubricants for use in the shop
using a government charge card or account at a commercial vendor (e.g.,
K-Mart or Sears) outside of the facility? Always ____ Occasionally
_____ Never _____
What is the fate of used oil removed from the
facility's vehicles? Disposed of as hazardous waste _____ Picked up by vendor for "recycling" _____ Reused at facility for
heating fuel _____ Other __________________________
If the oil
is collected or sent out to a recycler, is it ultimately used for
energy recovery or is it re-refined? Energy recovery _____ Re-refined
_____ Don't know _____
RETREAD TIRES:
Background
questions:
Approximately how many tires does the shop or facility
replace annually? _______
What type(s) of replacement tires does the
shop or facility use? Bus yes _____ no _____ Heavy truck
yes _____ no _____ Pickup truck yes _____ no _____ Passenger
vehicle yes _____ no _____ Other ______________
Specific questions regarding the use of retread tires:
Does the shop or facility install retread tires on facility vehicles
onsite? yes _____ no _____ If yes, for which types of tires?
Bus _____ Heavy truck ______ Pickup truck _____ Passenger
vehicle _____ Other _________________
Does the shop or
facility have in place an agreement or contract with a "retreader" to
retread the facility's tires? yes _____ no _____
Does the shop or
facility use an outside service or vendor for tire replacement? yes _____ no _____ If yes, does that vendor offer retread tires? yes _____ no _____ don't know _____ If yes, does the facility
purchase these tires? yes _____ no _____
Is the shop or facility
aware of the RCRA/CPG requirement to use retread tires? yes _____
no _____
If the shop or facility is aware of the requirement
to do so yet still do not use retread tires, what is the explanation
for not using these products? Retread tires are "unsafe" ____ Specifications don't allow use of retread tires ____ Retread tires
are not available to the facility ____ Other
_____________________________________
Does the shop or facility
purchase retread tires for use in the shop using a government charge
card or account at a commercial vendor (e.g., Bandag, Goodyear, or
other retreader) outside of the facility? Always ____ Occasionally
_____ Never _____
How are used tires disposed of by the facility?
____________________________________________
ENGINE COOLANTS:
Background questions:
Approximately how many vehicles are serviced
for replacement or addition of coolants by the shop or facility
annually? _______________________________
What type of vehicles are serviced? (e.g.,
sedans, trucks, heavy equipment) _____________________________________________________________________________
Specific questions regarding shop of facility use of engine
coolants:
Where does the shop or facility purchase coolant
(reclaimed or virgin)? Commercial bulk vendor (e.g., Safety Kleen)
yes _____ no _____ Govt vendor (DLA, GSA) yes _____ no _____ Local commercial vendor (e.g. auto supply) yes _____ no _____ Other
_________________
Approximately how frequently is the coolant
changed in each vehicle? Every ____________ miles or _____________
months?
What is the estimated average annual usage of coolant in
this shop or facility? _______________ gallons
Does the shop or
facility use reclaimed engine coolant? yes _____ no _____
Does
the shop or facility have in place an agreement or contract with a
vendor to reclaim the facility's used coolant? yes _____ no _____
Does the shop or facility have on-site, a reclamation device to reclaim
used coolant? yes _____ no _____
Is the shop aware of the
RCRA/CPG requirement to use reclaimed coolant? yes _____ no _____
If the facility is aware of the requirement to do so yet still do not
use reclaimed coolant, what is the explanation for not using this
product? Reclaimed coolant is not effective ____ Specifications
don't allow use of reclaimed coolant ____ Reclaimed coolant is not
available to the facility ____ Coolant reclamation devices are too
costly ____ Other _______________________________________
Does
the facility purchase coolant (reclaimed or virgin) for use in the shop
using a government charge card at a commercial vendor (e.g., K-Mart or
Sears) outside of the facility? yes _____ no _____
How does the facility dispose of
coolant that is removed from facility vehicles (and is not reclaimed)?
______________________
*************************************
Please add any additional observations regarding this inspection.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Inspectors are requested to forward a
copy of this check sheet to the EPA Headquarters EO 13101 Program
Manager within two weeks of the Federal facility inspection.
The
checklist should be mailed to:
US Environmental Protection
Agency EO13101 Program Manager (mail code 2261A) 401 M Street
SW Washington, DC 20460
Facility Questionnaire
This questionnaire is designed to determine the level of your facility's awareness of and compliance with the recycled content procurement requirements of Executive Order 13101, Section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the corresponding recommendations and guidance provided by EPA. Please respond to each of the questions and return the questionnaire within two weeks to the address printed at the end of this form.
THIS QUESTIONNAIRE SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THOSE INDIVIDUALS MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE FACILITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS.
List below the name, address and point of contact for your facility and the phone number, e-mail address and position of facility personnel completing this questionnaire. _____________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW. USE SPACE AT THE END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON ANY RESPONSE; PLEASE REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE QUESTION NUMBER WHEN PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR CLARIFICATION.
#1a) Prior to the receipt of this questionnaire, was your facility's environmental manager aware of the requirements in RCRA 6002 for the procurement of EPA designated recycled content products? yes _____ no
_____
#1b) Was your facility's procurement manager aware of the requirements in RCRA 6002 for the procurement of EPA designated recycled content products? yes _____ no _____
#2)
Do you know whether your agency (i.e. Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture) has an Affirmative Procurement Program (APP) established to meet the requirements of EO 12873, EO 13101 and/or RCRA 6002? yes _____ no _____
If yes to #2, do you have a written or electronic copy of the APP for your agency? yes _____ no _____
#3) Does your
facility have a policy or program which places a preference on
procurement of items containing recycled content or manufactured from
recovered materials? yes _____ no _____
If yes to #3, is the program formal (e.g., written policy signed by facility manager, director or commander)? yes _____ no _____
If yes to #3, does your facility announce and publicize the program to potential and active vendors providing services or materials to the facility? yes _____ no _____
If yes, how does your facility accomplish this?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
If yes to #3, how does your facility promote the program to facility and shop level personnel?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
If yes to #3, does your facility monitor and review the effectiveness of the program including the tracking of purchases? yes _____ no _____
If yes to #3, which entity or office in your facility (e.g., supply - procurement -shop manager) is responsible for implementing the program? (list as many as appropriate)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#4) Does your facility's acquisition and/or procurement planning process investigate and/or emphasize the use of recycled content products? yes _____ no _____
If yes to #4, when you return this questionnaire, please provide a copy of a contract or procurement document or procurement policy that reflects the process described.
#5) Are personnel at your facility who are authorized to use government credit cards for procurement of items for use at your facility informed of the requirement to purchase designated recycled content products? yes _____ no _____
#6) Are records of credit card purchases of designated recycled content items maintained at your facility? yes _____ no _____
#7) Please list a sample of any items you know of that are purchased by your facility which contain recycled content or are manufactured from recovered materials and are not on EPA's list of designated recycled content items (that list is attached in matrix form to this document).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#8) Would you like to receive additional information regarding the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines? yes _____ no _____
#9) Please list any items, issues or questions that are not part of this questionnaire that you feel should be included.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Attached to this document is a matrix listing each of the EPA designated recycled content items. Please complete the matrix by placing an x in the appropriate box beside each item on the matrix.
EPA will be periodically updating this document and the guidance for inspectors. If you have additional suggestions or comments regarding this document, please add them to this page prior to
returning it to EPA.
Please complete the attached matrix and return it along with this questionnaire and any other supporting documentation to:
US Environmental Protection Agency EO13101 Program Manager (mail code 2261A) 401 M Street SW Washington,
DC 20460
Facility personnel are encouraged to contact the RCRA hotline at 800-424-9346 or search the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm or http://www.ofee.gov/ for further
information about the Federal Government Buy-Recycled Program.
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines - Categories and Designated Items (Note: This table includes proposed CPG as well as designated final.)
| Please place a check in all appropriate boxes. |
Not purchased by facility |
Purchased- with no recycled content |
Purchased- with recycled content |
Purchased through services contractor |
Don't know if purchased at facility |
| VEHICULAR PRODUCTS |
| Engine coolants - antifreeze |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Re-refined lubricating oils - including motor oil |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS |
| Building insulation products |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Carpet backing |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Carpet cushion |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Polyester carpet |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Cement and concrete |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Latex Paint |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Floor Tiles |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Laminated paperboard |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Patio Blocks |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Shower and restroom dividers and partitions |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Structural fiberboard |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Railroad grade crossings/surfaces |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| LANDSCAPING PRODUCTS |
| Food waste compost |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Yard trimmings compost |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Landscape timbers and posts |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Garden and soaker hoses |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Hydraulic mulch |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Lawn and garden edging |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| NON-PAPER OFFICE PRODUCTS |
| Plastic Binders |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic clipboards |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic clip portfolios |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic file folders |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic presentation folders |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Binders (paper, plastic covered) |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Office recycling containers |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Office waste recepticals |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic desktop accessories |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic envelopes |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic trash bags |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Printer ribbons |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Toner cartridges |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS |
| Printing and writing papers |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Newsprint |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Sanitary tissue |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Paperboard |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Packaging |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| PARK AND RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS |
| Playground equipment |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Park and recreational furniture |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Plastic Fencing |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Playground surfaces |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Running tracks |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS |
| Channelizers |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Flexible delineators |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Parking Stops |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Traffic barricades |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Traffic Cones |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Delineators |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS |
| Pallets |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Sorbents |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Awards and plaques |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Industrial drums |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Mats |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Signage |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| Strapping and strech wrap |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
If you responded yes to any items in column three, "Purchased with recycled content," please list below those items purchased
with recycled content at or above the EPA recommended level.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Revised July 30, 1999
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