2011-10423. EPAAR Clause for Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amends the EPA Acquisition Regulation (EPAAR) to update policy, procedures, and contract clauses. The proposed rule provides revisions to the clause for Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management. This revision provides updates to out-dated information currently in the clause.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before June 6, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OARM-2010-0764, by one of the following methods:

• http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
• E-mail: [e-mail].
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: EPA-HQ-OARM-2010-0764, OEI Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of three (3) copies.
• Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center—Attention OEI Docket, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OARM-2010-0764. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ”anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov,, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket, and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment, and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties, and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/​epahome/​dockets.htm.

Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov,, or in hard copy at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket, EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is [phone], and the telephone number for the EPA Docket Center is [phone]. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna S. Blanding, Policy, Training, and Oversight Division, Office of Acquisition Management (3802R), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1130; fax number: 202-565-2475; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI, and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR Part 2.

2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments, remember to:

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

II. Background

In May, 2010 during the review of clause 1552.211-79 the EPA Office of Environmental Information (OEI), the Office of Acquisition Management (OAM) and other offices found information within this clause to be outdated. The proposed administrative updates to the clause will bring it in line with current EPA policy.

III. Proposed Rule

This proposed rule amends the EPAAR to revise the following within the Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management clause:

1. Paragraph (a)(5) of said EPAAR clause states that this clause applies to services that are subject to the Brooks Act of 1965. The Brooks Act has been repealed as it relates to Information Technology and has been replaced with the Clinger-Cohen Act. The Clinger-Cohen Act is sufficiently covered in the Information Resource Management documents and does not need to be separately called out.

2. Paragraphs (b)(3)(Enterprise Architecture) and (4)(Earned Value Management) is deleted.

3. Paragraph (b)(2), Groundwater Program Information Resources Management Requirement, is deleted, and the OEI Quality group, plans on updating these documents and removing obsolete references. Also, the document, EPA Order 7500.1A—Minimum Set of Data elements for Groundwater, can only be found in a repository of documents on the Office of Human Resources Web site and the National Service Center for Environmental Publications Web site. As a result, the Office of Water stated the EPA Order could be removed from this clause.

4. Paragraph (c), Printing, is deleted. The printing office does not offer these services. If a contractor requires these documents be printed, they can request such from the contracting officer.

5. Paragraph (d), Electronic Access, is obsolete and should be deleted and replaced with the proposed paragraph (d).

6. All offices agreed that information on EPA's section 508 policy needed to be included in the clause.

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review

This action is not a “significant regulatory action” under the terms of Executive Order (EO) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and therefore, not subject to review under the EO.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

This action does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. No information is collected under this action.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), as Amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.

The Regulatory Flexibility Act generally requires an agency to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act or any other statute; unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.

For purposes of assessing the impact of today's final rule on small entities, “small entity” is defined as: (1) A small business that meets the definition of a small business found in the Small Business Act and codified at 13 CFR 121.201; (2) a small governmental jurisdiction that is a government of a city, county, town, school district or special district with a population of less than 50,000; and (3) a small organization that is any not-for-profit enterprise which is independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field.

After considering the economic impacts of this rule on small entities, I certify that this action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This action revises a current EPAAR provision and does not impose requirements involving capital investment, implementing procedures, or record keeping. This rule will not have a significant economic impact on small entities.

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the effects of their regulatory actions on State, Local, and Tribal governments and the private sector.

This rule contains no Federal mandates (under the regulatory provisions of the Title II of the UMRA) for State, Local, and Tribal governments or the private sector. The rule imposes no enforceable duty on any State, Local or Tribal governments or the private sector. Thus, the rule is not subject to the requirements of Sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

Executive Order 13132, entitled “Federalism” (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure “meaningful and timely input by State and Local officials in the development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.” “Policies that have federalism implications” is defined in the Executive Order to include regulations that have “substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.”

This rule does not have federalism implications. It will not have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified in Executive Order 13132. Today's rule on Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management provides updates to outdated information currently in the clause, these changes are administrative. Thus, Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this rule. In the spirit of Executive Order 13132, and consistent with EPA policy to promote communications between EPA and State and local governments, EPA specifically solicits comment on this proposed action from State and local officials.

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments

Executive Order 13175, entitled “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments” (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure “meaningful and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory policies that have tribal implications.” This rule does not have tribal implications, as specified in Executive Order 13175. Today's rule on Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management provides updates to outdated information currently in the clause, these changes are administrative.

Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this action. EPA specifically solicits additional comment on this proposed action from tribal officials.

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks

Executive Order 13045, entitled “Protection of Children from Environmental Health and Safety Risks” (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies to any rule that: (1) Is determined to be economically significant as defined under Executive Order 12886, and (2) concerns an environmental health or safety risk that may have a proportionate effect on children. This rule is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it is not an economically significant rule as defined by Executive Order 12866, and because it does not involve decisions on environmental health or safety risks.

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use

This proposed rule is not subject to Executive Order 13211, “Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution of Use” (66 FR 28335 (MAY 22, 2001), because it is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA)

Section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note) of NTTA, Public Law 104-113, directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards in it regulatory activities, unless to do so would be inconsistent with applicable law, or otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards are technical standards (e.g. materials specifications, test methods, sampling procedures and business practices) that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies. The NTTA directs EPA to provide Congress, through OMB, explanations when the Agency decides not to use available and applicable voluntary consensus standards.

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations

Executive Order (EO) 12898 (59 FR 7629 (Feb. 16, 1994) establishes federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision directs federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations in the United States.

EPA has determined that this proposed rule will not have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority or low-income populations because it does not affect the level of protection provided to human health or the environment. This proposed rulemaking does not involve human health or environmental affects.

This proposed rulemaking does not involve technical standards. Therefore, EPA is not considering the use of any voluntary consensus standards.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 1552

• Environmental protection
• Government procurement

Dated: March 16, 2011.

John R. Bashista,

Director, Office of Acquisition Management.

Therefore, 48 CFR Chapter 15 is proposed to be amended as set forth below:

PART 1552—DESCRIBING AGENCY NEEDS

1. The authority citation for part 1552 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390, as amended, 40 U.S.C. 486(c); and 41 U.S.C. 418b.

2. Revise section 1552.211-79 to read as follows:

1552.211-79

Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management.

As prescribed in 1511.011-79, insert the following clause:

Compliance With EPA Policies for Information Resources Management

(a) Definition. Information Resources Management (IRM) is defined as any planning, budgeting, organizing, directing, training, promoting, controlling, and managing activities associated with the burden, collection, creation, use and dissemination of information. IRM includes both information itself and the management of information and related resources such as personnel, equipment, funds, and technology. Examples of these services include but are not limited to the following:

(1) The acquisition, creation, or modification of a computer program or automated data base for delivery to EPA or use by EPA or contractors operating EPA programs.

(2) The analysis of requirements for, study of the feasibility of, evaluation of alternatives for, or design and development of a computer program or automated data base for use by EPA or contractors operating EPA programs.

(3) Services that provide EPA personnel access to or use of computer or word processing equipment, software, or related services.

(4) Services that provide EPA personnel access to or use of: Data communications; electronic messaging services or capabilities; electronic bulletin boards, or other forms of electronic information dissemination; electronic record-keeping; or any other automated information services.

(b) General. The Contractor shall perform any IRM related work under this contract in accordance with the IRM policies, standards, and procedures set forth on the Office of Environmental Information policy Web site. Upon receipt of a work request (i.e. delivery order, task order, or work assignment), the Contractor shall check this listing of directives. The applicable directives for performance of the work request are those in effect on the date of issuance of the work request. The 2100 Series (2100-2199) of the Agency's Directive System contains the majority of the Agency's IRM policies, standards, and procedures.

(c) Section 508 Requirements. Contract deliverables are required to be compliant with Section 508 requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency policy for 508 compliance can be found on the Agency's Directive System identified in section (d) of this clause under policy number CIO 2130.0, Accessible Electronic and Information Technology. Additional information on Section 508 including EPA's 508 policy can be found at http://www.epa.gov/​accessibility.

(d) Electronic Access. A complete listing, including full text, of documents included in the 2100 Series of the Agency's Directive System is maintained on the EPA Public Access Server on the Internet at http://epa.gov/​docs/​irmpoli8/​.