Draft Hamilton County Resolution for the Implementation
of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program

Effective Date:

PURPOSE
The goal of this policy is to encourage and increase the use of environmentally preferable products and services in Hamilton County governmental organizations. By further including environmental considerations in purchasing decisions, Hamilton County can promote practices that improve public and worker health, conserve natural resources, and reward environmentally conscious manufacturers, while remaining fiscally responsible.

DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this resolution, the following definitions shall apply:

• •"Available locally" means that one or more businesses within the county/city or immediate surrounding areas are able to provide goods and services in a timely manner, and in sufficient quantity and quality to meet a specific department/agency need.
• •"Environmentally preferable products and services" as defined by Presidential Executive Order 13101, means products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products and services that serve the same purpose. This applies to raw material acquisition, as well as product manufacturing, distribution, use, maintenance, and disposal.
• •"Practicable" means satisfactory and within reason when considering price, performance, availability, compatibility with specified operation, and public safety.
• •"Recyclable" refers to a material or product that can be reprocessed, remanufactured, or reused.

BACKGROUND
Local and state government, combined, purchase more than $1 trillion of goods and services each year. Many of these products contribute to problems in the overall environment, including contamination of the air and water, and depletion of environmental resources. In some instances, products require special waste disposal and reporting procedures which can be cumbersome and expensive. Furthermore, local government employees using these products may be exposed to compounds that are potentially harmful to their health.

ilton County has an opportunity to serve as a community model for environmental leadership by incorporating a plan of action that will conserve precious resources such as water, raw materials, and energy, reduce the use of hazardous substances, and potentially improve the environmental quality of the region. By incorporating environmental considerations in public purchasing, Hamilton County can reduce its burden on the local and global environment, remove unnecessary hazards from its operations, protect public health, reduce costs and liabilities, and help develop markets for environmentally responsible products.

GENERAL POLICIES

Formation of Task Force

The Office of __________________ (Procurement, County Administrator, Environmental Services, etc.) shall coordinate the establishment of a special interdepartmental Environmental Purchasing Task Force (hereinafter "the Task Force") including one representative from administration, representatives from purchasing, environmental services, county facilities, public works, and other relevant departments/operations to (1) Detail current levels of environmental purchasing occurring in Hamilton County departments, (2) identify opportunities for environmental purchasing initiatives, (3) identify barriers to environmental purchasing and how to overcome such barriers, (4) provide a forum for open discussion by affected personnel, (5) educate and inform County staff about the environmental purchasing program, and (6) determine practical means for departments to report progress on this initiative. The Task Force shall meet quarterly following the adoption of this policy.

The Task Force shall designate an Environmental Purchasing Coordinator(s) (hereinafter "the Coordinator") to provide oversight to the Task Force, discuss with individual departments opportunities to increase environmental purchasing where relevant, coordinate outreach/training for staff, report to jurisdiction leadership, and provide general staff support to maintain the environmental purchasing program.

Pilot Program

By (date), the Task Force shall encourage a minimum of one department to perform a pilot or demonstration study of environmentally preferable purchasing. The Coordinator(s) shall provide technical/logistical assistance to help said departments incorporate environmentally preferable products into their operations. Results of initial pilot studies shall be evaluated and reported to the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners. As feasible, all departments are encouraged to advance environmental purchasing for their specific operations by initiating pilot studies.

DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND USAGE OF ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PRODUCTS

Based on the results of the pilot studies and in accordance with guidance from the EP Task Force, all departments, offices, and agencies shall use, and require their contractors and consultants to use, environmentally preferable products, where practicable, no later than (date).

In addition, relevant departments, offices, and agencies shall:

• •ensure that contracting procedures do not discriminate against reusable, recycled, or environmentally preferable products without justification;
• •evaluate environmentally preferable products to determine the extent to which they may be used by the agency and its contractors;
• •review and revise contracting procedures to maximize the specification of designated environmentally preferable products where practicable;
• •facilitate data collection on purchases of designated environmentally preferable products by the agency and its contractors and report the data to the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Coordinator(s) by (date) each year for inclusion in the annual report to the Board of County Commissioners.

RESEARCH, PLANNING, AND EDUCATION

Additional Roles of Task Force

The Environmental Purchasing Task Force shall research opportunities to (a) expand the purchase of environmentally preferable products; (b) identify environmentally preferable alternatives; (c) recommend goals and, where practicable, alternative processes within Hamilton County operations that will reduce the use/disposal of hazardous substances and will promote resource conservation; and (d) collect and maintain up-to-date information regarding manufacturers, vendors, and other sources for locating/ordering environmentally preferable products. The Task Force and/or Coordinator(s) shall provide applicable information to departments.

Reporting

The Coordinator (s) shall submit annual reports to the Board of Commissioners by (date) regarding the status of this policy's implementation. This report shall include total purchases of environmentally preferable products by each department, results of designated product evaluations, and the financial status for implementation of this policy including indirect and direct costs/savings.

PERFORMANCE, PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

Nothing contained in this policy shall be construed as requiring a department or contractor to procure products that do not perform adequately for their intended use, exclude adequate competition, or are not available at a reasonable price in a reasonable period of time.