FAR Part 23

Question 1

Part 23

Answer 1

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES,
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

Question 2

This part prescribes policies and procedures supporting the government’s program for ensuring a drug-free workplace, occupational safety, and for protecting and improving the quality of the environment by

Answer 2

• Reducing or preventing pollution;
• Managing energy and water use in government facilities efficiently;
• Using renewable energy and renewable energy technologies;

Acquiring energy- and water-efficient products and services, environmentally preferable products, and products that use recovered materials and bio-based products;

“Requiring contractors to identify hazardous materials.

*Encouraging contractors to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while driving; and

Requiring contractors to comply with agency environmental management systems.

Question 3

A. ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY (FAR

Answer 3

The government’s policy is to acquire supplies and services that promote energy and water efficiency, advance the use of renewable energy products, and help foster markets for emerging technologies.

This policy extends to all acquisitions, including those below the SAT and those at or below the MPT (including those made with a government purchase card).

Question 4

B. USE OF RECOVERED MATERIALS (FAR
23.4)

Answer 4

Government policy on the use of products containing recovered materials and bio-based products considers cost, availability of competition, and performance.

Agencies shall purchase these products or require in the acquisition of services the delivery, use, or furnishing of such products.

The objective is to acquire competitively, in a cost-effective manner, products that meet reasonable performance requirements and that are composed of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable.

Question 5

C. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FAR 23.5)

Answer 5

No offeror other than an individual shall be considered a responsible source (see FAR 9.104-1(g)) for a contract that exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, unless it agrees that it will provide a drug-free workplace by publishing a statement notifyingits employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the contractor’s workplace, and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition and establishing an ongoing drug-free awareness program.

Question 6

D. CONTRACTING FOR
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FAR 23.7)

Answer 6

Agencies must implement cost-effective contracting preference programs promoting energy-efficiency, water conservation, and the acquisition of environmentally preferable products and services; and employ acquisition strategies that maximize the utilization of environmentally preferable products and services (based on EPA-issued guidance); promote energy-efficiency and water conservation; eliminate or reduce the generation of hazardous waste and the need for special material processing (including special handling, storage, treatment, and disposal); promote the use of nonhazardous and recovered materials; promote the use of bio-based products; promote cost-effective waste reduction; purchase only plastic ring carriers that are degradable; and realize life-cycle cost savings.

Question 7

F. CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS (FAR 23.9)

Answer 7

An environmental management system (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and to increase its operating efficiency.

Where contractor activities affect the environmental management performance of the agency, the contracting officer is required to specify the EMS directives with which the contractor must comply, and to ensure contractor compliance to the same extent as the agency would be required to comply, if the agency operated the facilities or vehicles.

Question 7

E. REPRESENTATION ON GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS (FAR 23.8)

Answer 7

Offerors registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database who received the minimum amount found in FAR 23.803(d) or more in federal contract awards in the prior fiscal year are required to represent whether they publicly disclose greenhouse gas emissions and whether they publicly disclose a quantitative greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.

They must also provide a website for their disclosures.