View all text of Subpart P [§ 2.87 - § 2.97]

§ 2.90 - Director, Office of Property and Environmental Management.

(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.24(a)(6) of this chapter, and with due deference for delegations to other Departmental Administration officials, the following delegations of authority are made by the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Director, Office of Property and Environmental Management:

(1) Promulgate policies, standards, techniques, and procedures, and represent the Department, in the following:

(i) Utilization, value analysis, construction, maintenance, and disposition of real and personal property, including control of space assignments.

(ii) Motor vehicle and aircraft fleet and other vehicular transportation.

(iii) Transportation of things (traffic management).

(iv) Prevention, control, and abatement of pollution with respect to Federal facilities and activities under the control of the Department (Executive Order 12088, “Federal Compliance With Pollution Control Standards,” 3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 243).

(v) Development and implementation of sustainable operations actions including establishing and achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, reducing energy intensity, increasing renewable energy use, increasing water efficiency, reducing petroleum use and increasing alternative fuel use, increasing recycling and waste diversion, preventing pollution, reducing use of toxic chemicals, procuring sustainable products and services, achieving sustainable principles for new and existing buildings, promoting electronic stewardship, and continuing environmental management system use. Maintain liaison with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Department of Energy, and other Government agencies in these matters.

(2) Exercise the following special authorities:

(i) Maintain custody and permit appropriate use of the official seal of the Department.

(ii) Establish policy for the use of the official flags of the Secretary and the Department.

(iii) Coordinate collection and disposition of personal property of historical significance.

(iv) Make information returns to the Internal Revenue Service as prescribed by 26 U.S.C. 6050M and by 26 CFR 1.6050M-1 and such other Treasury regulations, guidelines or procedures as may be issued by the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with 26 U.S.C. 6050M. This includes making such verifications or certifications as may be required by 26 CFR 1.6050M-1 and making the election allowed by 26 CFR 1.6050M-1(d)(5)(1).

(v) Represent the Department in working with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the General Services Administration, OMB, and other organizations or agencies on matters related to assigned responsibilities.

(vi) Redelegate, as appropriate, the authority in paragraphs (a)(4) and (a)(6) of this section to agency Property Officials or other qualified agency officials with no power of further redelegation.

(3) Transfer excess research equipment to eligible educational institutions or certain non-profit organizations for the conduct of technical and scientific education and research activities under section 11(i) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710(i)) (7 CFR part 2812).

(4) Promulgate policy and obtain and furnish Federal excess personal property in accordance with section 923 of Public Law 104-127 (7 U.S.C. 2206a), to support research, educational, technical and scientific activities or for related programs, to:

(i) Any 1994 Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-382; 7 U.S.C. 301 note)).

(ii) Any Institutions eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321, et seq.) including Tuskegee University.

(iii) Any Hispanic-serving Institutions (as defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).

(5) Make available to organizations excess or surplus computers or other technical equipment of the Department for the purpose of distribution to cities, towns, or local government entities in rural areas (7 U.S.C. 2206b).

(6) Issue regulations and directives to implement or supplement the Federal Property Management Regulations (41 CFR chapter 101) and the Federal Management Regulation (41 CFR chapter 102).

(7) Related to compliance with environmental laws and sustainable operating requirements.

(i) Serve as Departmental Administration Member and Executive Secretary of the USDA Sustainable Operations Council.

(ii) Represent USDA in consulting or working with the EPA, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Domestic Policy Council, and others to develop policies relating to hazardous materials management and Federal facilities compliance with applicable pollution control laws.

(iii) Monitor, review, evaluate, and oversee hazardous materials management program activities and compliance Department-wide.

(iv) Monitor, review, evaluate, and oversee USDA agency expenditures for hazardous materials management program accomplishments.

(v) Represent USDA on the National Response Team and exercise responsibility for USDA response efforts for hazardous substance releases and oil spills pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.); the Clean Water Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.); Oil Pollution Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 2701, et seq.); Executive Order 12580, “Superfund Implementation,” 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 193; Executive Order 12777, “Implementation of section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of October 18, 1972, as amended, and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990,” 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p. 351, and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan, 40 CFR part 300. When a spill of national significance is declared under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, responsibility for USDA response efforts will transfer to the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Coordination, as determined by the Assistant Secretary for Administration.

(vi) Approve disbursements from the New World Mine Response and Restoration Account, approve the New World Mine Response and Restoration Plan, and make quarterly reports to Congress under Sections 502(d) and (f) of Title V of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1998, Public Law 105-83.

(vii) Ensure that the Hazardous Materials Management Program Department-wide is accomplished with regard to, and in compliance with, Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” 3 CFR, 1994 Comp., p. 859.

(viii) Take such action as may be necessary, with the affected agency head and with the concurrence of the General Counsel, including issuance of administrative orders and agreements with any person to perform any response action under sections 106(a) and 122 (except subsection (b)(1)) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. 9606(a), 9622), pursuant to sections 4(c)(3) and 4(d)(3) of Executive Order 12580, “Superfund Implementation,” 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 193, as amended by Executive Order 13016, “Amendment to Executive Order No. 12580,” 3 CFR, 1996 Comp., p. 214.

(ix) Represent USDA on the EPA Brownfields Federal Partnership and coordinate USDA support for Brownfields redevelopment and establish policy and guidance for the implementation of the June 2003 amendment to Executive Order 12580, “Superfund Implementation,” 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 193 (Executive Order 13308, “Further Amendment to Executive Order 12580, As Amended, Superfund Implementation,” 3 CFR, 2003 Comp., p. 239).

(8) Exercise responsibility for USDA response efforts when a spill of national significance is declared under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as determined by the Assistant Secretary for Administration.

(b) [Reserved]

[83 FR 61315, Nov. 29, 2018, as amended at 85 FR 65521, Oct. 15, 2020]