FederalDaily - December 14, 2005

Saving Energy at Federal Facilities

The Department of Energy (DOE) is helping large federal facilities identify opportunities to save energy and money. The agency recently announced that a federal “energy saving team” has been sent to the Denver Federal Center in Denver, Colo. DOE Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said that, as the largest energy user in the nation, the federal government should lead in the effort to be more energy efficient. “DOE’s Energy Saving Teams will play a key role in assessing and providing energy saving strategies at large federal facilities across the nation,” he said. The 670-acre Denver Federal Center houses 90 buildings with more than 4 million square feet of office, warehouse, laboratory and special use space. The site hosts 26 different federal agencies with 6,000 federal employees, making it the largest concentration of federal agencies outside of Washington, D.C. DOE said it expects to send 30 teams in the coming months to the largest federal facilities throughout the country.

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Government Should Lead in Electronics Recycling

More than 100 million computers, monitors and other electronics become obsolete each year, and improper management of the used electronics results in wasted resources and potential environmental damage. With these factors in mind, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended that the government take the lead in electronic recycling and reuse programs. A new GAO report noted that if used computers and other products are left in landfills, valuable resources such as copper, gold and aluminum are wasted. In addition, toxic substances such as lead can damage the environment. The study recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency do the following:

• propose solutions to Congress;
• organize participation among federal agencies; and
• monitor disposal of used electronics exported to foreign countries.

For the full report, go to www.gao.gov/new.items/d0647.pdf.

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Teleworkers More Aware of Agency COOP Plans

Federal agencies need to more effectively communicate Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning to employees, and could start by following the example of agencies with teleworking contingency plans, says a report by the Telework Exchange. The Telework Exchange conducted a survey, which found that 39 percent of employees did not know if their agencies had COOP plans, and an additional 9 percent believed their agencies had no such plans. Of the 53 percent aware of their agencies’ COOP teleworking plans, 28 percent did not have any guidance or instructions. In contrast, 73 percent of teleworkers had COOP guidance from their respective agencies. Also, 90 percent of employees whose agencies had teleworking incorporated into COOP planning felt their agencies were prepared to continue with operations in the aftermath of a disaster. For the report, go to www.teleworkexchange.com/COOPStudy.pdf.

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NTEU Criticizes IRS Outsourcing Rules

An IRS plan to outsource activities to private debt collector firms could result in private taxpayer information being handled by offshore contractors without notice, according to National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley. In other IRS news, the agency announced proposed regulations requiring tax preparers to notify customers if tax data will be handled by offshore contractors. Kelley pointed out that the same notification would not be required of tax debt collectors. Kelley stated, “I believe the IRS should show the same sense of urgency when it comes to handling tax returns the IRS makes available to private companies as a result of government contracting out efforts.” IRS tax preparers must obtain information voluntarily from taxpayers. However, NTEU argues that taxpayers have no say over who views their personal information when the IRS uses private debt collector services.

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