Access to Confidential Business Information by Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc.

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EPA is authorizing Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc. to participate in reviews of selected Superfund cost recovery documentation and records management. During the review, the contractor will have access to information which has been submitted to EPA under section 104 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Some of this information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI).

DATES:

The contractor (Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc.) will have access to this data five working days from the date of this notice.

ADDRESSES:

Send or deliver, written comments to Veronica Kuczynski, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the Comptroller (3PM30), 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Veronica Kuczynski, Office of the Comptroller, (3PM30), 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, Telephone (215) 814-5169.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under EPA Interagency Agreement with General Services Administration, Contract GSOOT96AHD0002, Task Order #19990712, Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc. will be conducting an on-site review of the procedures and systems currently in place for compliance with Superfund cost recovery and record keeping requirements in the State of Maryland. This review involves conducting transaction testing to evaluate recipient conformance with applicable regulations and acceptable business practices and documenting findings. The contractor will examine transactions for the following:

(1) Expenditures Review: expenditure documentation such as expense reports, timesheets, and purchase requests from the point of origination to the point of payment to determine compliance with such requirements as site-specific accounting data, authorizing signature and reconciliation of timesheets to expense reports.

(2) Financial Reports: review financial drawdowns, Financial Status Reports, and internal status reports, to determine if information is consistent between these documents, if recipient is properly using information, and if the reports are submitted when required.

(3) Recordkeeping Procedures: review samples of Superfund documentation to determine the effectiveness of the recipient procedures to manage and reconcile this documentation (focusing on site-specific documentation, retention schedules, and the ability of the recipient to provide EPA with required financial documentation for cost recovery purposes in the specified time frame).

In providing this support, Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc., employees may have access to recipient documents which potentially include financial documents submitted under section 104 of CERCLA, some of which may contain information claimed or determined to be CBI.

Pursuant to EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, EPA has determined that Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc., requires access to CBI to provide the support and services required under the Delivery Order. These regulations provide for five working days notice before contractors are given access to CBI.

Booz-Allen, & Hamilton, Inc. will be required by contract to protect confidential information. These documents are maintained in recipient office and file space.