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EPA Records Schedule 008

Status: Final, 03/31/2009

Title: Nonrecords

Program: All Programs

Applicability: Agency-wide

Function: 0 - Nonrecord Materials

NARA Disposal Authority:

This schedule authorizes the disposition of the record copy in any media (media neutral), excluding any records already in electronic form. Records designated for permanent retention must be transferred to the National Archives in accordance with NARA standards at the time of transfer.

Description:

Consists of nonrecord copies. Nonrecord materials are those Agency-owned informational materials that do not meet the statutory definition of records in 44 U.S.C. Section 3301 or that have been excluded from coverage by that definition.

Technical Reference Materials. Technical or general reference files which are maintained by individuals or program offices to enable the person or program office to perform its mission and which are kept only for reference. Collections may be on general environmental research topics or issues, the program mission, or management and administrative questions. Files or collections may consist of items such as technical publications, manuals, extra copies of issue papers, reports and studies originated by or for the program, information copies of studies and reports produced by other programs, journal articles, books, video tapes, photographs, vendor catalogs, electronic files, and other materials regardless of medium.

News Clippings. Clippings of news stories, which have no documentary or evidential value, from newspapers and other publications.

Convenience Copies. Extra copies of documents preserved only for convenience of reference. Includes information copies of correspondence, directives, and other documents on which no administrative or mission-related action is recorded or taken. Also includes copies other than the record copy where there is no recordkeeping requirement for multiple record copies.

Stocks of Forms, Publications, and Processed Documents. Extra copies of printed or processed materials for which complete record sets exist (such as current and superseded manuals, brochures, pamphlets, handbooks, posters, and maps) maintained inside or outside the office responsible for maintaining the record set.

Materials Not Appropriate for Preservation. Catalogs, trade journals, and other publications or documentary materials that are received from other government agencies, commercial firms, private institutions, or individuals and that require no action, are not part of a case on which action is taken, and are not essential to the business of the Agency or to the Agency's legal responsibilities.

Library or Museum Materials. Library or museum materials intended solely for reference or exhibit. Includes physical exhibits, artifacts, and other material objects lacking evidential value.

Working Papers and Drafts. Document such as rough notes, calculations, or preliminary drafts which are assembled or created and used to prepare or analyze other documents and which meet all of the following criteria: (1) They were not circulated or made available to employees, other than the creator, for official purposes such as approval, comment, action, recommendation, follow up, or to communicate with Agency staff about Agency business; (2) They do not contain unique information, such as substantive annotations or comments included therein, that adds to a proper understanding of the Agency's formulation and execution of basic policies, decisions, actions, or responsibilities; (3) They are not needed for purposes of adequate and proper documentation of the decisionmaking process; and, (4) They are not described elsewhere under an Agency-wide or EPA organization-specific requirement to retain the documents for a specific period of time.

Disposition Instructions:

Item a: Nonrecord copy

Guidance:

Determining record value - Consideration should be given to determining the record value of materials such as working papers, drafts, and notes which document an activity up to the point in time when those materials are created. Until a subsequent activity occurs which causes them to become superseded or obsolete, the materials could warrant record status and be appropriate for preservation. Designating materials as nonrecords in anticipation of their being superseded or obsolete, rather than at the point when they are actually superseded or obsolete, can be premature in some instances. When it is difficult to decide whether certain materials are records or nonrecords, they should be treated as records.

Records collected from abandoned sites (e.g., bankrupt companies, abandoned offices) by EPA as part of site investigations or other activities that are not necessary for the conduct of Agency business and which have no informational value will be considered nonrecords. If regulated entities submit material, either accidentally or intentionally, that is not necessary for the conduct of Agency business, it will also be considered nonrecord material.

Access restrictions - Nonrecord materials should not contain any security classified or administratively controlled information.

Removal of nonrecords from the Agency - Nonrecord materials should not be removed from the Agency except with the Agency's approval.

Short-term documentary materials - Nonrecords, along with personal papers, and short-term records, comprise a broad category of materials that are not needed as part of the long-term documentation of Agency activities. Personal Papers are covered by EPA 999. Examples of short-term records schedules are: EPA 167 - Transitory Files, EPA 166 - Suspense Files, EPA 653 - Messenger Service Files.

Convenience copies of records should be destroyed when the records are destroyed, or sooner if no longer needed for reference purposes.

Schedule change history - A number of program-specific reference files formerly listed individually have been incorporated into this general Agency-wide item. See Previous NARA Disposal Authority below for a list of superseded schedules. This schedule incorporates and replaces EPA 733 - News Clippings. Copies of news clippings which have documentary or evidential value may be incorporated into other records series (e.g., Superfund site files), and are to be disposed of in accordance with the disposition instructions for the related series.

Reasons for Disposition:

The following change was made in the 03/31/2008 version:

Nonrecord materials are identified in 44 U.S.C. Section 3301 and 36 CFR Section 1220.14. NARA guidance says: "Nonrecord materials should be destroyed when no longer needed for reference." NARA determined copies of news clippings are nonrecord materials as part of N1-412-96-2.

Custodians:

Multiple units

Related Schedules:

EPA 166, EPA 167, EPA 653, EPA 999

Previous NARA Disposal Authority:

NC1-412-76-1/I/8, NC1-412-76-1/II/6, 7, 15, 16 and 19, NC1-412-76-1/III/27, NC1-412-76-4/17, NC1-412-76-7/15, NC1-412-76-8/24, NC1-421-76-9/33, NC1-412-76-15/5, NC1-412-77-1/28, NC1-412-77-5/16, NC1-412-78-2/6, NC1-412-78-3/8 and 13, NC1-412-82-7/24, NC1-412-83-5/7, NC1-412-85-4/9 and 11, NC1-412-85-6/31 and 45, NC1-412-85-12/9, NC1-412-85-17/20, NC1-412-85-18/6, 11, 12, 15, 20, NC1-412-85-19/6, NC1-412-85-20/9 and 13, NC1-412-85-22/16, NC1-412-85-23/8 and 13, NC1-412-85-24/16, N1-412-86-1/16, N1-412-86-3/24 and 27, N1-412-87-4/20, N1-412-87-5/7, N1-412-96-2

Entry: 03/25/1991

EPA Approval: Not applicable

NARA Approval: Not applicable

Explanation of Schedule Fields | Search the Schedules | Browse the Schedules
Guidance on Retiring Records
Explanation of Schedule Fields | Search the Schedules | Browse the Schedules
Guidance on Retiring Records

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