Where determined appropriate, how does EPA pay for neutral services?
For cases where small purchases are sufficient, and where parties are interested in acquiring the services of a specific neutral, the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996 (PDF, 37.1 KB) and the Federal Acquisition Regulations allow EPA to use a non-competitive procurement process. For cases where small purchase amounts do not cover the cost of a neutral and where a specific neutral has not been identified, use of EPA’s Consensus Dispute Resolution Services Contract, managed by the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center is the preferred method for hiring neutrals.
