(a) Purchase equipment with recipient funds. The recipient may purchase equipment with the recipient's own funds and may charge EPA a fee for using equipment on a CERCLA-funded project. The fee must be based on a usage rate, subject to the usage rate requirements in § 35.6320.

(b) Borrow federally owned property. The recipient may borrow federally owned property, with the exception of motor vehicles, for use on CERCLA-funded projects. The loan of the federally owned property may only extend through the project period. At the end of the project period, or when the federally owned property is no longer needed for the project, the recipient must return the property to the Federal Government.

(c) Lease, use contractor services, or purchase with CERCLA funds. To acquire equipment through lease, use of contractor services, or purchase with CERCLA funds, the recipient must conduct and document a cost comparison analysis to determine which of these methods of obtaining equipment is the most cost effective. In order to obtain the equipment, the recipient must submit documentation of the cost comparison analysis to EPA for approval. The recipient must obtain the equipment through the most cost-effective method, subject to the following requirements:

(1) Lease or rent equipment. If it is the most cost-effective method of acquisition, the recipient may lease or rent equipment, subject only to the requirements in § 35.6300.

(2) Use contractor services. (i) If it is the most cost-effective method of acquisition, the recipient may hire the services of a contractor.

(ii) The recipient must obtain award official approval before authorizing the contractor to purchase equipment with CERCLA funds. (See § 35.6325, regarding the title and vested interest of equipment purchased with CERCLA funds.) This does not apply for recipients who have used the sealed bids method of procurement.

(iii) The recipient must require the contractor to allocate the cost of the contractor services by site, activity, and operable unit, as applicable.

(3) Purchase equipment with CERCLA funds. If equipment purchase is the most cost-effective method of obtaining the equipment, the recipient may purchase the equipment with CERCLA funds. To purchase equipment with CERCLA funds, the recipient must comply with the following requirements:

(i) The recipient must include in the Cooperative Agreement application a list of all items of equipment to be purchased with CERCLA funds, with the price of each item.

(ii) If the equipment is to be used on sites, the recipient must allocate the cost of the equipment by site, activity, and operable unit, as applicable, by applying a usage rate subject to the usage rate requirements in § 35.6320.

(iii) The recipient may not use CERCLA funds to purchase a transportable or mobile treatment system.

(iv) Equipment obtained with Core Program funds must be for non-site-specific purposes. All purchases of equipment must comply with the requirements in §§ 35.6300, and 35.6310 through 35.6350, except where these requirements are site-specific.