Cost-benefit Analysis

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Hong Kong's Equitable Approach to Pollution Control

Jan 11, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, The New York Times published an article on new electricity producer regulations in Hong Kong which would tie electricity prices to a producer's emission levels: The 10-year agreement reached this week between the Hong Kong government and the territory's two companies — Hong Kong Electric and CLP — authorizes the companies to charge electricity rates that will give them a 9.99 percent return on assets.

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Bond Amendment Targets Enviro Regs; Tell Your Senators to Vote "No"

Dec 11, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) has introduced an amendment to the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act (H.R. 2419) which would add another analytical burden to the regulatory process. Bond's amendment would require federal agencies to perform additional impact analyses on any rules that may affect a "substantial number of agricultural entities." Because of the way the amendment is written, this designation could apply to almost any business or even entire industries.

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The Flaws of Cost-Benefit Analysis: A Case Example

Dec 5, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Reg•Watch often complains about the flaws of cost-benefit analysis and the overemphasis policy makers place on it as a tool in decision making. However, when discussing cost-benefit analysis in the abstract, it is difficult to show the practical problems associated with its use.

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Polluted Logic: How EPA's ozone standard illustrates the flaws of cost-benefit analysis

This analysis tracks EPA's recent revision of the national standard for ozone and uses it as a case example of the problems of cost-benefit analysis in regulatory decision making.

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Comments on 2007 Draft Regulatory Accounting Report

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Testimony on Amending Executive Order 12866

Testimony of Gary Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch, at the April 26, 2007 House Science and Technology Committee subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight hearing, "Amending Executive Order 12866: Good Governance or Regulatory Usurpation?: Part II"

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Testimony on Amending Executive Order 12866

Testimony of Rick Melberth, OMB Watch Director of Regulatory Policy, at the February 13, 2007 House Science and Technology Committee subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight hearing, "Amending Executive Order 12866: Good Governance or Regulatory Usurpation?"

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E.O. 13422: Unanswered and Unaccountable

On Jan. 18, 2007, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13422, which amends Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review. As of July 24, 2007, agencies are to be in full compliance with the changes. But despite great attention paid by Congress, the media and the public, little new information has surfaced. This analysis outlines the ways in which the American people remain in the dark about how these changes will influence the way our government operates.

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White House Rejects Krill Protection Rule

The White House has rejected an effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect krill, an important marine species abundant in the Pacific Ocean. NOAA's proposed rule is a precautionary measure aimed at protecting krill in the future but was rejected by White House officials for failing to identify a need for the regulation.

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OMB and EU Discuss Regulation and International Trade

Nov 15, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The European Commission and the White House Office of Management and Budget have released a joint draft report titled, "Review of the application of EU and US regulatory impact assessment guidelines on the analysis of impacts on international trade and investment." The report describes the system by which the European Union (EU) and the U.S. examine proposed regulations for their potential impacts on foreign parties and/or international trade.

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more resources

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

Hong Kong's Equitable Approach to Pollution Control

Jan 11, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Bond Amendment Targets Enviro Regs; Tell Your Senators to Vote "No"

Dec 11, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Flaws of Cost-Benefit Analysis: A Case Example

Dec 5, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Polluted Logic: How EPA's ozone standard illustrates the flaws of cost-benefit analysis

Comments on 2007 Draft Regulatory Accounting Report

Testimony on Amending Executive Order 12866

Testimony on Amending Executive Order 12866

E.O. 13422: Unanswered and Unaccountable

White House Rejects Krill Protection Rule

OMB and EU Discuss Regulation and International Trade

Nov 15, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Pages

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

Citizen Health & Safety Topics

Recent Reports

Living in the Shadow of Danger: State Scorecards

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us