Setting and Enforcing Regulations

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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Comments on OMB's Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin

Download comments submitted jointly by OMB Watch and Public Citizen

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Presentation to NAS Panel on OMB Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin

Download slide presentation by J. Robert Shull to May 2006 meeting of the NAS panel convened to peer review the Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin.

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White House Again Fails to Correct Enormous Errors

Aug 18, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The White House's annual draft "regulatory accounting" report once again fails to correct enormous errors that have been pointed out repeatedly over the years. There has been a very nice improvement: finally, many of the cost-benefit analyses used in the report are identified and in some cases linked to.

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Comments on 2006 Draft Regulatory Accounting Report

<p>Download here

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Sunset Legislation Delayed Until September

In a sign that public pressure from concerned citizens works, the two sunset commission bills in the House scheduled for floor votes the week before August recess were both delayed until September.

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Pro-Cost-Benefit but Anti-Dudley

Aug 7, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Be sure to check out Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal on the Dudley nomination. DeLong supports the role of cost-benefit analysis in regulatory decisionmaking, but he is nonetheless not a kindred spirit of Dudley: I had always thought that the benefit-cost ratio from flame-retardant pajamas was high. The fact that Susan Dudley sees this as an example of government overreach.... As someone who believes in getting the benefit-cost analysis right, I find this... disturbing.

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A Look at Risk Assessment

Aug 5, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Click here for Rachel's Precaution Reporter's reprint of a Nature magazine article covering the White House's Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin.

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Testimony on H.R. 682, Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act

Download testimony of J. Robert Shull, Director of Regulatory Policy. Click here to watch the hearing. Click here for OMB Watch response to committee follow-up questions, with these attachments: Regulation & Competitiveness Ackerman, "Unbearable Lightness of Regulatory Costs" The Going-Out-of-Business Myth Discussion of misleading Crain/Hopkins study

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They're Home for August... Don't Give Them a Break!

Jul 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Members of Congress are flocking home for the August recess. This is their prime time for checking in with you, raising money from you, and trying to keep your votes.

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It's Working: Sunset Bills Delayed (For Now)

The two sunset commission bills that were racing toward a floor vote in the House this week have both been delayed. All signs were that they would be voted on this week, but they have both been delayed until September.

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