Political Interference | Center for Effective Government

EPA Extends Deadline for Comments on New Source Review Proposal

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the deadline for public comments on its proposal to relax air pollution standards under the New Source Review (NSR) program by 60 days, from March 3 to May 2. The proposal (part of a broader effort to overhaul NSR) would expand the definition of “routine maintenance,” allowing older power plants to make more extensive upgrades without having to install new anti-pollution equipment required of a “new source.”

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EPA Publishes Weak Rule on Livestock Waste

The Environmental Protection Agency published a weak final rule on February 12 to limit runoff from livestock waste, requiring about 15,500 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to obtain permits under the Clean Water Act. The rule, originally announced in December, waters down an earlier proposal by the Clinton administration, cutting the number of affected operations by more than half. The Clean Water Network provides a side-by-side comparison of the new rule with the Clinton proposal, as well as a fact sheet describing the administration’s plan.

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OMB Proposes Changes in Regulatory Decision-Making

OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) proposed new guidance February 3 that instructs federal agencies how to make regulatory decisions, including the specific analytical methods that should be employed.

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New Marine Diesel Rule Falls Short

EPA is issuing a weak final rule to limit nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new marine diesel engines in large ships and tankers. The standards are equivalent to those contained in a previous international agreement, which manufacturers are already meeting, and are not expected to have much effect. Initially, EPA favored taking stronger action, but OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs blocked this effort in its review of the agency’s proposed rule.

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OMB Blocks Nationwide Health Warning on Asbestos

The White House Office of Management and the Budget (OMB) stepped in and killed EPA plans this past April to warn the American public that as many as 35 million homes might be insulated with asbestos-contaminated insulation, according to an investigative report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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Trading Away the Clean Water Act?

A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy, announced on January 13, will allow industrial polluters to buy trading credits instead of reducing water pollution.

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EPA Announces Plans to Withdraw Protection of Wetlands

The Bush administration unveiled plans on January 15 that would withdraw federal protection for as much as 20 million acres of wetlands, such as marshes, swamps and bogs.

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Agencies to Revisit Regulatory Protections

OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is instructing federal agencies to evaluate hundreds of regulatory recommendations submitted by outside parties -- which not surprisingly, turned out to be mostly industry groups and trade associations. Most of these recommendations present only one side of the argument, which can leave a misleading impression. In a series of articles spotlighting a number of case examples, OMB Watch attempts to present the other side. These articles include:

Coast Guard to Reconsider Protections Against Port Explosions

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EPA, FDA, OSHA Alter Regulatory Agendas

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, each federal agency publishes an agenda describing rulemakings under review and actions they expect to take. These agendas -- though frequently inaccurate in their predictions -- provide an important window into the administration’s regulatory priorities and objectives. OMB Watch examined the agendas of three agencies -- the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) -- to see what has changed during the Bush administration. The following provides the results.

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Regulatory Output Under the Bush Administration

The following information examines the Bush administration's regulatory output of "economically significant" rules over its first two years, focusing on a number of agencies responsible for health, safety and environmental protections. The most meaningful and important regulations are invariably deemed economically significant, meaning they have an estimated impact of at least $100 million a year, including benefits.

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