WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2011—On Aug. 23, the Obama administration unveiled a set of anxiously awaited federal agency review plans designed to uncover and remove outdated or ineffective rules, as mandated by a January executive order. OMB Watch, a nonpartisan research and advocacy group that seeks to improve government processes and outcomes, today released an analysis of the agency plans.
On Aug. 23, the Obama administration released a set of “look-back” plans from federal agencies that will reform or jettison outdated or ineffective rules. The 26 plans were drafted in response to a January executive order (E.O. 13563) that created a regulatory review initiative and instructed federal agencies to review existing regulations and revise those that are outdated, redundant, or "unnecessarily burdensome." OMB Watch closely followed the regulatory review initiative and performed an analysis of the changes select agencies plan to make to important health and safety standards and the impact those plans are likely to have on the American people.
The Obama administration's efforts to protect scientific integrity moved forward recently with the submission of five finalized agency policies and 14 draft policies, but progress has been slow and haphazard. The administration recognizes that sound, uncensored science is critically important to protecting public health and the environment. The administration also understands that agencies should foster a culture of scientific integrity that includes effective policies and oversight to protect science from political manipulation and research misconduct. However, it has yet to undo the damage wrought by the previous administration.
On Aug. 4, 17 federal agencies signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to address and reduce the disproportionate harm from environmental degradation that affects indigenous, low-income, and minority communities. The "
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has drafted several new rules designed to reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants and improve public health, but some of the standards still await final approval. Environmental and public health advocates have applauded the tougher standards, and a number of industry groups have said they are well positioned to comply with the new rules. The rules will provide businesses with the regulatory certainty that firms say they need to invest in modern pollution-control technologies. Moreover, major power and energy companies