Overview
On April 13, EPA issued a notice seeking public input on existing regulations that may be appropriate for repeal or modification. 82 Fed. Reg. 17793. Comments are due May 15, 2017.
This notice is part of EPA’s implementation of Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,” which seeks to reduce “unnecessary regulatory burdens.” Section 3(a) of the EO directs federal agencies to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force (Task Force). EPA Administrator Pruitt designated his Chief of Staff, Ryan Jackson, as the chairman of EPA’s Task Force on March 24. Other members of the Task Force include Byron Brown and Brittany Bolen, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Office of Policy Deputy Associate Administrator, respectively. EPA launched a new webpage with information related to the agency’s regulatory reform efforts, including upcoming meetings.
One of the duties of the Task Force is to evaluate existing regulations and make recommendations “regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification.” EO 13777 directs the Task Force to identify regulations that:
- eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;
- are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;
- impose costs that exceed benefits;
- create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform initiatives and policies;
- rely in whole or in part on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard of reproducibility; or
- derive from or implement Executive Orders or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified.
EPA is soliciting public input to inform its evaluation of existing regulations. EPA requests that commenters be as specific as possible in identifying regulations to be repealed or modified, and to include any supporting data such as cost information.
This is an important opportunity for regulated entities to have input on EPA’s implementation of the Trump Administration’s regulatory reform directives. Administrator Pruitt and others in EPA’s new leadership have expressed interest in reducing regulatory burdens, and are encouraging involvement from regulated parties in identifying outdated or burdensome EPA regulatory actions. Please let us know if we can assist with submissions pursuant to this notice, or with other issues regarding EPA’s regulatory reform efforts.