Regulatory Reform
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Public Participation in EPA's Regulatory Reform
In accordance with Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,” EPA requested input on regulations that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification.
- On March 24, 2017, EPA Administrator Pruitt issued an agency-wide memorandum on implementation of EO 13777, which announced members of the required Regulatory Reform Task Force and directed program offices to seek public input on existing regulations and report findings to the Task Force by May 15, 2017.
- On April 13, 2017, EPA issued a Federal Register notice: Evaluation of Existing Regulations. The comment period closed on May 15, 2017 and EPA received over 460,000 comments. All public comments are accessible online in our docket on the Regulations.gov website identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2017-0190.
- In May 2017, EPA prepared a Regulatory Reform Task Force 90-Day Progress Report Under Executive Order 13777 – Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda.
- On August 17, 2018, Acting Administrator Wheeler issued a memorandum updating the Regulatory Reform Task Force membership and process to ensure continued effective implementation of regulatory reform efforts.
Presidential Actions Related to Regulatory Reform
- Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 3, 2017) on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs directs all agencies to repeal two existing regulations for each new regulation issued in FY 2017 and thereafter. It further directs agencies that the “total incremental costs of all regulations should be no greater than zero” in FY 2017. For FY 2018 and beyond, the director of the Office of Management and Budget will provide agencies with a total amount of incremental costs that will be allowed.
- Executive Order 13777 (82 FR 12285, March 1, 2017) on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda directs federal agencies to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force (Task Force). One of the duties of the Task Force is to evaluate existing regulations and make recommendations to the agency head regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification. The EO required EPA to submit a progress report to the Administrator by mid-May, 2017.
- Executive Order 13783 (82 FR 16093, March 31, 2017) on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth, directs the EPA to review the Clean Power Plan, related rules and the NSPS for Oil and Gas, and all agencies to review existing regulations, orders, guidance documents and policies that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources. The EO required that the Administrator submit a plan for the review of existing regulations to OMB by mid-May, 2017. The EO also required that the Administrator submit a draft report detailing actions taken under the EO by late July 2017 and finalize the report by late September 2017.