EPA Teleconference to open gates for feedback on rule cutting

Source: Sean Reilly, E&E News reporter • Posted: Friday, April 21, 2017

U.S. EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation will collect feedback at a teleconference Monday on regulations that could be repealed, replaced or changed “to make them less burdensome,” according to a “dear stakeholder” invitation this morning.

An EPA spokeswoman couldn’t immediately say this morning how the agency defines “stakeholder,” but the notice, which was also posted on the agency’s website, says the teleconference is being held “so that we can listen and learn from those directly impacted by our regulations.”

The call, scheduled to last three hours, kicks off a flurry of events the agency has scheduled in the next few weeks in keeping with a Trump administration executive order requiring agencies to rethink regulations seen as outdated or barriers to job creation, among other criteria.

To that end, each agency is supposed to assemble a regulatory reform task force; EPA has also created a “regulatory reform” web page that lists meetings.

In addition, EPA is soliciting written comments through May 15 via an online docket on Regulations.gov that has already received more than 3,800 comments.

Among the events other EPA branches are holding along similar lines, according to the regulatory reform page:

  • On Tuesday, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is holding a public meeting at agency headquarters in Washington “to consult with external stakeholders” on possible regulatory changes.
  • On Wednesday, officials at EPA’s Office of Water are meeting with water associations and the Environmental Council of the States; the listing does not provide a location.
  • On May 1, the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics is holding two public meetings in Washington. The first will discuss “regulatory reform opportunities” for chemical safety rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Toxics Release Inventory; the second will deal with TSCA regulations related to lead exposure reduction.
  • On May 9, the Office of Land and Emergency Management is hosting an all-day meeting in Arlington, Va., “to obtain additional stakeholder feedback” on potential regulatory changes.

|