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Monday, December 11, 2006

An Agenda to Weaken Protections
Agencies released today the Fall 2006 Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan, which sums up the work of the last six months and sets priorities for the coming year. Unfortunately, this year's regulatory plan has a few too many familiar faces. Agencies have failed to make progress on important regulations such as reducing worker's exposure to crystalline silica or upgrading energy efficiency standards. What's even more troubling about the Bush's regulatory plan for 2007 is the return of some industry favorites that aim to rollback health, safety and environmental standards.

With the Dems taking control of Congress next month, it looks like the administration might be turning its attention more towards the executive branch. The intro to the Reg Plan sets out four overarching priorities for regulation that should mollify industry interests on the verge of losing their tax breaks:

Regulations that are particularly good examples of the Administration's ``smart'' regulation agenda to streamline regulations and reporting requirements, which is a key part of the President's economic plan.

Regulations that are of particular concern to small businesses.

Regulations that respond to public nominations submitted to OMB in 2001 or 2002.

Regulations that address 2004 nominations for promising regulatory reforms in the manufacturing sector.

Those last two bullets refer to the regulatory hit lists, regulations nominated by industry for "reform" or repeal during Bush's first term. And sure enough, the regulatory plans for each agency are chock full of hit list favorites, such as weakening regulations controlling listeria in ready-to-eat meat products and reducing the reporting requirements for the Toxic Release Inventory (despite the fact that EPA has publicly said they're backing away from the idea). More déjà vu on the agency's agenda for 2007:

Rules proposed after the outbreak of mad cow disease to keep potentially hazardous materials out of the food supply.
Changes to Land Management Plan procedures that could speed up the permit process for national forests, opening the forests up to more development and limiting public participation.
Long-overdue energy conservation standards.
Implementation of the 2002 Bioterrorism Act requirement for prior notification for imported food.
Changes sought by industry to the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Standards to prevent workers from exposure to Crystalline Silica.
Upgrades to roof crush resistance for SUVs.
Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone.

The Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda is currently only available on the GPO website, but check back soon to this website to view the agenda in a more searchable format.

Posted by Genevieve Smith, 11:27:52 PM

Friday, December 08, 2006

Another Day, Another Deregulation

On November 21, EPA issued a final rule that absolves pesticide users from obtaining a permit to apply pesticides over or near bodies of water. Today, the Detroit Free Press ran a Gannett News Service story about the ruling, which has been woefully undercovered in the media. The story also has a nice sidebar encapsulating some of the Bush administration's most objectionable deregulation decisions over the past six years; not to mention a pithy quote from OMB Watch Executive Director Gary Bass:

The administration's record is to choose special interests over the public good, and I don't expect that to change.

Posted by Matthew Madia, 02:29:35 PM

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Latest Watcher
Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Reg policy articles this time:

Supreme Court Wades Through Decision on Climate Change

FDA Negotiates Increase in Drug Industry User Fees

Posted by Genevieve Smith, 09:37:51 PM

Good News on Dudley
According to the Federal Times, the Dudley nomination may be indefinitely on hold:

The nomination of President Bush’s controversial pick to head the government’s regulatory policy office is dead, according to a leading Republican senator.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who chairs the committee considering the nomination, said she decided not to bring the nomination of Susan Dudley to a vote this month by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She said she did this because of the lack of time remaining in this Congress and opposition to Dudley’s nomination from Democrats.
“It is pointless to proceed to a markup when the nomination isn’t going anywhere,” Collins, who supported Dudley, told Federal Times on Dec. 6. “The president could send the nomination up again next year, but it’s clear that it would be not a good use of the committee’s time.”

Great work to all those who took action against Dudley! We'll let you know if any further developments occur, but for now it looks like the coast is clear.

Posted by Genevieve Smith, 09:02:35 PM

Monday, December 04, 2006

NRDC Wins Battle to Raise Energy Efficiency Standards
After years of the Department of Energy dragging its feet on producing new energy efficiency standards for appliances, the Natural Resources Defense Council, two low-income consumers groups and 15 states have forced the agency into action through a settlement issued November 13. The lawsuit contended that the Department of Energy was as much as 13 years behind on issuing new standards. Now, under court order, the DOE will be forced to issue new energy efficiency standards on a strict timetable. "The standards that DOE will issue under this agreement could save enough energy each year to meet the needs of as many as 12 million American households, and avoid the need to build dozens of new electric power plants, according to NRDC."

Of course, this news must have seemed very grim to OIRA nominee Susan Dudley, who has historically opposed DOE efforts to raise the energy efficiency of applicances. It might be a sad day for Dudley, but it's certainly a happy one for low-income families faced with skyrocketing energy bills.

Posted by Genevieve Smith, 12:03:17 AM

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