Outlook 2011

OUTLOOK 2011

The Obama administration is pushing forward with an aggressive regulatory agenda, while the new Republican majority is vowing to rein in federal regulation, setting the stage for a major showdown that places EPA policies in the crosshairs. Inside EPA's Outlook 2011 special report provides exclusive news on this emerging showdown, as well as a look ahead at EPA's regulatory agenda for the new year.

Alternative Measures Expected To Bolster Scaled-Back EPA Coal Ash Rule

Even while EPA continues to review thousands of comments on its first-time plan to regulate coal ash as a waste, many expect the agency to retreat from strictly regulating the power-generation byproduct as "hazardous" and fall back on a less-stringent non-hazardous approach bolstered with additional environmental controls and reporting measures. While several sources say they expect the agency to eventually opt for a less-strict approach regulating the waste under subtitle D of the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA...

New EPA Reporting Mandates Spur Industry Fear Of Increased Regulation

Industry is bracing for potential new EPA regulation crafted using data collected through first-time reporting rules for sectors including hydraulic fracturing and high-density animal feeding operations, while noting that EPA plans to expand other industry reporting mandates could spur greater regulation and burden on key sectors. EPA is beginning to collect new data from a number of diverse industry sectors, which could lead to greater regulation of the practices, sources say. EPA has also moved forward in recent months with...

California Budget Woes Dampen Environmental Legislative Agenda

California's massive budget deficit and sluggish economy are likely to temper environmentalists' efforts to push an aggressive legislative agenda in the state in the new year, with the exception of several high-profile clean energy bills, according to sources. While fiscal concerns are likely to dampen efforts for expanded environmental controls, the state is poised to begin implementing the nation's toughest greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, which were adopted last year, and Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who was sworn into office on...

Industry Desire For Regulatory Certainty May Blunt GOP Assault On EPA

A desire for regulatory certainty from EPA rules could prompt industry to try to soften an expected attack on agency regulations by conservative lawmakers in the divided 112th Congress -- especially those with vocal Tea Party support -- due to fears that excessive limits on EPA could drive costly regulatory uncertainty, industry sources say. EPA was a prime target for election-year GOP attacks, which highlighted its economic impact while also questioning the broader justification for many of its efforts, especially...

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