Clean Air Rulemaking: Tracking System Would Help Measure Progress of Streamlining Initiatives
RCED-95-70
Published: Mar 02, 1995. Publicly Released: Apr 05, 1995.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) progress in streamlining its clean air rulemaking process, focusing on: (1) improvements that might enhance EPA streamlining activities; and (2) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) efforts to reduce the time associated with reviewing EPA rules.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should implement a rulemaking tracking system that maintains key dates for major phases in the rulemaking process, provides for analysis of the length of time that rules spend in the major phases of the rulemaking process, and tracks the resources allotted to rules and other historical information that managers need to identify problem areas and measure the impact of changes made. |
EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) is developing a new regulatory tracking system, which links to EPA's Regulatory Information System (RIS). The RIS holds information on all EPA regulatory actions, from the workgroup stage to final Federal Register publication. OAR's system will include information on all those key regulatory phases plus additional information relevant to air programs, such as data on State Implementation Plans, the regulatory package signature process, and Steering Committee actions. The system will also include Government Performance and Results Act, cost accounting, and other information that managers need to identify problem areas and measure impact of changes made.
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Air pollution controlEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental researchFederal regulationsInteragency relationsManagement information systemsStandards evaluationFederal rulemakingClean airAir quality