EPA’s Bid for ‘Consistent and Transparent’ Rulemaking Draws Fire

One enduring legacy of former Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt may be a rule that recasts the agency’s approach to the complex art of cost-benefit analysis in weighing regulations. On June 7, less than a month before he resigned, Pruitt announced a coming proposed rulemaking and comment period via an advance notice titled “Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Costs and Benefits in the Rulemaking Process.” Pruitt made pointed comments about the need to reduce confusion and uncertainty for states: “Many have complained that the previous administration inflated the benefits and underestimated the costs of its regulations through questionable cost-benefit analysis,” he said. “This action is the next step toward providing clarity and real-world accuracy with respect to the impact of the agency's decisions on the economy and the regulated community.”