Cost-Effective Regulation by EPA and Small Business Impacts; Includes Addendumand Individual Case Studies

摘要

Environmental regulations can have serious and disproportionately large impactson small businesses and other small entities. When regulating small entities yields few benefits, such regulations may not be cost-effective. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--and other federal agencies--to consider reasonable alternatives that may minimize burdens on small entities while achieving statutory objectives. For various reasons, effects on small entities may not be adequately addressed through cost-effective regulatory alternatives. The research explores factors and problems contributing to this outcome, as well as to provide examples of successful EPA regulatory flexibility analyses. The focus is a study of eight EPA regulations or sets of regulations. Points of reference began with a review of the literature on EPA regulations as a whole and the regulatory analysis process at EPA. Representatives of associations of regulated industries and municipalities were interviewed.