ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Overcoming Obstacles to Innovative State Regulatory Programs
Abstract
Under the existing federal approach to environmental protection, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pursuant to statutes such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, prescribes regulations with which states, localities, and private companies must comply. The approach has been widely criticized in recent years for being costly, inflexible,and ineffective in addressing some of the nation's most pressing environmental problems. For example, the National Academy of Public Administration recently concluded that although traditional regulatory approaches can keep most forms of industrial pollution in check, they cannot reach many other sources of pollution and environmental degradation, such as diffuse sources of water pollution from urban and agricultural runoff. Even where existing approaches have succeeded in curtailing pollution from major industrial sources, they have often been costly or have provided regulated entities with little incentive to reduce pollution below mandatory compliance levels.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA399532
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office