Group Predicts What Might Happen To EHS Regulations UnderBush

Jan. 19, 2001
A report from OMB Watch, the watchdog group that monitors\r\nfederal rulemaking, speculates what might happen to EHS regulations under the Bush Administration.

A report from OMB Watch, the watchdog group that monitors federal rulemaking, speculates what might happen to health, safety and environmental regulations under the Bush Administration.

"Some of the legislative attacks that faced veto threats from the Clinton Administration will have a green light when Bush takes office. This gives real hope to proponents of comprehensive regulatory ''reform'' -- and great concern to those who care about public health and safety, and the environment."

However, the group said the legislative threats may not be the problem. OMB Watch predicts that a host of new executive branch attacks will come to light.

Specifically, OMB Watch said that "protections for health, safety and the environment will be rolled back. Regulations still being worked on from the Clinton Administration will be put immediately on hold, and other regulations will likely be abandoned and revoked."

The group noted that this would include the tough new clean air standards, which are currently before the Supreme Court, and OSHA''s newly-effective ergonomics standard.

OMB Watch also predicted that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will take a more aggressive role in rejecting agency rules.

All agency rules are subject to OMB review and must be approved before they can take effect.

The cost of the rulemaking process will also be elevated under Bush, according to the group.

Under many health, safety and environmental statutes, agencies are prohibited from making regulatory decisions based on cost considerations because of the seriousness of the problem.

"Clean air standards, for instance, are to be based solely on what''s best for public health; costs are then considered during implementation with proper time-tables for compliance," said the report. "Conservatives in Congress would like to change this, and the Bush Administration would likely encourage them."

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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