Accession Number:

ADA399532

Title:

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Overcoming Obstacles to Innovative State Regulatory Programs

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

2002-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

41.0

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 nations 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.

Descriptors:

• *MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL
• *ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
• UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
• AIR POLLUTION
• WATER POLLUTION
• PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• POLLUTION ABATEMENT

Subject Categories:

• Administration and Management
• Environmental Health and Safety

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE