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PR ADMINISTRATION ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REINVENTION PROGRAMS HEIGHTENED

Release Date: 06/03/97
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a report showing that, in the two years since it began to reinvent environmental regulations to work better and cost less, the Agency has dramatically reduced -- by 16 million hours -- the time and paperwork needed to comply with environmental regulations, and has designed and tested new common-sense approaches to meet environmental and public health challenges now and into the next century.

The report summarizes the next level EPA has reached in its efforts to meet the goals in President Clinton's 1995 report, "Reinventing Environmental Regulation," which called on the Agency to adopt common-sense strategies to improve protection of public health and the environment, while reinventing regulatory processes to increase flexibility for business.

EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner said, "Since President Clinton and Vice President Gore issued their report on reinventing government, EPA reduced the time needed to comply with environmental rules by an amazing 16 million hours -- the equivalent of 400,000 work weeks for American business. We soon will eliminate another eight million hours. We have eased the burden of one-size-fits-all regulations through new, flexible approaches that produce real results. These new common-sense approaches most importantly have strengthened the protection of public health and the environment for all Americans, especially children."

Among the reinvention accomplishments noted in the report "Managing for Better Environmental Results," EPA has:

-Advanced the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) with more than 40 efforts underway to create new industry-specific approaches to regulation as an alternative to the pollutant-by-pollutant approach of the past. For example, CSI helped the computer industry focus on how to dispose or recycle outmoded computers; and in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, the metal finishing industry was helped in improving operations at metal finishing sites;
-signed final agreements with three companies and is negotiating with over 20 other prospective companies to test alternative management strategies in exchange for environmental results under Project XL, which stands for eXcellence and Leadership;
-intensified efforts to involve stakeholders in the reinvention process;
-streamlined pesticide registrations; review times for some are 50 percent less;
-offered electronic mail as a more convenient way for interested parties to comment on regulatory actions;
-redesigned the agency Internet site to make information gathering easier for concerned citizens including scientists, other researchers, those in profit and non-profit areas, educators and students;
-developed an informational tool which allows interested parties to easily obtain and compare environmental performance data among facilities within specific industry sectors;
-opened four assistance centers and made plans for four more to assist small businesses in specific sectors in understanding and complying with environmental requirements; and
-established five environmental technology verification programs to provide objective, reliable information to businesses and communities faced with making sound environmental investment decisions.

To ensure continued progress and elevate reinvention as an Agency priority, EPA recently announced the establishment of a new Office of Reinvention to be led by a new Associate Administrator and consolidated Agency planning, budgeting, accountability and goal-setting functions.

The annual report outlines how progress is being made to advance innovation, flexibility, community participation, partnerships with industry, compliance assistance and red tape and paperwork reduction programs.

Concerted reinvention efforts have been made in abandoned or unused waste areas, especially urban ones. Development is being encouraged in and around brownfields---the abandoned or underused industrial or commercial sites where light contamination discouraged redevelopment. EPA has provided funding to more than 70 communities to invest in cleanup and redevelopment efforts. Over 29,000 sites have been removed from the Superfund list and liability responsibilities have been clarified in order to improve the prospect of cleanup and redevelopment at Superfund sites.

In further cooperation with the states, EPA worked to develop Performance Partnership agreements as a way of ensuring better use of federal and state environmental resources. These agreements, which are based on a comprehensive evaluation of environmental conditions and a jointly defined set of priorities and responsibilities, were reached with 23 state agencies. EPA also supports state agencies in developing one-stop reporting systems to improve collection and use of data gathered at the federal, state and local levels, developing voluntary environmental protection programs with over 500 companies, and further reducing paperwork requirements by six million hours.

For more information on EPA's reinvention efforts or to obtain a copy of the report, call 202-260-4261 or look for information on the Internet at https://www.epa.gov/reinvent.

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