by Brianna Crandall — May 30, 2011—On May 26, the White House outlined the results of President Obama’s “unprecedented” government-wide review of rules already on the books, announced in January, which asked agencies to find regulations that are out-of-date, unnecessary, excessively burdensome, or in conflict with other rules. Consequently, agencies have identified initiatives with the potential to eliminate tens of millions of hours in reporting burdens and billions of dollars in regulatory costs.
For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule that will remove over 1.9 million annual hours of redundant reporting burdens on employers and save more than $40 million in annual costs. OSHA plans to harmonize U.S. hazard classifications and labels with those used by other nations, and to reduce reporting burdens in the areas of respiratory protection, potable water, hand dryers, and transmitting exposure and medical records to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will propose to eliminate the redundant obligation for many states to require air pollution vapor recovery systems at local gas stations because modern vehicles already have effective air pollution control technologies. The anticipated savings over the next decade is about $670 million.
All 30 preliminary regulatory “look-back” plans are available on the White House’s Regulatory Reform Web site.
