Memorandum dated May 13, 2019

Subject:  Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Rulemaking Process

From:     Andrew R. Wheeler

To:          Assistant Administrators

A copy of the complete two-page memorandum is attached.

The memorandum describes how, as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency efforts to advance its mission of protecting public health and the environment, the agency should also ensure that its regulatory decisions are rooted in sound, transparent and consistent approaches to evaluating benefits and costs. Many EPA statutes contemplate the consideration of benefits and costs as part of regulatory decision-making. However, benefits and costs have historically been treated differently, depending on the media office and the underlying authority. This has resulted in various concepts of benefits, costs and other factors that may be considered. This memorandum will initiate an effort to rectify these inconsistencies through statute-specific actions. With these improvements, the EPA is taking another step to provide the public with a more open federal government and more effective environmental and public health protection.

• Memo: Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Rulemaking Process (PDF)(2 pp, 425 K, 05/13/2019)
  This memorandum will initiate an effort by the USEPA to rectify inconsistencies in treatment of benefits and costs as part of regulatory decision-making through a series of statute-specific actions.