09.14.20

Hoeven Statement on Final EPA Rule to Ensure Public Feedback, Transparency for New Regulatory Guidance

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee and Senate Energy Committee, today issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to improve the process used to issue new regulatory guidance, helping to ensure transparency and increase public participation. Under the rule, the EPA is establishing an online portal to provide the opportunity for public comment on proposed guidance and petitions to modify, withdraw or reinstate a guidance document. This aligns with an Executive Order issued by the president last year to prevent the use of administrative guidance to impose new regulatory burdens without following the proper rulemaking process established by Congress.

“Unnecessary and burdensome federal rules impede our nation’s economy, imposing higher costs for both businesses and consumers, and the public deserves to be informed and have a voice when such regulations are advanced,” said Hoeven. “We welcome this effort to ensure better transparency and accountability at the EPA, which will help prevent overreach like we saw with the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule.”

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