How an obscure government agency and the man who leads it implement the Bush administration's environmental policies.
"Graham heads an obscure agency in the White House called the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews hundreds of federal rules...With Bush facing stiff opposition in Congress to his energy and environmental legislation, the White House turned to rule-making to push much of its agenda. And Graham is the man pressing the levers and switching the gears.
While it's relatively simple to document how environmental regulation hurts businesses, the value of pristine forests, clean lakes and species protection can't be expressed in dollars. As a result, the ratio between costs and benefits often appears skewed.And when it comes to actually writing regulation, OIRA has a record of adopting language proposed by industry lobbyists, not environmentalists."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Bush's gatekeeper weighs costs, benefits of new regulations

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
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End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
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San Francisco Enhances Urban Planning Initiatives with Green Infrastructure
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House Committee Proposes $250 EV Tax
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