Opportunities for Small Communities to Be Involved in EPA Rulemaking
Presented by: Patrick Easter and Ken Munis, U.S. EPA Office of Policy, Economics and Innovations; Tom Halicki, NCSC/NATaT; Deborah Rosenbloom, NASPAA; and Natalie Roy, The Environmental Council of the States

All too often small communities are in the unfortunate position of making the best of a new regulation after it’s promulgated—wishing they could have explained beforehand how it would affect them and been involved in shaping the rule. EPA—through several projects—is providing small communities with opportunities to get involved with regulations prior to issuance. The Small Community Outreach Project for the environment (SCOPe), the Small Town and Rural Outreach Program (STAR) and the Network of State and Local Representatives are EPA-funded cooperative agreements designed to inform small communities about upcoming regulatory activities and empower small-town leaders to improve their communities’ environmental performance. In addition, Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panels convened under the authority of the Regulatory Flexibility Act consider the concerns of small communities, and provide accommodations to minimize regulatory impacts.