The EPA's Ambitious Regulatory Agenda
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is engaged in a series of rule-making proceedings of extraordinary scope and ambition—going well beyond its efforts to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. All major EPA decisions are contentious, but the current flurry of regulatory initiatives raises unusually serious issues of costs and benefits, feasibility, methodology, and agency discretion. This event will begin with a presentation on air-quality trends followed by panel presentations and discussions on current rule-making proceedings and underlying issues of science, economics, and risk assessment.
Agenda
8:15 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast
8:30
Introduction:- CHRISTOPHER DEMUTH, AEI
8:40
Presentation: Trends in Air Quality—1970, Today, and Tomorrow- STEVEN F. HAYWARD, AEI
9:00
Panel I: EPA’s Rule-Making Surge
Panelists:- PAUL R. NOE, American Forest & Paper Association “The Challenge of Boiler MACT and the Cumulative Air Regulatory Burden”
- ARTHUR FRAAS, Resources for the Future “Banking on Permits: A Risky Business”
- JEFFREY R. HOLMSTEAD, Bracewell & Giuliani “The Clean Air Act and the Rule of Law”
Moderator: *KENNETH P. GREEN, AEI
10:30
Break
10:40
Panel II: Science and Economics in EPA Rule-Making
Panelists:- RICHARD A. BECKER, American Chemistry Council “The Blurred Lines between Science and Policy”
- RICHARD B. BELZER, Regulatory Checkbook and Neutral Source “Empirical Analysis of EPA Compliance with the Information Quality Act”
- JANE LUXTON, Pepper Hamilton LLP “Polarization on Science Issues in EPA Risk Assessment”
- BRIAN F. MANNIX, Buckland Mill Associates “Whose Telescope is Defective? The Role of Discount-Rate Arbitrage in Energy and Climate Policy”
- SUSAN E. DUDLEY, The George Washington University
Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
Department of Defense Efficiencies Initiatives
- William J. Lynn III, Deputy Secretary of Defense
- Ashton B. Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics * General James E. Cartwright, USMC Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Impact of EPA Regulation on Agriculture
“As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am pleased to hold this hearing to examine the impact of EPA regulation on agriculture and rural America to ensure that we are avoiding unnecessary, duplicative regulation,” Lincoln said. “American family farmers and ranchers produce the safest, most affordable, and abundant supply of food and fiber in the world and do so with great respect for our environment. I look forward to exploring how we ensure the continued success of our producers by building a more collaborative relationship between the EPA and American agriculture.”
Witness List
Panel 1- Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Rich Hillman, Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau
- Jay Vroom, President and Chief Executive Officer, Croplife America
- Jere White, Executive Director, Kansas Corn Growers Association
Extreme Weather in a Warming World
From New York City to Nashville, Washington to Pakistan, 2010 has seen it’s fair share of extreme weather events. To probe the long-term trends of disruptive weather events in a world beset by climate change, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a briefing to discuss these issues.
The briefing will feature Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, who will discuss the historic floods that have displaced millions of his countrymen. The briefing will also include top climate scientists.
Witnesses- Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States
- Michael Oppenheimer, Professor, Princeton University
- Thomas Peterson, Chief Scientist, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
- Michael Wehner, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Energy is Urgent
Energy Experts, CEOs and Congressmen Convene to Discuss Oil Spill, Energy Bill, and Electronic Vehicles
President Obama has pledged to end America’s dependence on foreign oil and his administration is spending billions on greener energy initiatives. Few issues are considered more urgent by both the White House and average Americans than securing affordable and cleaner energy. This timely Washington Post Live conference gathers members of Congress, oil and energy CEOs and other well-known experts to discuss the impact of the Gulf oil spill, government energy policy and whether electric cars are really about to go mainstream.
Panels
Congressional Energy Bill (9am):- Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
- Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)
- Senator Byron Dorgon (D-N.D.)
- Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
- Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy and Research Associations
- Jack Gerard, president of American Petroleum
- Jacqueline Savitz, senior campaign director of Oceana
- David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy Inc.
- David Vieau, president and CEO of A123Systems
- Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for General Motors/Chevy Volt; Carlos Tavares, executive vice president of Nissan Mortor Co, Ltd.
- Alan Crane, board of energy and environmental systems for the National Research Council
The panel discussions and keynote address will be streamed live on washingtonpostlive.com.
The Washington Post, 1150 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC
The Deepwater Drilling Moratorium: A Review of the Obama Administration’s Economic Impact Analysis on U.S. Small Businesses
- Rebeccs M. Blank, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce
- John Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
The BP Oil Spill: Accounting for the Spilled Oil and Ensuring the Safety of Seafood from the Gulf
Witnesses
- Bill Lehr, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Paul Anastas, Ph.D., Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency
- Donald Kraemer, Acting Deputy Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration
- Ian MacDonald, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Oceanography, Florida State University
- Mike Voisin, Chief Executive Officer, Motivatit Seafoods, LLC
- Acy Cooper, Jr., Vice President, Louisiana Shrimp Association
- Dean Blanchard, President, Dean Blanchard Seafoods, Inc.
- Lisa Suatoni, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Oceans Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
Greenland Ice Sheet: Global Warming’s Impacts on Arctic Region
Last week an ice sheet covering 100 square miles broke off Greenland. This dramatic sea ice event follows the warmest six months on record and is the largest piece of Arctic ice to break free since 1962.
On Tuesday, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a briefing with scientists and experts who study the Arctic region to discuss this event and its relationship to climate change.
Witnesses- Dr. Richard B. Alley, Professor of Geosciences, and Earth and Environmental Systems, The Pennsylvania State University
- Dr. Robert Bindschadler, Senior Research Scientist at University of Maryland Baltimore County, who has 30 years of service with NASA
- Dr. Andreas Muenchow, Professor of Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
Investment In Small Hydropower: Prospects Of Expanding Low-Impact And Affordable Hydropower Generation In The West
Witnesses
Panel 1- Michael L. Connor, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior
- Michael G. Ensch, SES, Chief, Operations and Regulatory Community of Practice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Jeff Wright, Director of the Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Sonya Baskerville, Manager, National Relations Office, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy
- Jon Lambeck, Manager of Power Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Gary Esslinger, Treasurer-Manager, Elephant Butte Irrigation District
- Thomas P. Graves, Executive Director, Mid-West Electric Consumers Association
- Gia D. Schneider, Chairman and CEO, Natel Energy, Inc
- John Prescott, President and CEO, PNGC Power
- Andrew Fahlund, Senior Vice President, Conservation, American Rivers and the Hydropower Reform Coalition
Flood Preparedness and Mitigation: Map Modernization, Levee Inspection, and Levee Repairs
The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate preparedness and mitigation efforts among flood-prone communities and responsible federal agencies, by evaluating the accuracy of the FEMA flood map modernization process, its impact on states and localities, mechanisms for dispute resolution, and the impact of levee inspections and certifications on determinations of flood risk.
Since the epic failure of the federal levees in New Orleans in August 2005, additional levee failures occurred during the Midwest floods in 2008 and the historic spring floods earlier this year in Rhode Island and Tennessee.
On March 18, 2010, 16 Senators signed a letter to FEMA and the Corps of Engineers citing challenges in the ongoing flood map modernization process. Among the areas listed were: a lack of communication and outreach with local stakeholders; a lack of coordination between FEMA and USACE in answering questions about both flood mapping, flood insurance and flood control infrastructure repairs; a lack of recognition of locally funded flood control projects when determining flood zones; the affordability of flood insurance; inadequate time and resources to complete repairs to flood control structures before flood maps are finalized; and potential impacts new flood maps might have on economic development.
This hearing will provide an opportunity for the subcommittee to evaluate mapping methodologies and map dispute resolution mechanisms, hear suggestions for improved outreach to local residents and stakeholders, and determine options for local governments to finance levee inspections and repairs.
Witnesses
Panel 1- The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Sandra Knight, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Federal Insurance & Mitigation Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- The Honorable Bob Mehlhoff, District 26, Montana House of Representatives
- Dr. David Maidment, Director of the Center for Research in Water Resources & the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering The University of Texas at Austin
- Sam Riley Medlock, JD, CFM, Policy Counsel, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Member, National Committee on Levee Safety
- Robert Rash, P.E., P.L.S., Chief Executive Officer & Chief Engineer, St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas
- Dr. Joseph Suhayda, Interim Director, Louisiana State University Hurricane Center