United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-01-31 monographic deposited born digital 42 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-268 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268 P0b002ee1803a4f4e f:d02268 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268 GAO-02-268 Environment evaluation Environmental monitoring Federal/state relations EPA National Environmental Performance Partnership System Other Written Product A02711 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues regulations that states, localities, and private companies must comply with under the existing federal approach to environmental protection. This approach has been widely criticized for being costly, inflexible, and ineffective in addressing some of the nation's most pressing environmental problems. The states have used several methods to obtain EPA approval for innovative approaches to environmental protection. Among the primary approaches cited by the state environmental officials GAO interviewed are EPA's Project XL and the Joint EPA/State Agreement to Pursue Regulatory Innovation. Officials in most states told GAO that they faced significant challenges in submitting proposals to EPA, including resistance from within the state environmental agency and a lack of adequate resources to pursue innovative approaches. EPA recognizes that it needs to do more to encourage innovative environmental approaches by states and other entities. As a result, EPA has (1) issued a broad-based draft strategy entitled "Innovating for Better Environmental Results" and (2) adopted the recommendations of an internal task force, which advocated the consideration of innovative alternatives as new regulations are developed. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268.pdf GAO-02-268 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-268 Other Written Product GAO-02-268; Environmental Protection: Overcoming Obstacles to Innovative State Regulatory Programs; Environment evaluation Environmental monitoring Federal/state relations EPA National Environmental Performance Partnership System Title 40 Part 63.93 40 CFR Part 63.93