This letter provides ECOS’ comments on the proposed rule Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science. It outlines ECOS’ concerns with possible negative impacts and unintended consequences of the proposed rule.
Policy Documents
Press Release on Joint ECOS, ACWA, and ASWM Letter on CWA Section 401
This press release announces a joint letter from the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) and the Association of State Wetlands Managers (ASWM), sent a to congressional leaders to weigh in on the proper scope of section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
ECOS Green Report on Environmental Permitting: Improved Practices and Systems of State Environmental Agencies
This report highlights state efforts to improve permitting quality and timeliness.
ECOS, ACWA, and ASWM Letter to Congress on CWA Section 401
ECOS, the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), and the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) sent a joint letter urging Congress to preserve states’ ability to protect water quality under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
ECOS and NGA Joint Letter to DOE Office of Environmental Management on High-Level Nuclear Waste
This joint letter, written by ECOS and the National Governors Association to the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, expresses state interest in discussions about changes to the definition of high-level nuclear waste and the implications of those changes for states and cleanup sites.
Principles for EPA Oversight Under ECOS Cooperative Federalism 2.0
In June 2017, ECOS published “Cooperative Federalism 2.0: Achieving and Maintaining a Clean Environment and Protecting Public Health.” Among other things, that document describes ways in which EPA could improve environmental outcomes and maximize efficiency by modifying its approach to overseeing state implementation of delegated federal environmental programs. The following more detailed statement expands on…
Case Studies on State-Level Risk Communication of PFAS and HABs
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and harmful algal blooms (HABs) are two priority contaminants that states struggle to communicate the risks of. Most state environmental and health agencies have oversight of their water systems, and are responsible for implementing mitigation measures to reduce chemical exposure, protect public health, and communicate risks associated with contaminated water.…
ECOS Statement on U.S. EPA PFAS Leadership Summit
This ECOS letter to U.S. EPA outlines questions states intend to raise at the agency’s National Leadership Summit to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Of upmost importance is the collective states’ view that the federal government should take a leadership role in protecting public health, informing citizens, and supporting state action to address these…
ECOS Green Report: State Compliance and Enforcement Inspector Needs Assessment
This ECOS Green Report identifies training opportunities for state compliance and enforcement inspectors based off of a needs assessment.
ECOS Memo on Cooperative Federalism 2.0 Advances and Path Ahead
This memo from ECOS President Todd Parfitt (Wyoming) and Past President John Linc Stine (Minnesota) outlines progress in the association’s year-old Cooperative Federalism 2.0 initiative, as well as goals for the coming months. The memo reports on progress in the areas of federal oversight of state-delegated programs, enforcement and compliance assurance, permitting, Superfund, research, and…
