The Week in Regulation: November 21-25

The holiday week produced little significant action in the Federal Register.  Aside from an EPA proposed rule on ferroalloys and an IRS proposal imposing 450,000 burden hours, this was a slow week in federal regulation.

Administrative agencies proposed 38 rules and implemented 48 final rules.  Federal agencies issued 7 new documents “deemed significant under [Executive Order] 12866,” bringing the yearly revised total to 746 according to the Federal Register; the federal government has issued 72,820 pages of regulations in 2011.

EPA proposed two notable rules, one on ferroalloys and another proposal for “Mineral Wool Production and Wool Fiberglass Manufacturing.”  The ferroalloys regulation adds emission limits for hydrochloric acid, mercury, and formaldehyde from electric arc furnaces.  EPA estimates the proposal will cost the industry more than $15 million and 483 annual paperwork hours.

EPA’s proposed rule for mineral wool aims to limit chromium, hydrogen fluoride, and particulate matter.  EPA is only applying the provisions to major sources but plans to expand the proposal in future rulemakings.  The initial cost-benefit range is less than $1 million. 

Dodd-Frank produced one proposed joint rule from Treasury and FDIC.  The proposal governs “the calculation of the maximum obligation limitation … limits the aggregate amount of outstanding obligations that the FDIC may issue or incur in connection with the orderly liquidation of a covered financial company.”  There were no reported paperwork burdens or compliance costs; the comment period closes on January 24, 2012.

Click here to view the total estimated compliance costs from Dodd-Frank; since passage the legislation has produced (in proposed and enacted rules) more than 31.8 million new paperwork burden hours.

There were no major health care rulemakings this week.  Since passage, the Affordable Care Act has imposed an estimated $9.1 billion in private-sector burdens, approximately $2.2 billion in costs to the states, and 30 million annual paperwork hours.

At the current pace, the total regulatory burden for 2011 (proposed and final) will exceed $103.4 billion.  Since January 1, the federal government has imposed more than 119.4 million annual paperwork burden hours and $93.4 billion in compliance costs. 

Click here for our comprehensive database of regulations and rulemakings promulgated in 2011.