The Bush administration released yesterday a list of more than 300 federal regulations that could be altered or scrapped in the coming year, including many pertaining to the environment. The list grew out of an announcement made by President Bush in March, when he urged companies to contact the administration “[if] there are nettlesome regulations which are costly for you to operate your business that you don’t think make any sense.” That was the second time the administration has put out such a call; last year, it received 71 proposals and took action on many of them, including lowering energy-efficiency standards for air conditioners and ending a snowmobile ban in Yellowstone National Park. This year’s suggestions include overturning a rule that prohibits the use of arsenic in pressure-treated wood and removing grizzly bears and gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in some parts of the country. The business community praised the list as a way to cut red tape, but environmentalists contend that it allows industry interests and major Republican campaign donors to write public policy.
