Federal Registration Office for Environmental Regulations.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites public participation in its rulemaking process through the submission of comments on specific Dockets. A Docket is a collection of documents related to a particular EPA proceeding, such as rulemaking, enforcement action, or other EPA activities.
For those interested in voicing their opinions, the EPA Docket Center provides a Reading Room for public access. To submit comments, individuals are required to use Regulations.gov, following the site's instructions. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed. It is important to note that the EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket, making the submission publicly available.
When commenting, it is crucial to be clear, concise, and specific. To ensure effective comments, the EPA website offers a full public comment policy and guidance. This includes advice on how to handle Confidential Business Information (CBI) and multimedia submissions. If submitting multimedia, it must be accompanied by a written comment that includes discussion points, as the written comment is considered the official record.
The EPA generally will not consider content located outside of the primary submission, such as links to web or cloud storage. For alternative submission methods or questions, contact the EPA representative listed for the docket. Each Docket has a unique Docket ID, which can be found on Regulations.gov.
For hearings, each commenter may have limited time to present oral testimony, and it is recommended to submit written copies of oral statements to the docket. EPA may ask clarifying questions but does not respond during presentations. Written comments have equal weight as oral testimony.
It is essential to avoid electronically submitting any Confidential Business Information (CBI) or information protected by statute, as such information should not be part of public comments.
The EPA Dockets that are open for public comment can be viewed on Regulations.gov. For more information and guidance on commenting on EPA Dockets, visit the EPA website.
- To make a comment on the EPA's policy-and-legislation, individuals should visit the EPA website and follow the instructions on Regulations.gov, ensuring that all comments are clear, concise, and specific.
- When participating in the EPA's rulemaking process, it is important to be mindful of the EPA's public comment policy and guidance, which includes information on handling Confidential Business Information (CBI) and multimedia submissions.
