How Do I Access Regulations Issued By U.S. EPA?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined its Federal Register Web site contains duplicative information that can be found on the Regulations.gov Web site. In an effort to comply with a 2003 E-Government initiative that directs federal agencies to remove duplicative projects, EPA is now directing the public to Regulations.gov for all Federal Register information.  The Federal Register is the official daily publication that federal agencies, such as EPA,  use to notify the public of final rules, proposed rules, public hearings and other notices and actions; it also includes executive orders and other presidential documents.  Federal Register Information  Federal Register information is available on the Regulations.gov Web site. The Regulations.gov Web site is a source for all regulations and rulemaking documents issued by U.S. government agencies. Using this Web site, you can:

• View all regulations open for public comment (i.e., proposed rules), as published in the Federal Register, as well as supporting materials;
• View other regulatory documents (e.g., Federal agency guidance);
• Submit a comment;
• Submit an application, petition or adjudication document;
• Read public comments;
• View final rules; and
• View Regulatory Agendas that list regulations that each agency plans to issue.

Users can conduct narrowed searches and specify particular agencies and search parameters. Users can also sign up to receive notifications (daily, weekly or monthly) when a docket is updated on Regulations.gov. A docket folder is a collection of documents, often available for public review, that stores information related to a rulemaking or other action.  For example, a docket folder may contain:

• One or more Federal Register documents (rules and notices);
•  Materials specifically referenced in those documents;
• Public comments;
• Applications, petitions or adjudication documents; or
• Other documents used by decision makers. 

Government Printing Office The official source for the electronic Federal Register is the Government Printing Office (GPO).  GPO publishes the official Federal Register and posts a complete version of it online daily http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.  GPO recently launched a search engine called Federal Digital Systems, online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action.  While users will eventually be able to search for information from the government's 50 different collections, the site currently hosts the eight most popular collections, including the Federal Register, the Congressional Record and archive of Congressional hearings.  The search engine allows searching the Register by agency, or date, or topic, and there is a "Search Within Results" feature.