Introduction
The Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses are part of a continuing effort by
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop improved guidance
on the preparation and use of sound science in support of the decision-making
process. This document builds on previous work first issued in December
of 1983 as the Guidelines for Performing Regulatory Impact Analysis (U.S.
EPA 1983) and later revised in the late 1990s. In September of 2000, the EPA issued its
Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses (Guidelines) (U.S. EPA 2000b), revised to reflect
the evolution of environmental policy making and economic analysis that had accrued
over the decade and a half since the original guidelines were released. At the time of release,
EPA committed to periodically revise the Guidelines to account for further growth and
development of economic tools and practices.
In an effort to fulfill that commitment, this document incorporates new literature published
since the last revision of the Guidelines. It describes new Executive Orders (EOs) and recent
guidance documents that impose new requirements on analysts, and fills information gaps by
providing more expansive information on selected topics. Furthermore, a loose-leaf format
has been adopted to facilitate the incorporation of new information in the future. This new,
more flexible format, in addition to the electronic release of the document, will allow future
updates and additions without requiring a wholesale revision of the document.
The Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses are part of a continuing effort by
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop improved guidance
on the preparation and use of sound science in support of the decision-making
process. This document builds on previous work first issued in December
of 1983 as the Guidelines for Performing Regulatory Impact Analysis (U.S.
EPA 1983) and later revised in the late 1990s. In September of 2000, the EPA issued its
Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses (Guidelines) (U.S. EPA 2000b), revised to reflect
the evolution of environmental policy making and economic analysis that had accrued
over the decade and a half since the original guidelines were released. At the time of release,
EPA committed to periodically revise the Guidelines to account for further growth and
development of economic tools and practices.
In an effort to fulfill that commitment, this document incorporates new literature published
since the last revision of the Guidelines. It describes new Executive Orders (EOs) and recent
guidance documents that impose new requirements on analysts, and fills information gaps by
providing more expansive information on selected topics. Furthermore, a loose-leaf format
has been adopted to facilitate the incorporation of new information in the future. This new,
more flexible format, in addition to the electronic release of the document, will allow future
updates and additions without requiring a wholesale revision of the document.
