CPR White Papers, Alerts & Briefs

CPR White Papers and Issue Alerts offer timely and thoughtful analysis on current policy issues, spanning the full range of environmental, health, safety and regulatory issues. For white papers and reports published in 2008 and earlier, visit this page.

2014

• Barack Obama’s Path to Progress in 2015-16: Thirteen Essential Regulatory Actions, CPR Issue Alert 1406, by CPR's Rena Steinzor, James Goodwin, Matthew Shudtz, Anne Havemann, November 2014. Read the summary. Or the news release.
• Consequences for Cleanup: EPA Gets Serious about Weak Watershed Improvement Plans, CPR Issue Alert 1405, by CPR's Rena Steinzor and Anne Havemann, July 2014. Or read the summary.
• Winning Safer Workplaces: A Manual for State and Local Policy Reform, CPR Paper 1404, by CPR's Rena Steinzor, Matthew Shudtz, James Goodwin, and Michael Patoka; and Liz Borkowski and Celeste Monforton of the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, June 2014.
• Case Brief: EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, L.P.: Supreme Court’s Revival of the Transport Rule Means a Cleaner Chesapeake Bay, CPR Case Brief #1403, May 2014, by CPR Member Scholar Victor Flatt and and Policy Analyst Anne Havemann.
• EPA's Retreat from Enforcement Will Harm the Chesapeake Bay, CPR Issue Alert #1402, by CPR President Rena Steinzor, Member Scholar Robert L. Glicksman, and Chesapeake Bay Policy Analyst Anne Havemann, January 2014. Or read the summary. Also see the day-of release blog post.
• The Role of Health and Safety Evidence in Regulation and the Civil Justice System: Preserving Protection of the Public, by CPR Member Scholars Emily Hammond, Thomas McGarity, Noah Sachs, Sidney Shapiro, and Wendy Wagner, and CPR Senior Policy Analyst James Goodwin, CPR Issue Alert #1401, February 2014. Also read the day-of-release blog post by co-author Sidney Shapiro.

2013

• Case Brief: Food & Water Watch v. EPA: Judge Rejects Challenge to the Trading Provisions of the Chesapeake Bay Pollution Diet, CPR Case Brief #1312, December 2013, by CPR President Rena Steinzor and Policy Analyst Anne Havemann.
• Alt v. EPA: District Court Ruling Opens Gap in Clean Water Protections, Invites CAFOs to Ignore Pollution Standards, CPR Case Brief #1311, December 2013, by CPR Member Scholar William Andreen and Policy Analyst Anne Havemann.
• Falling Behind: Processing and Enforcing Permits for Animal Agriculture in Maryland is Lagging, CPR Issue Alert #1310, by CPR President Rena Steinzor and CPR Policy Analyst Anne Havemann, November 2013. Or read the summary. Also see the day-of release blog post, and the news release.
• TSCA Reform: Preserving Tort and Regulatory Approaches, CPR Issue Alert #1309, October 2013, by CPR Member Scholars Emily Hammond, Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro, and Wendy Wagner, and CPR Senior Policy Analyst James Goodwin.
• Case Brief: American Farm Bureau Federation v. EPA, CPR Case Brief #1308, October 2013, by CPR Policy Analyst Anne Havemann. Blog post by the author.
• Reforming TSCA: Progressive Principles for Toxic Risk Regulation, CPR Issue Alert 1307, by Member Scholar Sachs and Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, July 31, 2013.
• Adapting to Climate Change in the United States: Seven Principles for Achieving Fairness, CPR Issue Alert 1306, by Alice Kaswan, May 2013.
• No Profit in Pollution: A Comparison of Key Chesapeake Bay State Water Pollution Penalty Policies, CPR Briefing Paper 1305, by CPR Member Scholar Robert Glicksman and CPR Policy Analyst Aimee Simpson, April 2013. Read a day-of-release blog post by the authors.
• Letting Nature Work in the Pacific Northwest: A Manual for Protecting Ecosystem Services Under Existing Law, CPR White Paper 1304, by CPR Member Scholars Robert W. Adler, Robert L. Glicksman, Daniel J. Rohlf, and Robert R.M. Verchick and CPR Policy Analyst Yee Huang, April 2013.
• Sweeping Corporate Immunity for the Fuel Industry: The Next Front in the "Corporate Accountability" Wars, CPR White Paper 1303,  by CPR Member Scholars Thomas O. McGarity and Sidney Shapiro, with CPR Policy Analyst Nicholas Vidargas, March 2013.
• Distorting the Interests of Small Business: How the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy’s Politicization of Small Business Concerns Undermines Public Health and Safety, CPR White Paper #1302, by CPR Member Scholar Sid Shapiro and Policy Analyst James Goodwin, January 2013. Read the news release. Read the blog post.
• At the Company’s Mercy: Protecting Contingent Workers from Unsafe Working Conditions, CPR White Paper #1301, by CPR Member Scholars Martha McCluskey, Thomas McGarity and Sidney Shapiro, and Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, January 2013.  Read the news release. Read the day-of-release blog post.

• Protecting People & the Environment by the Stroke of a Presidential Pen: Seven New Executive Orders for President Obama’s Second Term (executive summary) CPR Issue Alert 1215, December 2012, by CPR Member Scholars Robert Glicksman, Amy Sinden, and Rena Steinzor; CPR Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, CPR Policy Analysts James Goodwin and Michael Patoka. Read the full brief (PDF), the news release, and the day-of-release blog post by Rena Steinzor.
• Regulatory 'Pay-Go': Rationing the Public Interest, CPR Issue Alert 1214, October 2012, by Member Scholars Richard Murphy and Sidney Shapiro, and Policy Analyst James Goodwin. Read the blog post by Sidney Shapiro. Read an HTML version of the Issue Alert.
• Going Dark Down on the Farm: How Legalized Secrecy Gives Agribusiness a Federally Funded Free Ride, CPR White Paper 1213, September 2012, by Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and Policy Analyst Yee Huang. Read the blog post by Yee Huang.
• Going Too Easy? Maryland's Criminal Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws Protecting the Chesapeake Bay, CPR White Paper 1212, September 2012, by Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and Policy Analyst Aimee Simpson. Read the news release and day-of-release blog post from co-author Aimee Simpson.
• Cozying Up: How the Manufacturers of Toxic Chemicals Seek to Co-opt Their Regulators, CPR White Paper 1211, September 2012, by Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and Policy Analyst Wayland Radin. Introductory blog post.
• States Can Lead the Way to Improved Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards, CPR White Paper 1210, August 2012, by CPR Member Scholars Alexandra B. Klass and Lesley K. McAllister, and CPR Policy Analyst Wayland Radin. Introductory blog post.
• Climate Change Adaptation: The Impact of Law on Adaptation in the Private Sector, CPR Briefing Paper 1209, July 2012, by CPR Member Scholar Victor B. Flatt and Policy Analyst Yee Huang. Introductory blog post.
• Fairness in the Bay: Environmental Justice and Nutrient Trading, CPR Briefing Paper 1208, August 2012, by Rena Steinzor, Robert Verchick, Nick Vidargas, and Yee Huang.
• The Next OSHA: Progressive Reforms to Empower Workers, CPR White Paper 1207, July 2012, by CPR Member Scholars Martha McCluskey, Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro and Rena Steinzor, and Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz. News release.
• Manure in the Bay: A Report on Industrial Animal Agriculture in Maryland and Pennsylvania, CPR Briefing Paper 1206, June 2012, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and Policy Analyst Yee Huang. The news release.
• Accountability: Water Quality Trading in the Chesapeake Bay, CPR Briefing Paper 1205, May 2012, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor, Policy Analysts Yee Huang and Nick Vidargas, and consultant Shana Jones. Introductory blog post.
• Opportunity Wasted: The Obama Administration's Failure to Adopt Needed Regulatory Safeguards in a Timely Way is Costing Lives and Money, CPR Issue Alert 1204, March 2012, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin. Read an introductory blog post by Rena Steinzor.
• The Truth About Torts: Defensive Medicine and the Unsupported Case for Medical Malpractice 'Reform,'  CPR White Paper 1203, March 8, 2012, by CPR Member Scholars Sidney Shapiro and Thomas McGarity, and CPR Policy Analysts Nicholas Vidargas and James Goodwin. Read the news release.
• Protecting the Public from BPA: An Action Plan for Federal Agencies. CPR White Paper 1202, January 2012, by Member Scholars Noah Sachs, Thomas O. McGarity and Rena Steinzor, CPR Policy Analyst Aimee Simpson and Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz. Read the news release. Read the blog post from the day of release by report co-author Aimee Simpson.
• Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why the United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties, CPR White Paper 1201, by Mary Jane Angelo, Rebecca Bratspies, David Hunter, John H. Knox, Noah Sachs, and Sandra Zellmer, January 2012. Introductory blog post by John Knox.

• Behind Closed Doors at the White House: How Politics Trumps Protection of Public Health, Worker Safety, and the Environment, CPR White Paper 1111, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor, CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, and CPR Intern Michael Patoka, November 2011. Read the news release. Use the Behind Closed Doors database to search comprehensively through the OIRA meeting records, enhanced by the data compiled for this report.
• Back to Basics: An Agenda for the Maryland General Assembly to Protect the Environment, CPR White Paper 1110, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and CPR Policy Analyst Yee Huang, October 2011. Read the blog post.
• Saving Lives, Preserving the Environment, Growing the Economy: The Truth About Regulation, CPR White Paper 1109, by CPR Member Scholar Sidney Shapiro, National Labor College economics professor Ruth Ruttenberg, and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, August 2011. Read the related editorial memo and blog post on the subject, both from Sidney Shapiro.
• Climate Change and the Puget Sound: Building the Legal Framework for Adaptation, CPR White Paper 1108, by CPR Member Scholars Robert L. Glicksman and Catherine O’Neill, and CPR Policy Analyst Yee Huang; and CPR Member Scholars William L. Andreen, Robin Kundis Craig, Victor Flatt, William Funk, Dale Goble, Alice Kaswan, and Robert R.M. Verchick, June 2011. Read the news release.
• Opening the Industry Playbook: Myths and Truths in the Debate Over BPA Regulation, CPR White Paper 1107, by CPR Member Scholars Rena Steinzor and Thomas McGarity, CPR Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, and CPR Policy Analyst Lena Pons, June 2011. Read the news release.
• Twelve Crucial Health, Safety, and Environmental Regulations: Will the Obama Administration Finish in Time?, CPR White Paper 1106, by CPR Member Scholars Rena Steinzor and Amy Sinden, CPR Senior Policy Analysts Matthew Shudtz, and CPR Policy Analysts James Goodwin, Yee Huang, and Lena Pons, April 2011. Read the news release.
• Six Myths About Climate Change and the Clean Air Act, CPR White Paper 1105, by CPR Member Scholars Dan Farber and Amy Sinden, April 2011. Read the blog post.
• Making Good Use of Adaptive Management, CPR White Paper 1104, by CPR Member Scholars Holly Doremus, William L. Andreen, Alejandro Camacho, Daniel A. Farber, Robert L. Glicksman, Dale Goble, Bradley C. Karkkainen, Daniel Rohlf, A. Dan Tarlock, and Sandra B. Zellmer, and CPR Executive Director Shana Jones and Policy Analyst Yee Huang, April 2011. Read the blog post.
• Setting the Record Straight: The Crain and Crain Report on Regulatory Costs, CPR White Paper 1103, by CPR Member Scholar Sidney Shapiro, National Labor College Professor Ruth Ruttenberg, and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, February 2011. Read the news release.
• Missing the Mark in the Chesapeake Bay: A Report Card for the Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans, CPR White Paper 1102, by CPR Member Scholars William Andreen, Robert Glicksman, and Rena Steinzor and CPR staff Yee Huang and Shana Jones, January 2011. Accompanying detailed evaluations of the plans from the Bay jurisdictions: Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
• The BP Catastrophe: When Hobbled Law and Hollow Regulation Leave Americans Unprotected, CPR White Paper 1101, by CPR Member Scholars Alyson Flournoy (University of Florida Levin College of Law), William Andreen (University of Alabama School of Law), Thomas McGarity (University of Texas at Austin School of Law), Sidney Shapiro (Wake Forest University School of Law) and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, January 2011.

• Setting Priorities for IRIS: 47 Chemicals that Should Move to the Head of the Risk-Assessment Line, CPR White Paper 1010, by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor and CPR Policy Analysts Matthew Shudtz and Lena Pons, December 2010.  Read the related blog post.
• Corrective Lenses for IRIS: Reforms to Improve EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (3 meg download), CPR White Paper 1009, by CPR Member Scholars Rena Steinzor and Wendy Wagner, with CPR Policy Analysts Lena Pons and Matthew Shudtz. Read the news release.
• Regulatory Blowout: How Regulatory Failures Made the BP Disaster Possible, and How the System Can Be Fixed to Avoid a Recurrence (1 meg download), CPR White Paper 1007, by CPR Member Scholars Alyson Flournoy, William Andreen, Rebecca Bratspies, Holly Doremus, Victor Flatt, Robert Glicksman, Joel Mintz, Daniel Rohlf, Amy Sinden, Rena Steinzor, Joseph Tomain, and Sandra Zellmer, together with CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, October 2010.  Read the news release.
• From Ship to Shore: Reforming the National Contingency Plan to Improve Protections for Oil Spill Cleanup Workers, (1 meg download), CPR White Paper 1006, by CPR Member Scholars Rebecca Bratspies, Alyson Flournoy, Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro, Rena Steinzor, and CPR Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, September 2010.
• Ensuring Accountability in Chesapeake Bay Restoration: Metrics for the Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans, special report, by Member Scholars William Andreen, Robert Glicksman and Rena Steinzor; CPR Policy Analyst Yee Huang and CPR Executive Director Shana Jones, August 2010.
• Plausibility Pleading: Barring the Courthouse Door to Deserving Claimants (.5 meg download), CPR White Paper 1005, by CPR Member Scholars William Funk, Thomas McGarity, and Sidney Shapiro, with CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin, May 2010.
• Failing the Bay: Clean Water Act Enforcement in Maryland Falling Short (7.9 meg download), CPR White Paper 1004 by CPR Member Scholar Robert Glicksman and Policy Analyst Yee Huang, commissioned by the Abell Foundation, on the Maryland Department of the Environment's enforcement of the Clean Water Act, Or read the news release, or an article on the report in the Abell Foundation's newsletter.
• Workers at Risk: Regulatory Dysfunction at OSHA (700 kb download), CPR White Paper #1003, by CPR Member Scholars Thomas McGarity, Rena Steinzor, and Sidney Shapiro, and CPR Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, February 2010. Read the web article and news release.
• The Future of Environmental Protection: The Case for a National Environmental Legacy Act (1.5 meg download), CPR White Paper #1002, by CPR Member Scholar Alyson Flournoy, former CPR Policy Analyst Margaret Clune Giblin, and Ryan Feinberg, Heather Halter and Christina Storz, January 2010.
• Obama’s Regulators: A First-Year Report Card, (1 meg download), CPR White Paper #1001, by CPR Member Scholars Rena Steinzor and Amy Sinden, with Executive Director Shana Jones and Policy Analyst James Goodwin, grading the Obama Administration's progress on the regulatory front, including grades for each of the five "protector agencies," the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as for the White House, OMB, and OIRA.  (Also a web article and news release.)

• 'Fifty FDAs': An Argument for Federal Preemption of State Tort Law that Is Less than Meets the Eye (800 kb download), CPR White Paper 911, by CPR Member Scholars William Buzbee, William Funk, Thomas McGarity, and Sidney Shapiro, with CPR Policy Analysts James Goodwin and Matthew Shudtz, October 2009.
• The Truth About Torts: Regulatory Preemption at the Federal Railroad Administration (1.05 meg download), CPR White Paper 910, by CPR Member Scholars Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro, William Funk, and Nina Mendelson, and CPR Staff Jennifer Marshall and James Goodwin, October 2009.
• A Return to Common Sense: Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment Through “Pragmatic Regulatory Impact Analysis” (700kb download), CPR White Paper 909, by CPR Member Scholars Rena Steinzor, Amy Sinden, and Sidney Shapiro, and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin.
• Restoring the Trust: Water Resources & the Public Trust Doctrine: A Manual for Advocates (500 kb download), CPR White Paper 908, by CPR Member Scholar Alexandra B. Klass and CPR Policy Analyst Yee Huang, and Restoring the Trust: Water Resources & the Public Trust Doctrine: An Index of State Constitutional and Statutory Provisions and Cases on Water Resources & the Public Trust Doctrine (560 kb download), September 2009.
• The Hidden Human and Environmental Costs of Regulatory Delay (700kb download), CPR White Paper 907, by Catherine O’Neill, Amy Sinden, Rena Steinzor, James Goodwin, and Yee Huang.
• Regulatory Dysfunction: How Insufficient Resources, Outdated Laws, and Political Interference Cripple the "Protector Agencies" (1 meg download), CPR White Paper 906, by CPR Member Scholars Sidney Shapiro and Rena Steinzor, and CPR Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz.
• Congress’s Authority to Correct the Courts’ Preemption Decisions (1.1 meg download), by William Buzbee,William Funk, Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro, and Matthew Shudtz, CPR White Paper 905, July 2009.
• The IRIS Information Roadblock: How Gaps in EPA’s Main Toxicological Database Weaken Environmental Protection (490 kb download),by Wendy Wagner, Rena Steinzor and Matthew Shudtz, CPR White Paper 904, June 2009 .  Read the June 11, 2009 news release.  Read the web article.
• Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Program: Exchanging Promises for Results, by Rena Steinzor and Shana Campbell Jones, CPR White Paper 903, June 2009.  Read the June 18, 2009 news release.
• The Truth About Torts: Rethinking Regulatory Preemption (2 meg), CPR White Paper 902, March 2009, by CPR Member Scholars William Buzbee, William Funk, Thomas McGarity, Nina Mendelson, Sidney Shapiro, David Vladeck, and CPR Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz.
• Reinvigorating Protection of Health, Safety, and the Environment: The Choices Facing Cass Sunstein (180 kb), CPR White Paper 901, by CPR Member Scholars John Applegate (Indiana University–Bloomington), Robert Glicksman (University of Kansas), Thomas McGarity (University of Texas), Sidney Shapiro (Wake Forest University), Amy Sinden (Temple University), Rena Steinzor (University of Maryland), Robert R.M. Verchick (Loyola University–New Orleans), and CPR Policy Analyst James Goodwin.  Read the news release (50 kb).  Read the web article.