Overview
Title
Water Resources Policies and Authorities: Federal Participation in Covered Flood Control Channels
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking out old rules about flood control because they don't affect people outside their team, and they've found better ways to share these rules. So, they're cleaning up the rulebook to make things less confusing.
Summary AI
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is removing outdated regulations about federal participation in covered flood control channels from the Code of Federal Regulations. These regulations, which were first introduced in the late 1970s, are no longer necessary because they cover internal operations with no impact on the public. Current policies on this topic are available in more accessible locations and are designed to eliminate confusion. This removal is part of an effort to simplify regulations and follows recommendations from the Department of Defense's Regulatory Reform Task Force.
Abstract
This final rule removes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' part titled Water Resources Policies and Authorities: Federal Participation in Covered Flood Control Channels. Each removed section of this part is outdated in reference to engineering criteria and requirements, and covers internal agency operations that have no public compliance component or adverse public impact. Current policy and procedures on this subject can be found in internal documents. Therefore, this part can be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
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Sources
AnalysisAI
The document announces the removal of outdated regulations related to Federal participation in covered flood control channels by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These regulations, initially established in the late 1970s, are deemed obsolete as they pertain to the agency's internal operations with no significant public impact. Consequently, the regulations have been omitted from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), with current policies on the subject now documented in internal documents and other accessible sources.
General Summary
The main goal of this rule change is to simplify the regulatory framework by removing unnecessary regulations that no longer serve a practical purpose. The original regulations detailed procedures and criteria for Federal involvement in specific flood control projects, but over time, these guidelines have become outdated. The final rule thus eliminates these antiquated regulations from official documentation, streamlining both public and agency understanding of the current policies.
Significant Issues and Concerns
Several issues arise from this rule removal that deserve attention:
Accessibility of Information: The document references Engineer Regulation 1165-2-21 as a source for current policies but offers limited guidance on how the public can easily access these documents. There's potential for confusion because the information might not be readily accessible online or easily understandable by the general public.
Lack of Detailed Rationale: While it states that the removal "does not provide a reduction in public burden or costs," the document could benefit from a more detailed explanation of this assertion to provide clarity on the benefits or lack thereof.
Transparency Concerns: The rationale for stating that there is no public compliance component or adverse public impact remains somewhat unexplained. A deeper analysis would enhance transparency and trust in the decisions being made.
Internalization of Policies: The decision to place current policies only in internal documents might appear secretive or opaque to those external to the agency, potentially raising questions about accessibility and openness in government operations.
Impact on the Public
For the general public, this rule change is likely to have minimal direct impact since the regulations pertained to internal agency operations without a compliance requirement for citizens. The removal primarily serves to clear up outdated text that could cause confusion about the current regulatory landscape. However, the uncertainty regarding the availability of the most recent guidelines could indirectly affect those seeking information on flood control projects.
Impact on Stakeholders
For stakeholders directly involved in flood control, such as local governments and civil engineers, the removal may streamline regulatory compliance processes. It signals a shift to more updated, albeit internally stored, policies that are presumably more applicable to current engineering standards. However, those stakeholders may also face frustration if they find navigating the new framework challenging due to limited public information dissemination.
In conclusion, the rule removal could lead to both positive and negative outcomes. While it simplifies the external regulatory facade, it simultaneously creates potential barriers to accessing current policies unless addressed with better public accessibility to internal documents.
Issues
• The document refers to Engineer Regulation 1165-2-21 and provides a URL for access, but it may not be readily accessible or obvious how the public can access this information, potentially leading to unclear information dissemination.
• The statement that removing the regulation 'does not provide a reduction in public burden or costs' might be ambiguous regarding its benefits and could be clarified further.
• The document specifies that there is no public compliance component or adverse public impact, but it does not provide a detailed rationale or analysis to support these claims, which might be beneficial for transparency.
• There is a lack of detailed explanation regarding why the current policies and procedures are only captured in internal documents, which might seem obscure to the public.