This workshop, held on January 27, 2017, brought together a select group of environmental regulators from federal and state agencies and academic scholars from a variety of disciplines for a constructive dialogue about how research can inform the pursuit of Innovative Approaches to foster Environmental Compliance. The topics discussed also are important to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s “Next Generation Environmental Compliance” (Next Gen) initiative.

The workshop was organized and hosted by Professor Katharine Abraham (University of Maryland, Department of Economics), Professor Jay Shimshack (University of Virginia, Batten School of Public Policy), and Professor Michael Toffel (Harvard Business School), with input from the US EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and other EPA offices. It was funded by the University of Maryland, the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, and Harvard University.

The majority of the workshop consisted of discussions about how research can inform several key questions that US EPA and other regulatory agencies are facing, listed below, on four topics: rule and permit design, monitoring, reporting and transparency, and innovative enforcement. Each of these discussions was co-led by a researcher and regulator, who briefly set the stage and will serve as the initial points of contact for follow-up conversations after the workshop. The workshop also featured discussions about opportunities and challenges related to data, randomized control trials, and working relationships between researchers and agencies.

A report on the workshop can be found here.

Event Details:

Friday, January 27, 2017 - 9:00am to 5:00pm

Event Location:

Resources and Conservation Center

1400 16th Street NW

Washington, DC 20036