OMB reports a net gain for Obama-era environmental safeguards

Turns out the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks are not only bad for public lands and the nation's health—they’re bad for the budget, too. According to a report issued on Friday by the nonpartisan Office of Management and Budget, the total benefits of environmental safeguards put in place by the Obama administration far outweighed the costs. Counting only major federal regulations between 2006 and 2016, the OMB calculated federal spending for these safeguards at $59 to $88 billion—but the benefits were between $219 to $695 billion. EPA rules in particular counted for 70 percent of the costs, but generated 80 percent of the benefits. So improving air quality may cost industry execs extra cash, but the entire country will save money down the road on health care and other spending.