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The article discusses the use of retrospective analysis on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations, including in gauging the accuracy of regulatory impact analyses (RIAs) on environmental policy. An overview of the use of RIA on the EPA's 1998 Cluster Rule, which was created to reduce pollutants and emissions from paper and pulp mills, is provided.

The article reports on the first national study of air pollutants from dairy cow, swine and poultry farms launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers will measure emissions of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other gases from livestock farms in nine states across the country. The agency will then create a model to enable individual operations to check whether they need a permit. However, some environmentalists opposes the study because for them it is not comprehensive and may underestimate emissions.