Horse trading is a process as old as the hills of Virginia. Negotiated rulemaking, however, is a horse of a different color. The nag that the parties end up with is one that we all have to ride. It is therefore particularly important that these negotiations result in a rule that is sound and based on the input of every major interest affected by the rule.

In environmental cases, this often means a very broad segment of our population. Other federal agencies may regulate only one segment of the population. Environmental issues, however, touch everyone, whether families filling up their cars with gasoline, farmers applying pesticides, Mom and Pop running the local drycleaners, or kids playing baseball on a field that has been contaminated with dioxin.