Federal agency compensation of intervenors
Public participation has now been recognized as an important facet in administrative decision making. Many public intervenors remain financially unable to participate, though, and their potential contribution to the quality of administrative decision making will remain unrealized. Several methods are now being proposed for increasing the representation of the general public before Federal agencies, including: agency cost-shifting, intra-agency public representation, a Federal public advocacy agency, legal aid programs for intervenors, and agency compensation of intervenors. This article provides a brief analysis and comparison of these various methods of increasing public representation, and concludes that direct agency compensation of intervenors appears to be the most promising. The major issues raised by this alternative are then examined in detail. The examination focuses on the development of comprehensive legislation to guide Federal agency compensation of intervenors, with particular reference to one such proposal, S.2715, a bill which reached the floor of the Senate in July, 1976, but was not voted upon before the close of the legislative session in October. S.2715 represents Congress' starting point on agency compensation of intervenors. Its proponents introduced similar legislation as soon as the Senate reconvened in January, 1977. (MCW)
- OSTI ID:
- 7299017
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Aff.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Aff.; (United States) Vol. 5:4; ISSN EVAFB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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