Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Incentives Can Curb Damage, EPA Says

Government must go beyond pollution control regulations and make greater use of economic incentives to encourage industry and consumers to curb environmentally damaging activities, the EPA said in a new report. In a study detailing a wide range of possible incentives, the Environmental Protection Agency said government must find ways to make people and business pay a higher price for environmentally harmful practices or gain a financial reward for ecologically preferable behavior. The EPA noted that some ideas it had proposed were already being put into action on the state and local level. The report, titled “Economic Incentives: Options for Environmental Protection,” said the EPA was not endorsing any proposals, only airing them for public discussion.