; (3) in choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, select those approaches that maximize net benefits, including potential economic, environmental, public health and safety, and other advantages, distributive impacts, and equity; (4) specify performance objectives, rather than specifying the behavior or manner of compliance that regulated entities are required to adopt; (5) identify and assess available alternatives to direct regulation, including providing economic incentives to encourage the desired behavior, such as user fees or marketable permits, or providing information upon which choices can be made by the public; and (6) use the best available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future benefits and costs. 4. Public participation (a) In general Regulations shall be— (1) adopted through a process that involves public participation; and (2) based, to the extent consistent with law, on the open exchange of information and perspectives among State, local, and tribal officials, experts in relevant disciplines, affected stakeholders in the private sector, and the public as a whole. (b) Opportunity To participate Each agency shall— (1) provide the public with an opportunity to participate in the regulatory process; (2) as authorized by law, afford the public a meaningful opportunity to comment through the Internet on any proposed regulation, with a comment period that shall begin on the date on which the proposed regulation is published in the Federal Register and be not less than 60 days, unless the relevant regulation is designated by the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to be an emergency rule; (3) provide, for both proposed and final rules, timely online access to the rule making docket on regulations.gov, including relevant scientific and technical findings, in an open format that can be easily searched and downloaded