Value of human life drops significantly according to U.S. government

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the value of a human life has decreased to $6.9 million which is down about $1 million from 2003.

This decrease, in addition to being down-right depressing, has an impact on cost-benefit analysis when the government decides whether to adopt regulations which have the potential of saving lives.  The following example is from Seth Borenstein, An American life worth less today, FoxNews.com, July 10, 2008:

[Assume] a hypothetical regulation * * * costs $18 billion to enforce but will prevent 2,500 deaths. At $7.8 million per person (the old figure), the lifesaving benefits outweigh the costs. But at $6.9 million per person, the rule costs more than the lives it saves, so it may not be adopted.