There are still contervailing forces
Government regulation is not the only solution to most problems. If BP had just let the oil spill go, they would have been sued out of existence under existing general tort laws. People would stop buying gas at their stations.
Even "The Jungle" or "Silent Spring" were countervailing forces. They each were written by an individual, but they changed whole industries.
Government needs to provide the general legal framework and the courts to settle disputes. But the more specific regulations get, the more government interferes with people and companies going about their productive business.
