PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

RTKnet: Emergencies

Each year, companies report thousands of chemical fires and spills. Learn about the public's right to know and to freely communicate about these industry hazards, and about efforts to prevent pollution, save lives, and protect property through safer technologies.

Senate Passes Bill to Improve Pipeline Safety and Increase Public Access to Information (OMB Watch)

On Oct. 17, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to strengthen safety standards and increase public availability of inspection results and enforcement actions related to the nation’s 2.3 million miles of pipelines. The legislation was sparked by a series of deadly explosions in 2010 and 2011 that drew scrutiny to the safety of gas and oil pipelines.

(16 Nov 2011)

Offshore Drilling Poised to Expand, but Transparency Still Lags (OMB Watch)

As the Obama administration increases approvals of deepwater oil drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico, environmental advocates have seen little meaningful increase in the transparency of the permitting process. A lack of transparency in the regulatory process was identified as a contributing factor in BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and the highly criticized response effort.

(09 Mar 2011)

Gas Pipeline Emergency Plans Withheld From Public (AP - Times Union (NY))

"Emergency plans for natural gas pipelines are effectively withheld from the public and industry watchdogs because the U.S. government's pipeline safety agency itself doesn't have copies. Because the government doesn't have the plans, the public can't use the nation's open records law to request them...Officials in San Bruno and San Mateo County said PG&E didn't share its emergency plan for the pipeline with their emergency response agencies prior to the disaster. They said it is information they'd like to have."

(07 Oct 2010)

Louisiana Police Pull Over Activist at Request of BP (Mother Jones)

Louisiana police continue to restrict media coverage of the BP spill cleanup despite government directives. Mother Jones reports that Louisiana police are collaborating with BP to prevent citizens' access to information. An environmental activist was filming near the Deepwater Horizon response command building when a police officer asserted that "BP doesn't want any filming" and strongly suggested he "get lost."

(22 Jun 2010)

Gulf Oil Full of Methane, Adding New Concerns (The Associated Press)

The crude oil gushing from the destroyed BP rig contains approximately 40 percent methane. Scientists have found that the water surrounding the spill contains methane concentrations up to 10,000 times higher than normal, with oxygen levels depleted by over 40%. The combination could lead to hypoxic "dead zones" that are uninhabitable by marine wildlife and plants. David Garrison, Program Director of the National Science Foundation, stated that "This has the potential to harm the ecosystem in ways that we don't know." 

(21 Jun 2010)

BP Chief Offers Answers, But Not to Liking of House Committee (New York Times)

BP CEO Tony Hayward refused to directly answer questions or take responsibility for the spill when testifying to the oversight and investigations panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Chairman Waxman (D-CA) accused Hayward of "stonewalling" and criticized his responses by asserting, "Your evasion will make our job more difficult and impede our understanding of what went wrong."

(18 Jun 2010)

New Online Mapping Tool for Oil Spill Data (Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill)

Described as a "one-stop shop for detailed near-real-time information about the response to the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill," NOAA has launched a new website: www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/, that provides an interactive map incorporating data from the various agencies responding to the spill.

(16 Jun 2010)

Ingredients of Controversial Dispersants Used on Gulf Spill Are Secrets No More (The New York Times)

The EPA disclosed a full list of ingredients in Corexit 9500 and 9527, the dispersants used in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) commented, "In order to hold BP accountable and to protect our citizens, we must provide all the information to the public and independent researchers so that they can verify the unfolding situation and long-term impact."

(09 Jun 2010)

Admiral Orders 'Uninhibited Access' to Oil Spill Operations (ABC)

The National Incident Commander for the oil spill efforts recently announced that "[T]he media will have uninhibited access anywhere we're doing operations, except for two things, if it's a security or safety problem.  That is my policy.  I'm the national incident commander.” However, the media is still combatting silence from government workers and private contractors.

(07 Jun 2010)

Indian Court Convicts 7 in Bhopal Gas Tragedy (New York Times)

Seven Union Carbide India Ltd. officials were convicted today for failing to follow proper safety procedures prior to the 1984 methyl isocyanate gas leak. Local activists contend that the government has failed to properly clean up the toxic chemicals left at the Union Carbide-owned pesticide plant after its closing. This disaster drove the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to prevent similar occurrences in the United States and create the Toxic Release Inventory.

(07 Jun 2010)