PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

RTKnet: Emergency Planning

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)

Sen. Lautenberg Introduces Bills to Protect Chemical and Water Plants Nationwide (Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ))

Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Secure Water Facilities Act and the Secure Chemical Facilities Act, which will "close a gap that leaves millions of families vulnerable to an attack on America's chemical plants and water treatment facilities." According to Lautenberg, this legislation will "ensure a thorough review of risk, and help us move toward more secure plants and safer communities."

(15 Jul 2010)

Flawed Emergency Response Plans Endemic in the Gulf (Dallas Morning News)

Oil companies drilling off the coast of Texas at depths far greater than BP's Deepwater Horizon are relying on similarly inadequate emergency response plans. Evidently, "the Minerals Management Service has not increased its scrutiny when companies sought to drill at extreme depths."

(28 Jun 2010)

Local Officials Say They’re in the Dark On Dangerous Freight Rail Traffic (Center for Public Integrity)

Elected officials and emergency responders say they’re being kept in the dark about rail shipments of hazardous cargo. "Regulations issued last year give the railroads too much control over secret rail routing decisions that impact public safety," according to one emergency response official.

(16 Apr 2010)

EPA Announces New Action to Prevent Coal Ash Releases (U.S. EPA)

EPA will collect information from electric utilities on the structural integrity of their coal ash impoundments and conduct on-site assessments. According to EPA, "The assessment and analysis of all such units located at electric utilities in the U.S. will be compiled in a report and made available to the public." The actions are in response to the 2008 coal ash spill in Tennessee.

(09 Mar 2010)

25 Years After Bhopal, Senator Seeks Stronger Chemical Rules (Sen. Frank Lautenberg)

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) marked the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak disaster by calling for stronger security measures at chemical plants across the country. Lautenberg is currently working on a bill to ensure strong protections are in place to secure chemical facilities and to prevent chemical disasters or attacks within the United States.

(03 Dec 2009)

Lessons of Bhopal: 25 Years Later, U.S. Chemical Laws Need Strengthening (OMB Watch)

Dec. 3 marks the 25th anniversary of the most catastrophic industrial accident in history: the leak of poisonous gas from a pesticide plant in the Indian city of Bhopal. Twenty-five years after the tragedy, much progress has been made, but much remains to be done to provide a minimum level of protection against chemical releases.

(01 Dec 2009)

EPA Posts List of 44 “High Hazard Potential” Coal Ash Impoundments (Associated Press)

EPA has identified 44 potentially hazardous coal ash dumps in 10 states: AZ, GA, IL, IN, KY, MT, NC, OH, PA, and WV.

(03 Jul 2009)

Senator Seeks Greater Disclosure about Chemical Plants (Charleston Daily Mail [WV])

In response to oversecrecy during the investigation of a fatal chemical plant accident, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced legislation that would prevent inappropriate use of federal secrecy laws.

(17 Jun 2009)