PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

News in Brief

Fragrance Companies Withhold Chemical Information (CNN)

"Perfumes commonly list 'fragrance' as an ingredient, rather than naming the specific chemicals involved, withholding information that could cause allergic reactions and other health effects, a report released Wednesday asserts."

(13 May 2010)

Farm Income Data Debunks Subsidy Myths (Environmental Working Group)

EWG's updated Farm Subsidy Database chronicles where federal farm subsidy dollars have gone, revealing the true impact of farm programs and who benefits from the billions in farm subsidies. The data confirm that current farm programs are "a taxpayer giveaway to big and already profitable farming businesses. Moreover, these payments are likely exacerbating, rather than solving, the problems of rural communities."

(13 May 2010)

Louisiana Bill Seeks To Limit Citizen Suits (Mother Jones)

A new bill before the Louisiana Senate would bar university law clinics from filing suits against government agencies, suits seeking monetary damages, or suits that raise state constitutional challenges. A key target of the bill is the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic (TELC), which has litigated dozens of suits against industrial polluters and other environmental offenders on behalf of Louisiana citizens.

(10 May 2010)

EPA Environmental Information Conference Free to Public on Web

EPA's 2010 Environmental Information Symposium - which this year focuses on transparency and open government - will be accessible free to the public via the Internet.

(07 May 2010)

Cancer Panel: 'Grievous Harm' Posed By Unchecked Chemicals In U.S. (Washington Post)

According to the President's Cancer Panel, Americans are facing "grievous harm" from chemicals in the air, food and water that have largely gone unregulated and ignored. "With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."

(06 May 2010)

BP Won't Say What Toxics It's Dumping Onto Its Oil Spill (OMB Watch)

BP refuses to disclose the identities of the chemical "dispersants" it is dumping onto its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The chemical identities are considered trade secrets. Without knowing the chemical identities, we may never know what additional insults BP has left us to clean up for years to come.

(06 May 2010)

Meeting the Information Demands of 21st Century Fisheries (Marine Fish Conservation Network)

"Sustainable fisheries management in the 21st century requires timely, reliable fisheries data and effective monitoring of fisheries in order to make informed, responsible decisions," but according to this new report, more funding is needed to increase the number of observers monitoring fishing vessels.

(05 May 2010)

Spreading the Word on the Oil Spill (Federal Computer Week)

"Federal agencies are employing their Web sites and social media tools to release emergency response and health information about the leak from BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig off the coast of New Orleans." Tools include an EPA webpage, a NOAA website, a Facebook page, and Twitter.

(05 May 2010)

EPA Staffers Were Forced to Ignore Science, Investigation Finds (Politics Daily)

"Environmental Protection Agency staffers have been forced to ignore relevant science, have lacked key monitoring data on human health and environmental impacts, and have worked without crucial information needed to protect the public, according to the preliminary findings of a scientific advisory board."

(30 Apr 2010)

Pollution and Justice 101 - New EPA Webinar (OMB Watch)

The EPA will be conducting a webinar to instruct the public on how to use the pollution information in the agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) to support environmental justice efforts. In addition to teaching the basics about TRI, the webinar will feature real life examples of how communities have used TRI to address environmental justice concerns.

(30 Apr 2010)

EPA Issues Report on Indicators of Climate Change (U.S. EPA)

A new EPA report, "Climate Change Indicators in the United States," looks at 24 key indicators that show how climate change impacts the health and environment of the nation’s citizens. The information included in this report will help inform future policy decisions and will help evaluate the success of climate change efforts.

(27 Apr 2010)

EPA Calling for Abstracts for National TRI Conference (ECOS)

EPA is calling for abstracts for presentations at the National Training Conference on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Environmental Conditions in Communities, November 1–4, 2010, in Washington, DC.

(27 Apr 2010)

TAKE ACTION - Support Food Labeling of GMOs (Food Democracy Now)

Stand up for your right to know what's in your food and stop a sneak attack on GMO labeling. Please sign this letter to FDA and USDA.

(27 Apr 2010)

What Do YOU Want? (OMB Watch)

We’d like to hear your thoughts and priorities regarding improved access to environmental information. Please take this brief survey and let us know what is most important to YOU. You can access the survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AGT9V3K2B.

(22 Apr 2010)

EPA Plan Seeks to Instill Transparency into Agency DNA (OMB Watch)

The EPA has released its plan for improving the agency's transparency as part of the Obama administration's Open Government Directive. The agency's new Open Government Plan documents numerous ongoing and future actions that should continue the agency's advance toward transparency and accountability.

(21 Apr 2010)

EPA's Pollution Right-to-Know Program Revived From 10-year Coma (OMB Watch)

After more than ten years in deep freeze, the EPA is now proposing steps to revitalize the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) – the bedrock public right-to-know program that tracks toxic pollution from thousands of businesses. EPA wants to add 16 new chemicals and lift a "stay" on the reporting of another.

(19 Apr 2010)

Panel Clears Researchers in 'Climategate' Controversy (LA Times)

An independent panel found "no evidence of any deliberate scientific malpractice" by the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, which was accused of misrepresenting global warming data. The panel concluded the scientists instead were "slightly disorganised." The panel did criticize the UK government for charging for access to government data sets.

(16 Apr 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, DOE Attempt to Fix Energy Star Shortcomings (Environmental Leader)

"With recent reports of lax standards resulting in granting Energy Star labels to dubious products, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy are accelerating steps to bolster verification, testing and enforcement of the program." 

(15 Apr 2010)

EPA Proposes Adding 16 Chemicals To TRI (U.S. EPA)

The EPA is proposing to add 16 chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals, the first expansion of the program in more than a decade. The chemicals that EPA is proposing to add have been classified as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the National Toxicology Program.

(15 Apr 2010)