RTKnet: Government Performance

EPA's Right-to-Know Effort Discloses Chemicals in 42 Health and Safety Studies (Environmental Defense Fund)

EDF reports: "EPA has just released today the full versions — showing the identities of the chemicals in question — of 41 'substantial risk' notices of health and safety studies it had previously received from companies that had denied the public's right to know those identities by claiming them to be confidential business information (CBI)."

(25 Mar 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)

EPA Sued for Access to Texas Clean Air Records (Sierra Club)

The Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project are suing the EPA for access to 350,000 pages of documents about coal-fired power plants blamed for making Texas' air pollution problems worse. "Right now, the EPA is simply following Luminant's bidding and unquestioningly parroting the corporation’s claim that almost 350,000 pages of documents are all 'trade secret' or 'confidential business information'."

(25 Feb 2011)

EPA Plans for Greater Openness in Coming Years (OMB Watch)

The EPA will incorporate greater transparency, accountability, and community engagement throughout its operations over the next five years, according to the agency's recently released Fiscal Year (FY) 2011-2015 Strategic Plan. The new strategic plan is the agency's first developed under the Obama administration, which has made increasing government openness a high priority.

(21 Oct 2010)

Tell EPA How It Can Serve Whole Communities (U.S. EPA)

EPA is asking the public: "What steps can EPA take to ensure that technical assistance to communities serves the needs of the whole community, and not just a small group?" Anyone can share their ideas with the agency on the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response discussion forum. Let your voice be heard.

(08 Oct 2010)

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)

Concerns Over Industry Influence Mount In Cell Phone Right-to-Know Fight (OMB Watch)

The city of San Francisco recently passed an ordinance requiring retailers to label cell phones with the amount of radiation the devices emit. In retaliation, a wireless industry trade group announced it will no longer hold its trade shows in San Francisco and filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of the ordinance. The fight has caused right-to-know advocates to raise concerns over the extent of the wireless industry's influence over regulators.

(30 Sep 2010)

TAKE ACTION - Tell Congress to Support Research on Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange)

A growing pandemic of endocrine-related disorders, such as ADHD, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, early puberty, infertility and other reproductive disorders, and childhood and adult cancers, is seriously undermining the health and wealth of our nation. TAKE ACTION and demand greater research to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals and determine their safety.

(03 Aug 2010)