PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

RTKnet: Government Performance

EPA Relies on Industry-Backed Studies to Determine Safety of Weed Killer (The Huffington Post)

The EPA is publishing studies of the health effects of the pesticide Atrazine in drinking water that have been funded by companies with financial interest in the weed-killer. Many of these studies, which allege that the pesticide has minimal health risks, have not been scrutinized by independent scientists.

(09 Jul 2010)

EPA Proposes Trade Secrets Protections for GHG Reports (EPA)

The EPA is seeking public comment on their  national greenhouse gas reporting program  to determine which industry-related greenhouse gas information should be made public and which non-emission data should be entitled to confidential treatment. The agency is now requiring underground coal mines, industrial water treatment systems, industrial waste landfills, and magnesium production facilities to report their emissions. The EPA is planning to provide data to the public by March 2011.

(09 Jul 2010)

EPA Asks for Public Comment on Administrator Jackson's Draft Plan (EPA)

The EPA is seeking public comment on Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's draft strategic plan, which will help to advance her priorities, describes the environmental and health benefits the public can expect over the next five years, and explains how the EPA plans to achieve those goals. For the first time, the EPA is using a discussion forum to solicit feedback on the strategic plan.

(08 Jul 2010)

EPA Seeks Employee Participation in Chemical Safety Inspections (EPA)

The EPA has released interim guidance that will allow employees and employee representatives to participate in chemical safety inspections, increasing transparency in the inspection process. The EPA is requiring state and local agencies to adopt a similar procedure under the Risk Management Program (RMP). Worker safety advocates have long sought enforcement of this feature of the Clean Air Act.

(08 Jul 2010)

Administration Launches Oil Spill Response Website (deepwaterhorizonresponse.com)

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen announced the launch of RestoreTheGulf.gov, a website dedicated to improving public access to information about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and recovery. According to Allen, the web site "will provide even greater transparency and openness about the BP oil spill." The Unified Area Command's current website, www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com, will be phased out over the coming weeks as information there is moved to RestoreTheGulf.gov.

(07 Jul 2010)

Obama Administration Holds America's Great Oudoors Listening Session (EPA)

Obama administration top officials are holding a listening session tomorrow, July 8, in accordance with the America's Great Outdoors Initiative. The goal of the session is to hear the public's  ideas for creating a conservation and recreation agenda and reconnecting Americans to the oudoors.

(07 Jul 2010)

Louisiana Governor Won't Disclose Oil Spill Records (New York Times)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed an amendment to a state bill that would have given the public access to all records from his office regarding the Deepwater Horizon spill. Gov. Jindal alleged that “Such access could impair the state’s legal position both in responding to the disaster that is unfolding and in seeking remedies for economic injury and natural resource damage.”

(01 Jul 2010)

Potentially Harmful Chemicals Used in Pennsylvania Drilling (New York Times)

Chemicals being used to drill natural gas wells in Pennsylvania are linked to neurological problems, cancer, and other health problems. Using data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Associated Press hopes to release a full list of gas drilling chemicals used in Pennsylvania online. Environmental advocates are concerned that these chemicals are polluting their drinking water and harming their health.

(29 Jun 2010)

Data Reveal Colorado Oil Spills Exceed 5 Million Gallons (denverpost.com)

Using a state database of industry reports of oil spills, the Denver Post reveals that there have been nearly 1,000 oil spills in the past 2 1/2 years in Colorado, totaling approximately 5.2 million gallons, or nearly half of the oil released from the Exxon Valdez spill. The National Wildlife Federation asserts, "It's about the public's right to know and what's going into the streams and aquifers around the state."

(28 Jun 2010)

BP Continues to Use Surface Dispersants Despite Directive (NY Times)

BP is still applying dispersant Corexit 9500 to the surface of the Gulf even after the EPA issued a directive ordering the company to desist. Scientists are concerned about the dispersant's impact on marine life and the health of workers who are exposed to the chemical daily. 

(25 Jun 2010)