A special three-judge district court, which heard arguments earlier this month, is expected to rule sometime in January on the constitutionality of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). The court ordered that all documents in this controversial case be made public, unless there were specific objections. Since then, the court has heard from more than two-dozen organizations and individuals asking that their information be kept secret. Among those groups objecting to disclosure have been units of the Democratic and Republican parties, the National Rifle Association, and the National Right to Life Committee. The most recent to ask that the information be kept secret is the federal government.
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Data Quality Challenge on Barium 12/23/2002
On October 29, 2002 the Chemical Products Corporation (CPC) submitted a data quality petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), challenging a barium risk assessment. CPC believes that the oral reference dose for barium disseminated in the agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) does not comply with the data quality requirements of objectivity or reproducibility.
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Data Quality Invoked in Information Collection 12/09/2002
In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) dated November 6, 2002, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) raised data quality concerns with NHTSA's recent Proposed Collection of Information. Read More

Data Quality's First Test 12/09/2002
The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE), Kansas Corn Growers Association, and the Triazine Network filed a request for correction of information with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) November 25, 2002 under the data quality guidelines. The petition could cripple EPA's ability to address endocrine disruptors.
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Cheney Task Force Lawsuits: Courts Dismiss GAO Request, Delay White House Deadline 12/09/2002
On December 6, 2002, a federal appeals court issued a two-page order indefinitely delaying the December 9, 2002, deadline for the White House to produce documents on Vice President Cheney’s energy task force. The order stated that the court will schedule a date for arguments on whether to step into the case and consider the administration's request to put a halt to producing documents and providing testimony. Read More

OSHA May Face Data Quality Complaints Soon 11/25/2002
At a U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) public meeting held November 20, lawyers representing Georgia Pacific (GP) and the American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA) raised the possibility of questioning a CSB report’s compliance with the newly issued Data Quality Guidelines. Read More

EPA Releases Enforcement Data Online 11/25/2002
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be accepting public comments for the next 60 days on its newly released pilot website -- Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) -- that allows the retrieval of enforcement and compliance information for over 800,000 regulated facilities, as announced in the Federal Register on Nov. 20th. Read More

Reaction to Passage of Homeland Security Bill 11/20/2002
All Aboard the Homeland Security Express
Bill Creates Dangerous New FOIA Exemption

On November 19, 2002, the Senate on a 90-9 vote sent to the President a bill to create a new Department of Homeland Security. Notwithstanding the merits of creating a new Department, the bill has a number of provisions that will seriously undermine agency and corporate accountability. The final bill is loaded with just about all the bells and whistles Republicans and corporations wanted.
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OMB Watch Submits Comments on FERC's Proposed Rulemaking 11/15/2002
OMB Watch recently submitted public comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The comments raised strong objections to the information restriction measures being proposed by FERC and urged the agency to transfer this issue to Congress where it would be more appropriate to address this issue. The full comments submitted to FERC are below or can be downloaded as a pdf file here. Read More

Comments Due this Week on FERC Rule Limiting Public Access 11/12/2002
Public comments on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposal to limit public access to "critical energy infrastructure information" are due this Thursday, Nov. 14. Read More