Info & Access News Archive 2004

Info & Access News Archive 2004:

Archived news from 2004

News

2004 Op-eds on Government Secrecy and Freedom of Information 12/22/2004
Read the best published op-eds on the need for open government and threats to information access collected by OMB Watch, OpenTheGovernment.org, and our allies. Permission is granted for free reprinting of any of these articles, provided it credits the author and includes this attribution: "© 2004, distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services." Read More

Saving Graces on Intelligence Reform Bill 12/14/2004
In a surprising move, congressional and White House negotiators agreed on intelligence reform legislation that created no major victories for the public interest but could have been much worse for open government and environmental protection near the nation’s borders. Read More

DHS Pushes Secrecy on the Hill 12/13/2004
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been strongly criticized for its overuse of secrecy and lack of transparency, is now pushing to lock down information among congressional offices. DHS officials have asked congressional aides to sign nondisclosure agreements that would prohibit them from publicly disclosing information from DHS even though the information is unclassified. Read More

Center Sues FERC Over Restricted Energy Information 12/13/2004
The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), claiming the agency illegally blocked access to documents relating to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities throughout the country. Read More

Sage Grouse Recommendation Follows Data Quality Challenge 12/13/2004
A data quality challenge recently filed by an industry group may have influenced government officials’ recommendation that the greater sage grouse not be listed as an endangered species. The Partnership for the West is a coalition of organizations, which support a largely anti-environment agenda and receive support from corporations like Dow Chemical. Read More

Reclamation Officials Withhold Dam Safety Information 12/13/2004
The Bureau of Reclamation refuses to disclose safety details about the Jackson Lake Dam to a county official trying to verify his county is out of harm’s way. The Teton County Commissioner, Bill Paddleford, wants the information as part of the area’s emergency planning, which includes the city of Jackson. Read More

EPA Releases Early TRI Data, Usability Limited 11/30/2004
On Nov. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began early access to the 2003 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), but in a limited manner. This early release is seven months faster than last year's release. While this earlier access represents a step in the right direction, the data format significantly limits its use. Additionally, EPA will not make the underlying data available to the public at this time. Read More

Court Dismisses First Data Quality Act Case 11/30/2004
In the first Data Quality Act case to be handled by the courts, a U.S. District Court has ruled that challenges under the DQA and its subsequent guidelines to agencies are not judicially reviewable. A previous court decision addressed the issue of reviewability, but the legal claim in that case was not limited to data quality. Read More

CSX Refuses to Disclose Hazardous Waste Re-Routing 11/30/2004
Rail companies that operate in and around Washington, DC, refuse to reveal whether or not hazardous chemicals are being re-routed around the city. Rail companies may be voluntarily re-routing trains, but the public will not be informed. Read More

Jersey to Withhold Hazardous Waste Records 11/30/2004
A proposed rule in New Jersey would keep important health and safety information secret, possibly endangering residents that live near chemical plants, or workers that are employed at a number of different facilities. Read More

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