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The Information and Access Program focuses on defending and advancing the public's right to know. Unfortunately access to government information is under near constant attack. This program tracks and analyzes policies that affect the public's right to know and works to improve them. Our goal is to increase the quality of, access to, and use of government information.

Information & Access News for 2005. For news from previous years, see the Archive.

News

Fisheries Rule Cuts Public Participation 08/19/2008
A Commerce Department proposed rule governing fisheries management threatens to curb public participation in environmental reviews and give greater control to the fishing industry. The public comment period for the proposed rule ended on Aug. 12. Read More

EPA Launches Online System for Reporting Violations 08/19/2008
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched a pilot program to allow companies to electronically self-disclose violations of environmental laws. The new voluntary program, called eDisclosure, is designed to speed the processing times and reduce transaction costs for voluntary disclosures of violations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Read More

Senate Report Documents Problems with State Secrets Privilege 08/19/2008
An Aug. 1 report by the Senate Judiciary Committee articulates the need for new legislation to limit the state secrets privilege. The report documents that the current administration has asserted the privilege "more frequently and broadly than before" and that reforms, such as the State Secrets Protection Act (S. 2533), are necessary to restore the proper balance between the right to an open and accountable government and the protection of legitimate state secrets. The report's dissenters — nearly all the Republicans on the committee — disagree with the report, arguing that existing procedures are sufficient. Read More

State Group Launches Government Transparency Wiki 08/19/2008
On Aug. 11, the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions in Columbus, OH, announced the creation of its Center for Transparent and Accountable Government. With the mission of promoting open government initiatives at the federal and state levels, the center is leading the effort in Ohio to provide access to state and local government information and enable user participation in government through its wiki. Read More

Pesticide Problems Go Unnoticed by EPA 08/05/2008
The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) has discovered that two groups of common pesticides, generally considered to be "safer" chemicals, are responsible for one quarter of reported human pesticide poisonings, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) own data. CPI spent several years demanding the release of the data through repeated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. A trade association representing the interests of the consumer specialty products industry denounced the report. Read More

State Secrets Problems are No Secret to Congress 08/05/2008
On July 31, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony concerning the State Secrets Protection Act (H.R. 5607), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), which would grant the judiciary greater authority to question executive branch secrecy. The act would establish a set of procedures and standards for assessing executive branch claims to the state secrets privilege. Read More

Bills to Reign in Controlled Unclassified Information Fly through House 08/05/2008
A bill to reduce and standardize Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) designations moved quickly through the House in July, passing in both committee and on the House floor just a single week after it was introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA). This bill, along with a similar piece of legislation that focuses solely on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), now goes to the Senate where it may have a tougher time given the limited amount of legislative time left in this congressional session. Read More

White House Climate Change Policy -- Delay, Delete, and Deny 07/22/2008
The Bush administration continues its strong efforts to censor climate change information that reaches the public and Congress. Recent reports indicate that the White House pressured the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make changes to its regulatory process regarding climate change and that Vice President Dick Cheney's office was responsible for suppressing key sections of the congressional testimony of a high-level official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read More

EPA and Union Agree on Process for Reopening Libraries 07/22/2008
In response to a federal arbitrator's decision in February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) establishing procedures for the reopening of recently closed EPA libraries and bringing the union to the planning table for any future changes to the library network. Read More

House Decides Saving E-mails is a Good Thing 07/22/2008
The White House has threatened to veto an already weak bill targeted at preserving electronic records, despite legal action and recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the need for such accountability. On July 9, the House passed the Electronic Communications Preservation Act (H.R. 5811) by a veto-proof margin of 286-137. While targeted at the White House, this legislation will have an impact throughout executive branch agencies. Read More

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