Boots on the Ground at Annual SEJ Gathering [1]
EPA says it could instead compile a database partly from information collected by some states. But that information is often spotty and inconsistent — which will make it hard for EPA to compile it and even harder to make useful conclusions from it. And the withdrawal may make it harder to get the information disclosed.
About two dozen chemicals in the 8.3 million gallons of fluid used to fracture a gas-bearing Marcellus Shale formation near Canton, Ohio were disclosed on a public website — but the identities of another four chemical ingredients were withheld on the claim that they were trade secrets. EnergyWire's Peter Behr takes a look at the controversy.
The American Bird Conservancy has gone to court after the Interior Department stonewalled its Freedom-of-Information-Act requests for correspondence between feds and the wind industry on how potential wind projects in 10 states might affect birds and bats.
A federal judge has denied BP's bid to see 21 e-mails and other documents sent between the White House and other federal agencies. More chilling, perhaps, was BP's effort to get e-mails sent by two private-sector scientists in an apparent effort to discredit their work.
A company wants to mine Virginia's major uranium deposit so the state formed a multi-agency panel to study ending the three-decade ban on uranium mining. That panel hired a consulting firm that critics say was stacked with experts affiliated with the nuclear industry.
The Ohio legislature cleared a fracking bill May 24, 2012 that increases inspections of wells and requires drillers to hold liability insurance. But Reuters reports: "Many Democrats said the bill paves the way for the industry to hide information about toxic chemicals that could contaminate groundwater."
After complaints from BP, the US government agreed to give the company evidence of the basis for its calculation of the flow rate from the stricken Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico. The government will hand over to BP some 100 documents about the size of the 2010 oil spill that have not yet been made public.
The information would still have to be provided to the state. Companies would not gain immunity from enforcement merely by auditing themselves.
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/sejournal-sp12/boots-ground-annual-sej-gathering
[2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/sej-news
[3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change
[4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business
[5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy
[6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics
[7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food
[8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media
[9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land
[10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/nuclear-power/radiation
[11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population
[12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/cities-towns
[13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water
[14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife
[15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest
[16] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81
[17] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/epa-withdraws-cafo-database-rule
[18] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet
[19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture
[20] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest
[21] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic
[22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains
[23] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes
[24] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/energywire-spotlights-limits-fracking-disclosure-ohio
[25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution
[26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics
[27] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/group-sues-interior-failure-disclose-correspondence-wind-industry
[28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1
[29] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast
[30] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west
[31] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california
[32] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/e-mail-disclosure-could-play-role-bp-gulf-spill-case
[33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster
[34] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/enviros-challenge-transparency-virginia-uranium-mining-deliberations
[35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws
[36] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/new-ohio-law-limits-disclosure-fracking-fluid-ingredients
[37] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/bp-get-gulf-oil-spill-info-withheld-public
[38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries
[39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health
[40] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/new-arizona-law-limits-disclosure-companies-environmental-self-audits
[41] https://www.sej.org/publications/sejournal/burning-rivers
[42] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/bookshelf
[43] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47
[44] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=97
[45] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=94
[46] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=95
[47] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=96
[48] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=99
[49] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=100
[50] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=101
[51] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=102
[52] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/%2A/47?page=202
[53] https://www.sej.org/publications/list/Watchdog+TipSheet