Deep-Sixing the Facts? — Congress Blinds, Hamstrings Oil Spill Commission

August 11, 2010–Before leaving town for its August vacation, Congress stripped $12 million for the commission from an appropriations bill and denied that panel the subpoena power it needs to find out what happened or what should be done to prevent another spill.

EPA Offers Air, Water, Sediment, Waste Data from Gulf Oil Spill

August 11, 2010–Reporters can find most of the environmental monitoring data EPA has collected on one webpage in a form that can be queried or downloaded.

Fla. Scientists Say Obama Admin Tried To Squelch Oil Plume Findings

August 11, 2010–St. Petersburg Times' Craig Pittman reports the scientists' announcement in May that research boats had discovered a 6-mile long underwater oil plume was greeted with shushing from the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Eruption of 'Shy' Volcano Suddenly Surprises the Experts and the World

July 15, 2010–

NOAA Muddies Access to Spill Damage Data

July 14, 2010–A senior Washington correspondent for the Huffington Post reveals that NOAA has been giving BP all the raw data its research ships collect — but not releasing the data to the public 

Whistleblower Switches Sides, Spills Story on BP Press Blockade

July 14, 2010–An ex-BP security contractor hired to shoo reporters off of public beaches claims he was fired by BP after he took pictures of equations showing how dispersants were being used in the Gulf.

Hired BP Muscle Still Blocking Access; ACLU Weighs In

June 30, 2010–Mother Jones' Mac McClelland reports that some of those guys wearing uniforms and harassing journalists are actually off-duty local law enforcement officers being paid for their time by BP.

Understanding Oil; Publishers Tout 60+ Books

June 23, 2010–There will be scores of angles to cover as the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster continues to unfold. One of the books compiled by the Association of American University Presses may provide you insight on an oil-related issue, in fields such as economics, politics, international relations, sociology, environment, and technology.

BP Contractors, Feds Continue to Bar Media from Public Property

June 16, 2010–WDSU, the NBC affiliate in New Orleans (Channel 6), found that BP's highly publicized statement that it is not barring news media from witnessing the cleanup, or its failure, is in fact not true. See video of this and other examples, and get contact info for the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center if you've been denied access.

BLM Tweaks Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Policies

June 9, 2010–The changes affect only new drilling areas and may include greater consideration of environmental impacts, more public review, fewer "categorical exclusions" from environmental review, and more.