Firearms Now Allowed in Parks; Rules Eased in Refuges

March 3, 2010–Educating your audience about the complicated new law will be a useful public service. It will also familiarize you with the people involved at your local facilities, what steps they are taking, and who you can contact if a shooting incident or other violation occurs.

Enviros Seek Disclosure of Household Cleaning Product Ingredients

February 10, 2010–A court case involving a 1971 NY law may force manufacturers to make public unlisted toxic chemicals in products like stain remover, dish soap and laundry detergent. The cleanser industry says the action is "unwarranted, and that fears about health risks are misinformed," according to the AP.

Environmental Disclosure a High-Stakes Issue for Corporations

January 27, 2010–Companies of all kinds face the prospect of major costs or losses as they face a future of unknown risks and uncertain regulations — and you are provided an environmental reporting opportunity.

20% of Chemicals in Commerce Claim To Be 'Trade Secrets'

January 13, 2010–Washington Post reporter Lyndsey Layton writes about the thousands of chemicals exempted from EPA screening for potential harm to the environment and public health — and the three-decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that renders it possible, in the interest of protecting manufacturers' bottom lines.

Will Off-Record White House Meetings with Coal Lobby Stifle Ash Regs?

January 13, 2010–After an October 2009 EPA proposal to regulate coal ash, documents show coal industry officials started meeting with OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and soon EPA announced it was postponing proposal of the coal-ash regulation.

Mapping Tool Allows New Way To Cover EPA Enforcement Actions

January 6, 2010–With data on ~4,600 civil and criminal enforcement actions in fiscal year 2009, you can determine trends by state and EPA Region for type and extent of enforcement; track down enforcement actions in areas of interest to your audience; and serve as a starting point for stories that are seemingly unrelated to an enforcement action.

New OMB Open Government Directive Offers FOI Opportunities

December 16, 2009–While there are plenty of EPA databases already on line, not all of them are in a form that can be quickly downloaded in their entirety and imported into standard database software. That's a key criterion specified, and one that will ease computer-assisted reporting for journalists.

Senate Judiciary Panel OKs Shield Law, Sends Bill to Floor

December 16, 2009–There is no word yet on when the full Senate will take it up. The House has already passed a different shield bill — raising hopes that one could become law during this Congress.

Senators, J-Groups, White House Agree on Shield Law Provisions

November 4, 2009–Federal legislation to protect reporters from having to reveal confidential sources may be back on track. A markup in the Senate Judiciary Committee, possibly November 5, 2009, could tell.

Supreme Court Property Rights Case Has Environmental Implications

October 14, 2009–The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Dec. 2, 2009. The case, which started with legal action in 2004, involves a dispute over restoration of a stretch of Florida panhandle beaches damaged by storms.