Publication Items
March 10, 2010
03/10/2010 – In honor of Sunshine Week, which began March 14, the WatchDog serves up a meaty list of essential resources for journalists working to expose governmental secrets voters and taxpayers have a right to know about.10 Key Open-Gov Resources for Environmental Journalists
03/10/2010 – Do commercial products we have body contact with contain toxic chemicals? In too many cases, states and environmentalists are saying, the federal government forbids consumers from knowing.States Push Congress, EPA To End Toxic Trade Secrets
03/10/2010 – George Washington University's Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy (SKAPP) followed up with 37 scientists at 13 federal agencies to see if conditions had improved at their agencies post-Bush. Survey says: Not really, or not yet.Survey Finds Little Early Improvement in Science-Meddling Under Obama
03/10/2010 – New NEPA policies proposed in February by the Council on Environmental Quality cover climate impacts; findings of no impact and requirements for monitoring; categorical exclusions; and better tools for reporting to the public on NEPA activities.White House May Urge Greater NEPA TransparencyMarch 3, 2010
03/03/2010 – The site offers some improvements over poring through the Federal Register, but it's not comprehensive, topics are too broad, and there's poor differentiation between topics and constituencies. On the plus side, visitors can comment on in-process regulations, get alerts about specific regulations, attend online public meetings, and sort in-process regs.EPA Launches New Online Regulatory Gateway
03/03/2010 – 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.Firearms Now Allowed in Parks; Rules Eased in Refuges
03/03/2010 – The site includes news, studies, reports, fact sheets, data, predictions, educational tools, an events calendar, and images. The agency says it will adapt the site in response to comments, so feel free to provide feedback.New Fed Climate Change Site Consolidates Information
03/03/2010 – Many story leads are tucked away in this 196-page report: recession impacts from drops in extraction and consumption, increases in importation of key materials, insights on stories related to climate change and air pollution, and much more.USGS Minerals Report: A Tale of Economy and Environment
03/03/2010 – The Alliance for Biking and Walking's second biennial report, while mainly a recitation of statistics, is a highly useful source of leads and context for transit-related stories.Who's Biking/Walking in Your State and City?February 24, 2010
02/24/2010 – Various trackers are sorting through and compiling ideas, comments, and agencies' progress towards meeting the deadline.Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19
