"Half of Surveyed Oil Train Bridges Are Deteriorating, Report Says"
"Waterkeeper Alliance surveyed 250 bridges used by trains carrying volatile crude oil; there are more than 100K in the US".
"Waterkeeper Alliance surveyed 250 bridges used by trains carrying volatile crude oil; there are more than 100K in the US".
Reporters trying to get information from federal agencies find press offices stonewalling and running out the clock on their interview requests. "The public information model," one agency flak said, "is dead." The result: the public is uninformed, the government is unaccountable, and people's health is endangered.
SEJ Members: Most of you have been aware of our efforts to lodge your complaints about agency press office intererence with news media access to scientists and officials. With over 50 other journalism groups, SEJ and its WatchDog Project have complained about it to the White House of President Obama, who promised his would be the "most transparent" administration ever. Now journalism groups have landed a December 15 meeting with Press Secretary Josh Earnest to discuss these issues. Here is a communication from the coalition's leaders.
"Fire chiefs from California, Idaho, Washington and other vulnerable states reinforced on Monday the Obama administration’s campaign against climate change."
"Smoking would be prohibited in public housing homes nationwide under a proposed federal rule to be announced on Thursday, a move that would affect nearly one million households and open the latest front in the long-running campaign to curb unwanted exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke."
"Large chemical companies and their major trade association and lobbying arm, the American Chemistry Council, say they can maintain high safety standards through self-regulation and voluntary actions. Our report finds this isn't the case. Voluntary standards don’t work, and existing regulations are not effectively enforced."
The Center for Public Integrity systematically rated the 50 state governments on various measures of integrity. One of those was transparency. Only three states scored higher than D+.
"A celebratory signing on Tuesday of a memorandum of understanding between the Interior Department and Energy Department formally established the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, one that will span three states and recount a pivotal moment in world history."
"Arch Coal, the nation's second largest coal company, this week told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it may join other coal companies in filing for bankruptcy. The company said it may have to seek Chapter 11 relief because of 'extremely challenging current market conditions.' The company, which is burdened by $5 billion in debt, said it did not see an upturn in sight."
"House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop has received praise and criticism from his Republican colleagues over his proposal to overhaul the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a sign of potential headwinds as the Utahan seeks to advance his bill."