Publication Items

RTK Net Reporting Tools Still Sharp After Many Years [1]

The Right-To-Know Network has been around since 1989. Today, with a modern and searchable Web interface, it offers access to some data that reporters would be hard put to find anywhere else. Most important is its collection of Risk Management Plans — which chemical plants are required to maintain to prevent, prepare for, and respond to toxic disasters.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Technology [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about RTK Net Reporting Tools Still Sharp After Many Years [1]
EPA Toxic-Disclosure Proposal Under Scrutiny at Obama White House [8]

On December 27, 2012, EPA submitted to the Office of Management and Budget its proposal to alter the interpretation of the Toxic Substances Control Act to require disclosure of the identities of the chemicals subject to health-effects studies before they are used in manufactured products. On January 20, 2012, a secret meeting took place between OMB officials and chemical industry lobbyists. We don't know what they talked about, but we do know that the meeting took place and who attended it.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [9]
Chemicals [3]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA Toxic-Disclosure Proposal Under Scrutiny at Obama White House [8]
"Burning Rivers: Revival of Four Urban-Industrial Rivers That Caught on Fire" [10]

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [11]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about "Burning Rivers: Revival of Four Urban-Industrial Rivers That Caught on Fire" [10]
Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [14]

Here, courtesy of the Federation of American Scientists, are some recent Congressional Research Service backgrounders that may be useful to environment/energy reporters, on chemical facility security, nuclear power plant design and seismic safety considerations, and proposed Keystone XL pipeline legal issues.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Nuclear Power & Radiation [15]
Government [9]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Chemicals [3]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [14]
Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [17]

Most current fracking operations happen on non-federal lands. But on federal lands, things are different — Obama intends to require disclosure of fluids as a condition of new leases for fracking on federal lands. If it takes place, this could push the ingredient lists further into the open.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [12]
Pollution [18]
Health [19]
Environmental Politics [20]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Chemicals [3]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [21]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [22]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [23]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [17]
Lejeune Secrecy May Have Caused Dead Marines [25]

CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has been investigating a Navy cover-up of cancer-causing drinking water at its Lejeune, NC, base. Now, Project on Government Oversight has released a January 5, 2012, letter from Marine Major General J.A. Kessler asking ATSDR to redact its report in the name of "force protection."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [18]
People & Population [26]
Military [27]
Environmental Politics [20]
Disasters [4]
Chemicals [3]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [22]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Lejeune Secrecy May Have Caused Dead Marines [25]
EPA Releases 2010 TRI National Analysis [28]

The analysis can be a useful starting point for targeting angles you want to investigate for toxic pollution stories. The raw data also offer numerous ways to look at occurrences and trends in many ways nationally and locally the agency hasn't addressed or emphasized in its analysis.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA Releases 2010 TRI National Analysis [28]
EPA To Release Dioxin Noncancer Risk Reassessment [30]

The assessments, expected late January 2012, could have wide-ranging direct and indirect effects in realms such as toxic site cleanups, brownfield development, manufacturing processes, domestic food production and sales, and international trade of food and possibly other goods.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [18]
Health [19]
Environmental Health [31]
Chemicals [3]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA To Release Dioxin Noncancer Risk Reassessment [30]
Judge Allows Pool Video, Audio Coverage of WV Monsanto Trial [32]

In response to a request for live-streaming of the trial, the judge has expanded the gag order for the case, a class-action lawsuit seeking medical monitoring for people who may have been exposed to hazardous chemicals produced at Monsanto's former plant in Nitro, W.V.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [33]
Health [19]
Environmental Health [31]
Chemicals [3]
Agriculture [34]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Judge Allows Pool Video, Audio Coverage of WV Monsanto Trial [32]
Drug Researchers Routinely Risk Public Health by Withholding Info: Study [35]

It's a common practice, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers even do it when the work is government-funded. Environmental reporters should be asking questions.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [19]
Chemicals [3]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Drug Researchers Routinely Risk Public Health by Withholding Info: Study [35]

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