Publication Items

BP To Get Gulf Oil Spill Information Withheld from Public [1]

After complaints from BP, the US government agreed to give the company evidence of the basis for its calculation of the flow rate from the stricken Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico. The government will hand over to BP some 100 documents about the size of the 2010 oil spill that have not yet been made public.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Fish & Fisheries [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Economy & Business [8]
Disasters [9]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about BP To Get Gulf Oil Spill Information Withheld from Public [1]
Data Accumulates Slowly on What's in Fracking Fluid [12]

If you have a fracking story in your beat, getting information about what's in the controversial fracking fluids may be like pulling teeth. But there are a few resources that can help, such as the "FracFocus" chemical disclosure registry.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Natural Resources [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Economy & Business [8]
Chemicals [15]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Data Accumulates Slowly on What's in Fracking Fluid [12]
Global Talks Offer Chance To Improve US Extractive Industries Transparency [16]

An initiative involving some 35 nations aims to solve many complex revenue-reporting problems, including improving the flow of information across national borders. But solutions can't even begin until individual nations get a grip on accurate data about extractive industries within their own borders. The results could illuminate key environmental policy issues.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Policy [17]
Natural Resources [13]
Forests [18]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Global Talks Offer Chance To Improve US Extractive Industries Transparency [16]
Mining Industry Threatens Journals To Keep Diesel Exposure Data Secret [19]

The Patton Boggs lobbying firm, which represents the mining industry, has sent letters threatening unspecified legal action against four scientific journals if they publish results of a study about the exposure of miners to diesel emissions, according to Science magazine.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [13]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Economy & Business [8]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Mining Industry Threatens Journals To Keep Diesel Exposure Data Secret [19]
SEJ Condemns House Science Panel Arrest of Journalist [20]

Read SEJ's February 6, 2012, letter to Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chair Harris condemning ejection of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology's subcommittee hearing on EPA's policies and enforcement of water quality issues surrounding natural gas drilling or "fracking."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Science [21]
Journalism & Media [22]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about SEJ Condemns House Science Panel Arrest of Journalist [20]
Talks Delay Rules for Power Plant, Refinery GHG Limits [23]

One day, EPA may propose rules for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and petroleum refineries. But the process continues to drag out, with the consent of the state and local governments and environmental advocacy groups that have been litigating for about five years to make the agency take action.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Climate Change [26]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Talks Delay Rules for Power Plant, Refinery GHG Limits [23]
Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [27]

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 [28]
Government [29]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Chemicals [15]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [27]
Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [30]

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 [3]
Pollution [25]
Health [31]
Environmental Politics [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Chemicals [15]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [32]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [10]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [33]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [34]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [30]
E-Mail: White House Ordered Scientists To Lowball BP Spill Rate Estimate [35]

The e-mail pressuring agency scientists was written by USGS Director Marcia McNutt, and was never meant to be made public. Against strong agency resistance, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility forced disclosure of the e-mail with a Freedom-of-Information-Act lawsuit.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Government [29]
Environmental Politics [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Disasters [9]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about E-Mail: White House Ordered Scientists To Lowball BP Spill Rate Estimate [35]
Dept. of Energy Focuses on Critical 'Rare Earth' Minerals [36]

The new Critical Materials Strategy lays out the issues for 16 key materials used in the manufacture of components for electric vehicles, electronics, wind, solar, and lighting equipment — such as current and projected supply and demand, options for reducing supply and demand problems, alternative materials and product designs to explore, and implications for various international relationships.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [13]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Dept. of Energy Focuses on Critical 'Rare Earth' Minerals [36]

Pages