Publication Items

Justice Department Issues New Guidelines on Handling FOIA Requests [1]

The guidance was the latest in a series of orders seeking to turn around Bush administration secrecy, although "altering the mind set" might make change more difficult than originally thought.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Justice Department Issues New Guidelines on Handling FOIA Requests [1]
EPA Reverses Bush-Era Toxics Release Inventory Blackout [7]

A new rule signed by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson restores cuts in how much data communities can get about nearby industrial releases of toxic substances.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [8]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Policy [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about EPA Reverses Bush-Era Toxics Release Inventory Blackout [7]
NIH Open-Access Policy Celebrates 1st Birthday — Will It Make 2nd? [10]

A year-old National Institutes of Health policy requiring results of taxpayer-funded research articles to be posted online could be reversed by a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [11]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Policy [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about NIH Open-Access Policy Celebrates 1st Birthday — Will It Make 2nd? [10]
WA State Secret Deal on Coal-Plant Emissions Raises Ire [12]

Seattle Times lets the cat out of the bag with an April 7, 2009, story describing the secret agreement between the administration of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Canada-based TransAlta.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [13]
Energy & Fuel [14]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Northwest (OR WA) [15]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about WA State Secret Deal on Coal-Plant Emissions Raises Ire [12]
House Passes Limited Journalists' Shield Bill [16]

The bill passed by the House now goes to the Senate, which had previously failed to act on a similar bill passed by the House in 2007.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about House Passes Limited Journalists' Shield Bill [16]
Judge Rules That Feedlot Phone-Book Can Be Secret [18]

As of March 31, 2009, the Agriculture Department may keep secret the locations and phone numbers of feedlots — however much the public may complain about their smell and the pollution emanating from them.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Judge Rules That Feedlot Phone-Book Can Be Secret [18]
Energy Dept. Maps, Lists Efficiency Aid for U.S. Cities [20]

The Energy Department is listing state and local grant allocations from the stimulus bill on its website. Find out what your area of coverage is slated to receive in aid.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [14]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Technology [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Energy Dept. Maps, Lists Efficiency Aid for U.S. Cities [20]
Consent Decree Forces Regs on Selected Gas and Diesel Engines [23]

Restrictions would be placed on many types of stationary diesel and gas-fired engines under a proposed EPA rule.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [24]
Chemicals [8]
Energy & Fuel [14]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Pollution [25]
Government [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Consent Decree Forces Regs on Selected Gas and Diesel Engines [23]
Blue Sky for TRI? [26]

EPA's public release of the latest Toxics Release Inventory data -- and rollback of Bush-era cutbacks on the amount of information chemical companies must report -- may have marked the beginning of a new era for the embattled program.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [8]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Policy [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Blue Sky for TRI? [26]
Leahy, Cornyn Introduce FOIA Exemption-Flagging Bill [27]

A new bill would require Congress to explicitly declare when it was creating a new exemption to the Freedom of Information Act in any legislation.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Leahy, Cornyn Introduce FOIA Exemption-Flagging Bill [27]

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