Publication Items

Will Feds Shut Down Independent Research on Gulf Spill Impacts? [1]

USFWS officers and DHS agents are not allowing independent academic researchers to study damage from the BP oil spill to natural resources from public lands and waters, saying they are justified by the "Natural Resource Damage Assessment" process under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and "national security," respectively.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Disasters [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Will Feds Shut Down Independent Research on Gulf Spill Impacts? [1]
Is 3/4 of White House Credibility on Gulf Spill Impacts Now Gone? [6]

Obama administration officials are publicly refusing to disclose data backing up an August 4 report announcing that some three-fourths of the BP oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico was "gone.".
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Disasters [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Is 3/4 of White House Credibility on Gulf Spill Impacts Now Gone? [6]
EPA Enviro Justice Guidance Could Help Spotlight EJ Issues [7]

While thoroughly bureaucratic, the 55-page guidance document, as well as EPA's Environmental Justice Strategic Enforcement Assessment Tool, can be useful resources for reporters who seek to understand and highlight potential environmental justice issues unfolding at the national, regional, or state level.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
People & Population [9]
Environmental Health [10]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Enviro Justice Guidance Could Help Spotlight EJ Issues [7]
EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [11]

The early release includes only about 80% of the total expected submissions. Updates should be available in August and September, and the agency will release its analysis later in 2010.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [12]
Government [3]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [11]
EPA Offers Air, Water, Sediment, Waste Data from Gulf Oil Spill [13]

Reporters can find most of the environmental monitoring data EPA has collected on one webpage in a form that can be queried or downloaded.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [14]
Disasters [4]
Waste [15]
Water & Oceans [16]
Government [3]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Offers Air, Water, Sediment, Waste Data from Gulf Oil Spill [13]
Obama Signs 'Libel Tourism' Bill [18]

The new bill protects U.S. journalists and citizens against harsh overseas libel judgments.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Journalism & Media [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Obama Signs 'Libel Tourism' Bill [18]
Deep-Sixing the Facts? — Congress Blinds, Hamstrings Oil Spill Commission [21]

Before leaving town for its August vacation, Congress stripped $12 million for the commission from an appropriations bill and denied that panel the subpoena power it needs to find out what happened or what should be done to prevent another spill.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Water & Oceans [16]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Deep-Sixing the Facts? — Congress Blinds, Hamstrings Oil Spill Commission [21]
Fla. Scientists Say Obama Admin Tried To Squelch Oil Plume Findings [22]

St. Petersburg Times' Craig Pittman reports the scientists' announcement in May that research boats had discovered a 6-mile long underwater oil plume was greeted with shushing from the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [16]
Government [3]
Disasters [4]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Fla. Scientists Say Obama Admin Tried To Squelch Oil Plume Findings [22]
EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [23]

Data for the 2009 Toxics Release Inventory, released July 28, 2010, includes only about 80% of the total expected submissions so it's not possible to look at category totals, trends, and other aspects that require 100% of the data until later this year. However, you can report immediately on many local emitters, including evaluations of their totals and trends.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [12]
Pollution [24]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [23]
NOAA Muddies Access to Spill Damage Data [25]

A senior Washington correspondent for the Huffington Post reveals that NOAA has been giving BP all the raw data its research ships collect — but not releasing the data to the public
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Water & Oceans [16]
Government [3]
Journalism & Media [19]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [26]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about NOAA Muddies Access to Spill Damage Data [25]

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